Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-10-04
An Amateur
Detective
A Young Womas's Efforts
to Find Missing Girl.
By RUTH GRAHAM
BY RUTH GRAHAM


morning paper. Helen Bowers left
home TO go to the high school one
morning nearly three weeks ago and
has never been heard from since Why
IS IL that we have SO many detective
stories unraveling imaginary mysteries
md yet no one ever solves real ones?"
why don't you try yoW hand at
ibis case, GreceI asked he! sister,
Amelia Take Il M Independently
of the police and investigate 1t your
self. You complain OF having nothing
10 interest you BY endeavoring To
find out what has become OF this miss
Ing girl you Will be relieved of ennui
and may do a great deal OF good,
Miss Barlow. a young woman TWEEN
ty-three years old, possessing mn In
come sufficient for her support, well
educated, intensely practical was set
10 thinking 10y her sisters words She
was not n person who would enter
upon work 10 abandon il at the first
Encouragement. Consequently she
COINED oyer in her MIND the rebuffs
One of the principal of these would
come from the police, who are not dis
posed 10 brook any amateur trespass-
Ing on their legitimate domain. ON
the other hand. the family OF the
missing girl might be thankful for her
effort. II required two whole days
for Miss Barlow 10 weigh these con-
siderations. at the end OF which she
decided To begin work on the case OF
the Sa.Ssing girl and never cease her
efforts 40 long as there was "A clew 10
folioO - N--.-- -, rsv. -. --~-,srsv-s. 49,
r. - -scs > - a4-1------s AZ
L. sLISP first visit was 10 police mead
quarters. She found Inspector Blake
man, middle aged man, sitting be
hind a rosewood desk which was coy.
cred with papers F~'sc' J2zsysss,'s,. :so:-:s
II have called" she said. "to ask II
I can be Of any assistance 10 the police
IN their efforts 10 discover the where
abouts OF Helen Bowers, who diSap-
peared recently and has never been
seen or heard of since. | have decided
TO interest myself in the ease ! shah
work independently of the police. but
before beginning | desire TO know if
you will give me such information as
you may possess concerning the mys
terry"
THAT we cannot do. We work upon
our CLOVIS in our own way. They are
known only TO ourselves Any giving
away of them would be likely 10 de
feat our success. \ secret once part
ed with is henceforth no secret.
you are perfectly right about H."
said Miss Barlow. Il did not expect
that YOU would trust me with what
information Won may possess. But /
prefer that YOU should know that |
am working on the case. | presume
you have no objection
The law allows any one to work on
the case, and You are perfectly free 10
DO So can only say that the more
amateur detective work that is inject
cd into hunting for crime the less
chance there is for us experienced In
Vestigators 10 succeed
Having thus delivered himself, the
inspector signiiied that the Interview
was ended and turned again 10 his pa
pers. Miss Barlow withdrew
She had kept the address of the fam
lily Of the missing girl as given in the
newspapers. and her next visit was
there. She found the girls mother
bowed down with grief
Mrs. Bowers" said Grace, II have
determined 10 try 10 solve the mys
terry Of your daughters disappearance
do so simply for the sake of doing
good. Tell me about your daughter"
The woman gave description Of the
missing girl. She was fifteen years
old, considered pretty and was of ex
cellcnt character. She had no lover
so far rs the mother knew.
Have you any suspicious as to what
has become Of her." ask,v Grace.
II know what has become of her NJ
10 certain point one OF her school
mates saw woman speak 10 her ~
the street the morning she disappeared.
Have you stated this to the policc2'
81 have not only stated il TO them
hut have begged them to investigat,
this woman. who is known 10 us, sine,
my daughter was seen TO go with hei
into a candy shop she keeps"
What have the police done about III
"Thcy tell me that they have gon,
through the house containing the candy
shop and Intercepted the woman, VIII,
admits she took n girl answering Helen''
description to her shop on tile morning
Helen disappeared 10 sell her some can
dy. she makes "A peculiar Kind which
girls are very fond Of and sells il very
cheap. She sometimes solicits custom
Of children and accoStcd Helen VIII,
went with her to her shop and bought
some candy. A young man followe,
them into the shop. bought some more
candy. which lac gave 10 Helen ant
they left the shop together
what do the police say about this 2
"They say that the woman in qucs
tion bears an excellent reputation; tina
hundreds Of young girls every year =
of with young men willingly or under
deception and are never heard Of again
Their theory is that Helen went away
with the young man who Joined her II
the store"
Grace Barlow pondered awhile on this
statement, then asked:
'1s there any evidence OF your daugh
ter having left the candy store with !
man except that Of the candy sclleri"
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