Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-05-13
The Silent
Sentinel
By ALVAH JORDAN GARTH


1t was in the nature Of Harold Lane
TO be patient and indulgent, and In
the case of Wallie Marshall he exert
ed, besides those characteristics, a
spirit OF. true helpfulness. Lane was
star reporter on leading daily news
paper. The one ambition of his boyish
enthusiastic protege was to follow In
his footsteps.
Walile had haunted the office of the
publication, vainly seeking an oppor-
tunity to display his journalistic abil-
ity, until Lane CHANGED to notice him.
One day he got the novice an assign
ment to report a banquet. Wallie
wrote two columns on the affair, which
were cut down to so lines by the city
editor, but Wallie was the proudest
soul in the world when he saw his eff
fusion in print, curtailed as 1t was.
''See here, Marshall" he was ad-
vised by Lane the following day, ''feel
your way slowly and study hard. In
the first place, learn to condense. In
the next place, cultivate the colloluial
style, which 1 see is your forte. Hang
around; you'll be full-fedged in due
time"
Wallie adored his kind-hearted pa
tron and model. He fell to studying
him. He copied his neckties and even
essayed the careless, easy swing OF
Self-conf1dence of his gifted senior.
More than once Lane observed this
acolyte hanging around where he was
reporting trial or looking up a SEN
sation. Twice Lane happened to need
messenger, and Wallie was wing
footed to carry out his instructions.
eff can ever be like Lane" he con-
f1dentially impaired to another report
er, sit will be the glory of my lifep
So Lane ran across Wallie at all
kinds of odd places, and was more ac-
curate than he thought In suspecting
that Wallie was constantly on his trail.
Somehow 1t got noised about the news
paper office on one occasion that Lane
was working on big case. 1t was so
immense and promising that Lane, ab-
stractedly starting out upon 1t, did not
notice that Wallie was trailing his
lOOlSlcpS.
What Lane was after was to locate
woman noted in police circles IS
Clever Kate.
A travelling jewelry salesman had
been deftly robbed of sample case
containing something like $4,000 in
chains, watches and jewels, and from
certain clews he had dug ND himself,
Lane fancied he recognized the expert
handiwOrk of Clever Kate and her
right-hand assistant, Dave Ware.
The police were all at sea on the
case. There was a large reward Of
fered, which Lane set himself to gain
as well as a scoop for the newspaper
employing him. At last Lane felt as
Sured that he had located the woman
in question. He believed he had traced
her to house In block of stone-front
residences, and set himself about max
ing sure of it. AT the moment of the
elimination of his plans Wallie, all
unsupported, was diligently following
him. Ware stepped within the vesti-
bule and Wallie lurked in the doorway
opposite. He remained there an hour
or two, then he began to get anxious.
Those morning hours hurrying on to-
wards a first-edition publication were
never wasted by the matured reporter,
and Wallie realized that extreme ur-
gency or some mishap must have in
tervened to have kept Lane so long Off
active duty. AS he fingered, rejecting
deeply, Wallie saw a man hurry along
the street, glance keenly all about him
to be sure that he was not noticed or
followed, hasten up the stone steps Of
the house and disappear past the YES
thule.
Wallie's. mind was soon made up.
He had not at all fancied the looks of
the man; he had grown uneasy and
anxious from his long, suspenseful
waiting. Wallie crossed the road, went
up the steps. entered the vestibule and,
trying its inside door, found that 1t
opened into broad hallway. Wallie
stood still and listened. The muffied
sounds of human voices reached his
hearing, a door crashed shut and foot
steps echoed. He glanced about for
with spear ascendant, stood in an al
cove. Behind this and within It, Wal
lie secreted himself. The mask OF
steel provided secure hiding place.
A sirenlike creature came down the
hall-Clever Kate, Wallie believed. She
was accompanied by the man whom
Wallie had seen enter the house a
short time before.
"YOu have done your work WELL" he
spoke, audibly to the silent sentinel.
'"There is no doubt that the hue and
cry will soon materialize."
''Then it is a quick disappearance"
Eyes, will go South. You start
North, double your track and get to
Jersey City. The stuff was shipped to
our friend Metz last week-Barclay
building is his address. AS to that
meddlesOme newspaper man, let him
wiggle and starve, for all 1 care"
"Oh, the landlady is sure to investi-
gate by tomorrow and set him loose"
The devoted Wallie came across
Lane imprisoned in an armchair.
Clever Kate had suspected him the
moment he began the pretense Of rent
ing the apartments. She had induced
him to be seated, pair of steel arms
shot out and he was held as In wise.
Then prompt actiOn-the police set
on the trail Of the conspirators, Jer-
sey City wired, the fenced" jewelry
recovered and the reward paid. Lane
divided with his faithful assistant But
what WalIie cherished most was
regular appointment On the newspaper
staff.
First publication April %. last June 3.
Summons