The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-09-18
EVENING STORY
Little Trinket of Tin.
81 II. RAY BAKER.

currents OF success seekers
The capital with which he was ex-
pected to wrest wealth from the world
4 was the gift of his father. The token
Of luck was from the girl he expected
some time to marry.
The words accompanying the bank
notes ran something like this:
II gave you the chance to work in
these steel mills and climb the ladder
on the rungs of experience. That's
| the way did it. and you could have
ident of the company, but that Is not
so bad when you consider had no
| education. But you insisted on
course at the university. and now you
have it. Here's a hundred cash. Har-
ness it to your learning and try to
make good at something. If you tail
| lust come back and own up to 1t, and
I'll give you the same job you could
have had four years 'ago-without the
| college course"
! The horseshoe came into C1arence's
possession that night when he called
| on Magdeline Osborne to tell her their
wedding would have to be postponed
i'.another hundred years" because his
manager in the mills. and now he
would have to learn how to do some
thing. and then do it until he had
| enough money to finance a voyage on
the matrimonial sea
.I thought you learned how to do
in sympathetic tones.
He grinned thru his frown of de-
spair.
The only things 1 learned in coHege
were football and baseball To be
| frank Mag the only way ever passed
nv examinations was with the assist
ance of that master partner-luck: In
fact just bluffed my way thru,
studying very little. I've always been
a good buffer and had my share of
Iuck. but-you can't bluff father"
| Ma gdeline smiled with the dawn OF
an idea. excused herself and LETT the
room, returning with horseshoe
ITS not silver" she assured him,
| s.altho it does have a good shine. It's
lust tin, but the little trinket has been
in our family for many generations
and has always brought luck to the
possessor. 1 want you to wear it. and
| it will help your usual luck ana DUN
to make good
| Clarence attached the token to his
watchchain and somehoY it seemed to
give him confidence.
I'll make good at something" he
promised, as he took his leave. Until
1 get a good start tho you'll not hear
from me-"
Clarence did not deserve the calum-
NOUS chain of names that fettered
| him Ancestors on his mother S
branches of the family tree were to
blame. If he had been blessed with
names BETTING his appearance and
personality they would have been
something like John Sam Hank
Brown AS it was, his friends had
| taken his initials and coined "Cack'
for his nickname.
He was a healthy specimen of %,
with six feet of height and a generous
girth. While not exactly handsome,
he was attrac tive, with twinkling blue
i eyes. a mouthfuI of shiny teeth, a mop
of light brown hair that looked rusty
and Roman nose, which, altho larg-
er than necessary, never got in the
way. He was not corpulent by any
means. but was chunky, and walked
with a rolling gait. that would mark
him for a sailor, altho he had never
seen an ocean.
Before hunting a job "Cack" felt it
necessary to eat, so he hunted a res
taurant and eating himself at a table,
| picked up a newspaper. An account
of a murder drew his attention.
THE detectives still are looking for
clews," he read. A cough at his shoul-
der apprised him of the presence of a
waiter.
| by George!" he exclaimed mental
lily, I'm going to be a detective"
Bring me some hash" he told the
waiter.
II.
On the ninth floor of a nine-story
building Detective Cack waited for
cliert Ills office rent came cheap be-
cause he was willing to trust himself
in room 13.
! Kennelworth's Detective agency was
advertised in both the local papers, but
| at the beginning of he agency's Sec
ond week of existence these advertise
ments had done no more than fiatten
the FIRMS pocketbook. Numerous in
cidentals of expense, including a Ii
cense to detect" had eaten the hun
dred, and Clarence was worrying about
his next meal.
Across the street two men on a
scaffold were painting a smoked ham
on the brick wall of q building. Clar-
ence watched with wistful eyes, puff
fing viciously on his pipe.
L can't stand it, he finally decided,
and pulled the shade over the window
shutting the ham from view. '.In
have to give it up and call on father"
He reached for the telephone, but
before he could lift the receiver the
bell rang. 1t startled him and he sat
for half a minute as tho dazed, then
cautiously answered.
Hello. This is CIar-Kennelw s
Detective Agency
This is George Dillingham;" said a
harsh voice. Rush detective out to
my summer reSidence-469 Clifford
avenue. Somebody lifted $4,000 from
the safe.
Detective Cack gulped hard. then
gasped:
'Pll be right-I'n send my best man
right out"
He returned the receiver to its rest
ing place. bounced to his feet snatched
his hat from the wall. raised the win
/ dow blind and gazed gloatingly at the
| ham for a second, then ran all the way
down the eight flights of stairs to the
street and hailed a trolley car.
I'm engaging a private detective
against the advice of my son-in-law,"
announced Mr. Dillingham;, pulling at
his white goatee, sprea ding his short
legs far apart and glaring fiercely
thru powerful-lensed spectacles
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