Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1920-06-30
HARD !. LUCK |: or.
BANNISTER +
BY WALTER A.. FROST

was short. 1t lasted only from Chi
cago to Port Huron, and yet in that
time he told me not only his real
name, his "alias," and his ton,
but also the very hard luck expert
ence which shall set before you.
The cause of our becoming acquaint-
ed was accidental-the dining-car was
crowded and the steward put us at the
same table. As seated myself no.
ticed a little man at the other side
of the table. but paid no attention
to him until he looked hard at me.
and in low voice asked:
What line do you carry?"
'I~beg your pardon?" I asked.
"What line do you carry?"
There was no escape. Law books"
I answered. II am lawyer"
He smiled and held out fat hand.
: 1--WE are in about the same profession.
am detective.'
EYES," 1 replied. for I felt desire
to know more of man who could see
any resemblance between a lawyer and
a detective. 1--WE are, it might be said.
slightly related"
swell, when you have practiced
longer you will understand what
mean when say that we are in about
the same line"
He smiled, and between orders to
the waiter told me his story.
YES, when you have practiced long
er. you will understand what l mean.
You lawyers have to use us at every
step you take; you. can't get on with.
out us. A witness goes back on you
and gets lost and the first thing you
do is to call one of us in to look up
your man for you. Lawyers, doctors,
business men and bankers, you all
give US lot of work.
"Speaking of bankers, I'm down on
all Of 'em, for it was while doing some
work for banker that had the hard,
est piece of luck l ever struck, and
just when everything was going love
II, too.
=. 1T was this way! The chief called
me in one afternoon, and said he:
Jim, want you to go down to Ell
lertOn and see Stevens, the banker.
There's been some work done down
there, and he's afraid some of it may
come his way.
"'He'll give you the facts, and then
go to work.. The gang that's suspect
ed is something like the Fiske outfit
You gathered in at Oshkosh last fall
1.-THE next morning I was in Stew
ems private office, and it was dandy
But never mind that
'"rhe next morning. after seeing old
Stevens, dropped into saloon where
I'd seen some young fellows go, and
found six or eight boys having a quiet
game. 1 had beer, bought cigar,
: and went out.
:s"Next morning I dropped in again.
The bar-keep recognized me and said,
Good morning. Good morning. says
I, and got my drink and cigar and
went out without saying anything
more. kept on dropping in and some
of the chaps began to notice me, but
they held off, which made me think l
might be somewhere on the right
track, SO I went in steady.
after I'd been in town for about
a week one of the young fellows asked
me at the saloon one evening what l
was selling.
"1'm buying said /.
"'Buying what?
LAND And then he introduced
me to the rest of the bunch who were
at the table playing. They asked me
to come in, and did. They couldn't
play much, saw, but let them win a
couple of dollars, and then l cleared
out.
"A few days after that when I went
init was one afternoon, about half
past four-I found some of the gang
there. Then l knew they wasn't work
ing, for if they had been they couldn't
nave been there then. T..
"Well, was pretty sure they was
the boys I was looking for, and so,
wanting to see what they'd rise to, l
managed to drop set Of Skeleton
keys on the floor when was just go
ing to pay for the drinks. bent down
: quick and picked 'em up and showed
'em into my pocket, but l saw they
was on for in a. few minutes one of
the bunch came over to me and says
"'see here, Mr.. jerks Qd told EN-
my name was Jenks), you might as
well tell us little more about your
self. We know you're not down here
to look up land, and it's our opinion
you may be after something that be-
gins with D. ID. a..
slough was what he meant. But l
was not going to be drawn out. at
least, not yet, and so l said: X -. ~
est strikes me I don't know much
about you boys yet. Don't you think
you'd better show up first?'
.'T,.ef held off a bit even then, but
finally one of them, tall, sharp chap
he was, came close to me and says:
".Were you ever in JanesyilleY
81 laughed and said: "Why, yes, I