New-York tribune., 1920-07-25


was carrying little black handbag
full Of furniture catalogues and
decorators estimates and plans he
had drawn for remodeling the ground
floor of the Stilton. He got five hun
dred under the old mans nose, put it
in the bag and went off to make a de-
posit with the contractor who was to
do the remodeling. One of the boys
from the hotel happened to be at the
Central Depot about 8 o'clock, and he
thought he saw Palmer going
through the gates, but he didn't
speak Of it until the old man began
to worry because Palmer hadn't
turned up for dinner. He was afraid
Palmer had been black lacked!
Next morning he found out at the
bank that Palmer had drawn all but
$50 Of his $4,000. And the New
York draft turned out to be phony.
"They brought the case to US, but
Palmer had made clean getaway.
There was nothing in his trunk but
some hotel sheets and bundles of
old newspapers to give it weight.
Our boys are at work on it."
Babbing had finished his CORE
spondence. He began to walk up and
down the room in an idle interval.
"He's probably in town here now"
what makes you think so, Chief?"
"Why didn't you wire us? That
o'clock train is one of the slowest
on the line. 1t doesn't get here till
$3.50 next night"
awe didn't have the case till late
yesterday morning. And there was
nothing to show he came this way"
"He'd arrived last night. Did you
get good description of him."
eyes, but he was wearing beard
and mustache."
"How old?"
"They say about thirty-nvc, and
heavy-170 or maybe more. Five
foot eight or nine. Dressed to look
like prosperous hotel man. Light
eyes, blush gray. Nothing peculiar
about him."
Babbing was standing at the win
dow looking out over lower roofs Of
yUh O1oco1o bO,,coc +o 49, ra.,..
the North River and the docks and
chimneys Of the Jersey shore. 1t was
an invitingly clean and bright spring
day. "I'd like to try long shot at
that fellow" he said. And little
Barney's heart leaped with the blind
instinct of a setter pup who sees
preparations for the hunt.
Snider took his hat from his ankle
and his ankle from his knee. "At
Palmer?"
Babbing drifted back to his desk
and sat down.
Got a hunch, Chief?"
Snider asked it in the wistful
manner of envy interrogating the in
scrutable. Babbing stared at him,
thoughtfully. Snider blinked and
waited. Babbing said, at last:
ut was raining hard last night at
$3.50. He wouldn't shave on
the train"
Snider put his hat on the floor
and leaned forward intently. "We
couldn't run out all the barber shops
in town, could we?"
! "He'd go to a hotel, and get It off
in his room"
Snider's expression indicated that
there were almost as many hotels
as barber shops.
Babbing glanced at his watch.
II can locate him in an hour if I
can locate him at ALL" He rose
briskly.
Explain to Archibald. TIL phone
to tell you where I am as soon as I
get in touch with anything. Where's
my bag? Dump those reports into
it."
He opened the door Of a clothes
closet in corner by the window and
took out a soft black felt hat, a
black raincoat, and an umbrella. He
put on the coat and it looked as pro-
vlncial as linen duster. He shook
out the rolled umbrella untidilv.
Come on, boy" he said to Barney.
Garry that bag" Barney grabbed
it eagerly. "This is no day to be IN
school, is it?" Babbing said to him
at the door.
And Barney's throat was so
choked with excitement that he could
only gulp and grin.
Snider, seeing them go, had the
puzzled eyebrows and the doubtful
smile Of the man who does not be-
heve that you can do it but would
like to know how you propose to be-
gin. 10 find, in the City of New
York, swindler whom YOU have
never seen, of whom you have no ac-