The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1918-09-27
"A LUCKY
FIND
scoDyrlsat. 1918, western Newspaper unior
By HELEN PAGE ROSTER

asked for change. The bank man hesi-.
tated, held the note up to the light,
pushed ii under 4 stamping machine.
and passed II back to the asto nisiled
Daniel bearing across its face in big
\ staring letters the olninons word
Counterfeit"
Why, see here I" began Daniel
"Phones. that's all, interrupted the
teller. Know who you gots it fronl?'
8 Neither his name nor address. Know
him BY sight only, replied Daniel
Tell your story to the secret sery--5
ice office You II find them interastcd,,'
and Daniel located the office in lrles-
ton and was directed to a keen-eyed
man, who scanned the discredited bank
note closely, consulted with two others
and said ,s,
You wouldn't have brought this bill
y here il you wasn't square. Now then
\ tell US all about it, ...5
ss 1--we been ont Of work, was waiting
around a garage for extra chauffeur
work, narrated Daniel, and call
4 came when the regulars were busy. II
went as directed to certain corner.
Three men got In. One Of them car
ried a suitcase. The others had fish
ing outfits. The man with the suit
case sat In front with me and did the
directing must have. run 60 miles
u when he ordered a halt. It was along;
q . road Il don't know that could find
x again, for IT. ran through the middle
Of a wooded stretch, He gave me the
regular tariff out and return. Then he
eyed me curiously. Forget us and this
trip, he said, and that's for yourself.
That was the twenty-dollar BILL
Eyes, this Is the tWenty-dollar bill,
4 and the most dangerous counterfeit
]. ever put on the market" observed the
\ secret service man. DO you want q
regular job ~
..It's what I've been looking for"
Every we'll you think you would
4 know the. man who sat on the front
!. seat Of the auto With you IL you met
him again ~ 2s
II feel pretty sure. !"
Take month to End him. Take an
other month and try to locate the spot
where you left him. It's three dollars
4 day for you and as many thousand Il
you round him up. 3s5.: M.
Daniel Grove, all-around Office util-
4 slty man out OF steady work for two
! months, experienced a certain fascinat-
/ ing zest In doing detective work,
Probably found out we've spotted their
issue planted the plates on that
4 trip and other enlightening express
sions Daniel had caught from the Sc
cret service men. ,s
IT was a good many days later, after
4 prodigious trampink and guess,,work,
4 that Daniel located 4 spot which he
; believed was the one where he had left
the three strangers. 5s3s
Using 1t as a base. for over two
weeks Daniel traversed its nefghbor-i
hood. At the end Of month he made
"a Anal report. and was allowed to re-
sign his position as an amateur de-
tective Then Daniel resolved to de.
vote his time to any kind OF rural
work that came along.
One day passing over a rustic bridge,
spanning brook, his poetic nature re-
sponded to the attractiveness of q
bright faced, supple-limbed girl driv-s
\ ing a COW down foot-path She
4 nodded to him In the natural friendli-
ness. OF ruralite ways. He asked her
about the prospects of work in the
neighborhood, and Doris Lake In
\ formed him that her father needed q
& helper. 81.
II was Joy to the lonely young fell
low to live in the same atmosphere OF
pleasant ways and homelike comfort
With the Lakes. One evening as he
and Doris wandered by the brookside
they CHANGED to pass an old hut Dan
Tel had not noticed before.
II made quite little money taking
milk and vegetables to three men who
I came there to fish for a few days two
months ago., said Doris. They went
away as mysteriousiy as they came
1.-TWO months ago land three menH
repeated Daniel eagerly.
Doris regarded her companion in a
puzzled way as she noted sudden
excitement on his part. Then she.
shared the same, as Daniel told all his
story
There was nothing to It but a visit
to the hut. Daniel did some searching
about 1t, but nothing developed. II
was Doris who came across an old
spade and a pair of rubber boots.
Both objects were plastered with a
sandy loan.
.'Why,' she said, these must have
been used in the old gravel pit over
beyond the reed patch yonder. A
queer place for. fishermen to visit and
thfther went the duo Of amateur detec-
lives, to find spot showing loose dirt
with stake driven In its center near
4 " out Of view.
Daniel dug and Doris watched in
suspense. Daniel uttered an exultant
shout, and Doris chimed in as there
was revealed a suitcase.
'sThe p1ates!' spoke Daniel, as he
- Il