Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-20

Trixie and / had done business to-
gether before.
1t took a little time for the true
situation to ooze through to Trixie's
Sd avenue and thirdrate intelli-
gence.
You can't pinch me in this store"
she said with little snort OF denance.
Perhaps l can't. But If you want
to save a rap and falltalk from
beak you can walk quietly into that
dressing cabinet over there and UNI
load!"
She said a very wicked swear word
between her teeth. but she moved
sullenly and silently toward the cur
tained little chamber.
Our conference there was a brief
one. 1t was also productive one, SO
far as l was concerned. For besides
a gold mesh bag and a Mexican opal
slightly smeared with gum 1t also
yielded me a Japanese hand-worked
silk bag of promisingly obese dimen-
sions. And Trixie took her departure,
with hate still In her eye.
The moment was alone ! investi-
gated that bulky silk bag that had
cord. From 1t I took out a gold coin
purse, a crayon nOir, three gold
f1ecked sunstones wrapped In a tiny
black -bordered handkerchief. a tumble
of banknotes which when / counted
them amounted to almost $500,
heavily chased gold vanity case And
/ found, on the whole, that I'D made
a haul which left me with good deal
to think over ,-f
Then 1 turned to the gold mesh bag.
It's contents, however, were of some
what different character. 1t held two
81 bills a sprinkling Of small change.
three keys tied with rose-colored
ribbon, hair, net, a newspaper clip
ping on "How,.to Grow Thin" book
Of papier poudre, several samples of
dress goods and a lottery ticket for a
country club raffie-an of which
would have proved a distinct disap-
pointment, l felt, to my deft-fngered
war widow "
Restoring that ridiculous gold mesh
bag to its owner was not as simple as
1T sounded. l took time to find that
autumnally Respondent out-of-towner.
And when I did find her that pro-
of the opinion that l was a repentant
thief inexplicably moved to return
the spoils Of war. But all thought on
the matter was cut short by the sud-
den and unexpected temperance OF
Toosey as she swooped down on me
from her violently halted taxicab.
What are you doing here" l some
what inndequately demanded.
THAT war widow O. yours sailed off
in a taxi and I went after her like
subchaser. When she got up to her
house in East 73d street-and, believe
me, 1t was some house-a gink that
looked like a head waiter breezed out
and opened the cab door for her and
Walter Raleighed her up the steps
Then he ran ahead and opened the
house door, and kind o. made me
wonder IL I'd been tailin' one OF the
400" / may have been worried,
but didn't backwater. legged
it up and down past that swell front
three or four times then what should
lamp but Dopey Jones--Dopey Jones,
the runnin' mate for that same Tis-
dale rib I'd been tailin' not more n
half an hour before. Dopey headed
for the tall timber by duckin into
the apartment house next door and
takin' the elevator for the top floor.
I mosied into that marble fringed cell
tier myself and skyhooted up to the
bridge deck. But there was no Dopey
in sight. So l hurried down to the
street again, in case Dopey had
rounded back on me by way o. the
stairs. But still there was nuttin'
dom. And that kind o got my nanny.
Then a second taxi swung up to the
war widows house and stopped there.
A cane swinger steps out o that cab
and gives me the once over as he lifts
his lid, polite as you please. Just
whom was you waitin' for" he says.
with the big stick swingin' on every
word I think I've seen you before
L do considerable travelin',' ] ex-
planned as l toyed carelesslike with
my ear buns. But why in this
neighborhood?' he shot back at me.
Because there's a sneak thief the
homefolks down to police headouar-
tiers is waitin' to interview. And I
miss my one good guess II she didn't
Just duck into that house there I'm
afraid you're in error he said, back
in up against his taxi fender. Not
on your life,' l told him. Then what're