Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-05

ness and rapid.ty, but II would only
work with facts-only with Alice's pic
lures OF them. only with facts they
wers told hiri by Alice. lie could take
her words. with the pictures OF places
and people they made, and build the
crime as il had occurred but he could
not get his brain to handle the same
matter unless 1t came TO him from
Alice'S lips.
For three days he tried II. Orlando
and Black Pete We're easy n find: they
had rot fed the town. He want -
them and questioned them as Alice would
have done. He observed their goiHEa
and cnmings. and he watched Alice in
the same way: and at the end OF three
days the accumulated mass of informA-
ton he had gained was nothing hut
a mass He could not shape it into a
solution.
'If Allie was hero to tell II to me IA
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 was now
her legal husband. at Mrs. Berlows
boarding house, on sth street Thither
ShaChark went.
We'll. Dad. I'm glad to see you" Alice
parlor.
"Yes. Allie." he answered. "I had IN
come to you. I've been working on that
mase Of mine. that eleven thousand
dollars that was stole. and can't iggcr
1t out. ! can't keep my mind on It when
try to work at II. I've GOT to hear Il
in your words. VIII you tell It to me.
Allie?"
''Of course, Dad"
II Euess maybe I've Investigated all
that need he. I'll tell you what ] founn
out. and you can tell It back to no
whilst I sit hcrc-like you used to In
the boat. Allie. You don't mind II
smoke my pipe here?'
mo, Go ahead, Dad.
He told her all he had discovered.
item by item. and then he sat on Mrs
Berlow's sofa. his eyes closed smoking
his cob pipe and waiting.
Il got to go back ways. Dad" she
began. You remember when old Mr..
Wisdom came 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. 80 met Jimmy
I guess / fell right in love with him.
Dad, the first time I saw him. and him
with me- So felt sorry for him. didn't
want him to go to Jail and maybe to tho
penitentiary. ! hoped he hadn't taken
the five thousand from his fatner. hut
he had.
''He hid It in a tree in the patch OF
tree easy enough when went out the
second time. l found the SOCK. too: II
was in the hollow of the tree. IT was
empty. Some one had found 1t hrsts
and got the money out of 1t.
you never told me" said Shagbark-
mo. I'd made UP my mind not &c:
didn't want Jimmy sent to the pen I
say. 1 don't think SO now. He HAD
been hard treated. and his father owed
him that and more. He was only tax
ing his rights. He's sorry now he took
that way to get them: but no matter!
He's my husband now"
go on. Allie"
so 1 was frightened, Dad. I was
afraid his father would keep after him
and so he would have. If you hadn't
found a way to prove 1t on Jimmy.
some one would have found way. So
when I found the sock with the money
gone. I was scared. If the money had
been there. Jimmy would have sent It
back to his father somehow, but 1T was
gone. was in love with him. Dad"
"Just SOL
$50 took your money, Dad"
"I thought maybe you had. dod wink
it," said Shagbark with grin.
"I took it, and the next day put five
thousand in the sock and had Mrs.
Wisdom slip it into the hiding place
under the floor and then put Jimmy's
dad up to finding 1T there. Here's the
rest of your money. Dad-six thousand
dollars. Now, what are you going to
do with me? You can Jail me il you
want to: Jimmys safe
Shagbark took the roll Of money and
held It in his left hand.
'If I look at you as stealh' five
thousand dollars from me, Allie" he
said, with a chuckle, I'D ought to put
you in jail for life. I had so. But on
the other hand, Allie, II look at that
money as five thousand bottles of Shay
bark oil, at cost of cents per bot
tie. it amt but two hundred dollars,
and 1 reckon I can afford o'give you
that for wedding present
And is that how you are going to
look at 1t, Dad?" she asked eagerly.
Eyes, dod wink it," said Shagbark
Jones. And he laughed He was an
going man.
Copyright, 1918, by Mcclure syndicate.)