Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-02-21

SISleu on LnOFOugn search DeIOfe i
let them go. Still, feel convinced
| they're honest. although Despard, per-
| haps. is a trifle doubtful The wiSest
! thing is to have him watched. III get
| detective at once. | have let the
thing go too far already"
In spite of all precautions, however.
and Notwithstanding the many watch
| ers, the thefts continued. The employ
| eeS were now searched each time they
| left the store. The hired detective
| of the assistants. and while it was not
| impossible for one of them TO purlOin
| an article and slip 1t into his pocket
| unseen. it seemed absolutely beyond
| belief that the booty could be carried
| off under the very nose of everybody.
One day an odd idea occurred to
| Beckwith. AS luck would have it, that
same day his opportunity to test it ar
| rived. At about tive-thirty he went up
| stairs to the Mushroom to wash him.
self preparatory TO going home. There
| he found Calvin, who, having hung his
waistcOat on a hook, was about to
wash his hands.
In an instant Beckwith made up his
mind. fastening downstairs, he went
up to Brown.
"Say, Brown" he whispered hur-
| riedly, "help me minute. I'll explain
afterward. I'm going up into the wash
room. When have reached the top Of
the stairs l want you to call up to Gal
vim. When he comes to the head of the
| stairs, ask him whether he took that
package to Mrs. McCarthy's this after
noon; we know he did, of course hold
aim there a couple of minutes; ask
him to whom he gave it, and what they
said. This is important; will you do
| it?"
Sure" said Brown, wonderingly.
whats the matter? If you look like
| that, you'll have the detective come
| over and sit on you"
Beckwith hurried upstairs without
| replying, and Browns voice promptly
| called out: Hello there, Calvin"
Calvin was drying his face as Beck
| with reached his side.
Hello" answered Calvin, crossing
| the room and standing just out of
| Beckwith's sight, at the head of the
stairs.
In an instant Beckwith had Galvin's
| huge, great-grandfather' watch out Of
| the pocket of the suspended waistcOat.
| The first thing ne noticed was that one
| of the hands had fallen off.
1.-The thing isn't going" he said to
himself. He placed it to his ear.
"Ah, ha -
He said no more, but hastily unfas-
tened the silver chain and put the
watch into his own pocket.
Calvin was still at the head of the
stairs. ''Sure I did. Dyer think |
swiped the package?" he demanded in
dgnantly. What dyer take me for,
anyway"
"All right, Calvin" said Brown.
my mistake, that's ALL"
Il amt no thief" growled Calvin,
entering the room. THAT Brown gives
me pain in the neck"
Without staying to turn off the run
| ming water, Beckwith hurried down
the stairs. AS he entered the store, Mr..
Wallenstein, who was counting some
gold watches in a tray prior to placing
them in the big safe for the night, ut
tered a tremendous oath.
Everyone in the store turned to him
in startled amaZement, and the detec-
tive hurried over to his side
"Theres a sixty-dolIar gold Elgin
missing here!" cried Mr.. Wallenstein.
A couple of customers, not liking the
look of things, made move to go.
Lock the door," ordered the detec-
tive. Everybody stay where they
are"
Beckwith, with conflicting emotions
of doubt and assurance warning with
in him, went up to his employer and
whispered to him.
Eagerly Mr.. Wallenstein held out his
hand, and Beckwith handed Galvin's
huge watch to him.
Without word. the jeweler quickly
opened the back of the watch, and then
the inner cover. All eyes were fixed on
him, and heads were craned forward
as he revealed the interior of the I'M
couth timepiece.
An exclamation of wonder broke
from the group of watchers, for there,
in place of wheels and springs, was
snugly ensconced the missing gold FL
gin. 1t fitted into the larger watch
with some room to spare, and little
cotton wool had been hastily stuffed
in as packing.
At once all was cOmmOtion.
Arrest the scoundrel % cried Mr..
Wallenstein, crimson with anger. ar
rest hint"
"In the washroom, second floor"
said -Beckwith, nodding to the detec-
tive.
The man sprang up the stairs, fol-
lowed by Beckwith. Entering the wash
room, they were surprised to find IL
empty. Even Galvin's waistcoat had
gone; for, discovering the loss of his
watch, the guilty one had been quick
tc grasp the situation, and had fed.
The open window showed the way Of
his escape.
Standing on a chair. the detective