The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-25
ELLIS PARKER BUTLER

and Orlando were, he was sure, The
thieves, or-Alice! In any event. his
wonderful detective mind would solve
the pussle, If il was q puszle. he was
surAL
In half an hour he arose and began
walking the floor. He was making no
progress whatever. He could not make
his mind grasp and handle even such
facts as he had. He looked with nu-
noyance toward Alice's door.
bod wink it," he exclaimed. What
did she go away for?"
The truth was being borne home to
him. Without Alice he was no good ut
all. He had the mind. the wonderf0
mind. that could Mt the pieces OF .
puzzle together with marvellous ex-
actness and rapidly, but It would only
work with facts-only with Alice's pic
lures of them, only with facts as they
were told him by Alice. He could take
her words. with the pictures Of places
and people they made. and build the
crime ~ It had occurred; but he could
not get his brain to handle the same
matter unless it came to him from
Ance's Inns.
For three days he tried It. Orlando
and black Pete were easy to ind: they
had not ned the town. He went to
would have done. He observed their
goings and comings. and he watched
Alice in the same way; and at the end
Of three days the accumulated mass Of
information he had gained was moth
ing but q mass. He could not shape
1t into . solution.
IL Allie was here to tell it to me,
I'd make head or tail Of It," he said at
length. And although he had meant
to have nothing to do with her unless
she came to him for forgiveness, on
| the fourth day he went to the Scott
House and asked for her. She was not
| there. She was. with Jimmy, who WIS
now her legal husband. at Mrs. Ber-
| lows ooardinghoube on Fifth street
Thithef Shagbark went.
well. Dad. I'm glad to see you.
Alice said when they were alone In the
little parlor.
Yes, Allie," he answered, II had to
come to you. rye besn working on
that case Of mine. that eleven thou
sand dollars that was stole, and can't
hgger it out. I can't keep my mind On
it when I try to work at It I've got
to hear it in your words Will you tell
| It to me. Al1io?''
'Of course. Dad"
Il guess maybe I've Investigated all
that need be. I'll tell you what I found
out, and you can tell It back to ire
whilst I cit hsre-lil<e you used to In
tho boat. Allie. You don't mind If
smoke my pipe herer'
!. mo. Go ahead Dad"
u He told her all he had discovered,
item by item. ana then he sat on Mrs.
Berlow's sofa, his eyes closed. smoki ag
/ his cob pipe and waiting.
. 7 got to go back ways, Dad" she
began. You remember when old Mr..
Wisdom come to the boat?"
> shagbark opened his eyes. He had
, not suspected old Wisdom.
You had me set to work on his
case" Allie went on. so met Jimmy.
I guess I fell, right in love with him,
Dad, the first time I saw him. and him
with me. So felt sorry for him. !
be to the penitentiary. I hoped he
hadn't taken the five thousand from
. his father. But he had.
He hid it in a tree in the patch sof
wood I told you OF. Dad. I found the
tree easy enough when went out the
second time. found the sock, too; IL
was in the hollow of the tree. II was
empty. Some one had found it nrst
and got the money out OF It."
You never told me-" said Shagbark.
mo. I'd made up my mind not to.
!. didn't want Jimmy sent to the pen
I didn't think he was really guilty. 20
to say. I don't think so now. He had
been hard treated, and his father owed
him that and more. He was only talk
ing his rights. He's sorry now he took
that way to get them. but no matter!
He's my husband now"
II go on, Allie" ~
II SO I was frightened. Dad was
l AfrAiA hla fafhnr uro,ld kaon altar bt,,,
until he had him in the penitentia,y.
and 20 he would have. II you hadn't
found a way to prove It on Jimmy,
some one would have found a way. SO
. when I found the sock. with the money
.. gone. I was scared. II the money mad
been there. Jimmy would have sent It
back to his father somehow. but it was
, gone. I was in love with him. Dad"
! "Just so,''
so took your money. Dad"
II thought maybe you had dod whix
e it'll" said ShagbArk with a grin
IT took It, and the next day put I'VE
thousand in the sock and had Mrs.
I Wisdom slip Il into the hiding place
under the floor and then put Jimmy 8
dad up to finding 1t there. Here's the
rest Of your money. Dad--six thousand
dollars. Now. what are you going to
oo Win me Iou can jail me II you
want to; Jimmy's safe"
Shasbark took the roll of money ard
,, held it in his left hand.
IF I look at you as stealin' 1--WE
thousand dollars from me, Allie" ns
said, with a chuckle, TIA ought to put
, you in jail for life. had 60. But ON
the other hand. Allie. II I look at that
. money as Eve thousand bottles on
. ShAgbArk Oil. at a cost~o cents per
| bottle. 1t Amt but two hundred dollars
and I reckon can AFFORD to give Won
that for q wedding present"
And 10 that how you are going "a
look at Il. Dad?" she asked eagerly
| .vsS AZ ~,ht~ 49,, .~.s