The Washington herald., 1920-07-08


Tne room II empty.
Empty with the exception of
Ilctoeo the great French detec.
tive, who springs from behind A
mass OF tropical plants tc his sido.
Inc Professor rises In alarm.
uush," tays Tictocq. Make no
NOISE At all. You have already
. made enough"
Footsteps are heard outside.
BE quick says Tiotoeq; give
me those socks. There Is not
movement to spare"
Vas sagst DUR
All, he confes ses," says Tic
tocq. No seeks will DO but those
yo" Carried cff from the Populist
Ca1didate'Sroom."
Tn. company is returning. no
lonGer hearing the music.
Tictocq hesitates not He seizes
the professor. throws him upon
the floor. tears of bis Ehces and
socks. and escapes with the lat
Ter through the Cpen window into
the garden.
Tictocqs roCm In the Avenue
Hotel
A knock is hesrd at the door.
TictocI operE It and looks at
his watch.
All" he says. "it is just 8. En-
trez. Messicurs."
The messieurs ehtrez. There are
seven OF them; the PopuliFt Can
date who is there ty invitation,
not knowing for what purpose;
the Chairman Of the Democratic
Executive Committee, platform No.
z the hotel proprietor. and three
or four Democrats and Popuiists.
as near as could be found out.
Il dent know" begins tho Pop
rlist Candidate, what In the
he"
EXCUSE me-" says Tictocq, frm-
ly. You will oblise me by keep
ing silent until / make my re-
port / have been employed in
this case, and / have unraveled
1t. For the honor OF France I
request that I be heard with at
tcntion."
Certainly" says the Chairman:
we will be pI' ssed to listen"
1lctocq stands in the center OF
the room. The electric liRht
burns brightly above him. H!
seems the incarnation Of alert
ness. vigor. clevcrness and cum
ninS.
The compGry teat themselves
in chairs along the wall.
When informed OF the rob-
berry" Tictocq. Il first questioned
the bell boy. He knew nothing
/ went to the police headquarters.
They knew nothing. invited one
Of them to the bar to drink. He
said there used to be a little coll
ored boy in the Tenth Ward who
stole things and kept them for
recovery by the police. but failed
to be at the place agreed upon for
arrest one time, and had been
sent to Jail
Il then began to think. rea-
soned. No man said I, would
carry Populist's socks in his
pocket without wrapping them up.
He would not want to do so in
the hotel. He would want a paper
Where would ne get one? At the
Statesman office, of course. l went
there. A young man with his hair
combcd down on his forehead sat
behind the desk. l knew he was
writing society items. for a young
lady's slipper, a piece of cake. a
fan, a half emptied bottle of cock
tail. n bunch of roses. and a po-
lice whistle lay on the desk be-
fore him.
Can you tell me II a man pur-
chased a paper here in the last
three months" I said.
Yes" he replied: we sold one
last night"
Can you describe the mani"
Accurately. He had blue
Hhiskers. a wart between his
shoulder blades. a touch OF collie.
and an occupation tax on his
breath"
Which way did he go?"
out"
II then went"
Wait a minute" said the Pop
ulist candidate. rising; Il don't
see why in the h"
Once more / must beg that you
will be silent" said .Tictocq,
rather sharply. You should not
interrupt me in the midst OF my
report"
Il made one false arrest" con-
tinued TictocQ. II was passing
two finely dressed gentlemen on
the street. when one of them re-
marked that he had stole his
socks. | handcuffed him and
dragged him TO a lighted store.
when his companion explained TO
me that he was somewhat intoxi-
Gated and his tongue was not en-
tirely manageable. He had heen
speaking of some business trans
action. and what he intended to
say was that he had sold his
stocks
IT then released him.
AN hour afterward / passed a
saloon. and saw this Professor Won
Bum drinking beer at n table. I
knew him in Paris. said here
Is my man. He worshipped wag-
ner. lived on limburser cheese.
beer, and credit. and would have
stolen anybody's socks. I shad-
owed him to the reception at Col.
st. Nitus'. and in an opportune
Porulist candidate sprang once
the socks from his feet There
they are"
With dramatic gesture. Tic
tocq threw a pair of dinEy socks
upon the table. folded his arms
and threw back his head.
With a loud cry of rage, the
populist candidate sprang once
more to his feet.
Col darn it! I WILL say what
] want to. J.
The two other Populists in the
room gazed at him coldly and
sternly.
rs this tale true?" they de-
manded of the candidate.
mo. by gosh. II ain't!" he re-
piled. pointing a trembling finger
at the Democratic chairman.
There stands the man who has