Sioux County pioneer., 1922-07-06
The Black Faced
"Sleuths''
By HAROLD slNcLAIRE

(@. 1921, Western Newspaper Union.)
II tell you, Dave, that fellow, Ralph
Tilden, isn't worthy of your sister,"
said Mart Woods.
{ "All you've got to do Is to convince
me of the fact replied Dave Briefly,
brother of Rose Briefly, the prettiest
7 girl in Brampton.
II can do that" asserted his COM
panion positively. "I'll convince you,
all right" asserted Mart. "The only
thing is to convince Rose"
] Hell get his walking papers mighty
quick If he is the wolf in sleeps cloth
ing you say he is" observed Dave,
s1nartly. ",
I Every we'll, I'll have some news for
you in day or two," promised Mart.
"I'll show the rascal up in his true
8cOlOrs."
Rose had never given the least en-
couragement to Mart's advances. In
fact, she had never known what love
meant until Ralph Tilden had come
into her life. 9E Sfy
The latter was a manly young fel-
low, whom every girl might be proud
to attract. He had been recently ad-
mitted to the bar; his first case in
court had been the defense Of q poor
woman whose suit other lawyers had
declined because she. could not pay
fee. Ralph had won the case, its
details got into the public prints, and
he had earned golden opinions as to
his professional ability and his phil
anthropic unselfishness.
All unconscious Of the deft plots
being woven to disturb their happi-
ness, Rose. and Ralph passed some
pleasant hours. Mart came to Dave
Briefly one day, elated and confident.
"Well, I've got the goods on that
Tilden," he announced. "Twices a week
he leaves his office at about eight
o'clock in the evening. He. never gets
home until two in the morning. A
fellow who does that regularly is up
to something, isn't he?"
"As what, nOw?" challenged Dave.
"Well, carousing around. Let us be
on hand tonight to take up the trail
when he leaves his Office"
"I'm agreeable, provided we can do
1t. ] don't want to blunder myself
into a laughing stock"
"Say," advanced Mart with spirit;
1--WE arranged great plan. Well
disguise ourselves" !
"How?" questioned Dave, obviously.
1t took a long time for Mart to in
duce his companion to join forces with
him. His plan was a simple one.
They were to. blacken their hands and
faces.
AT length Dave agreed to the lpropo-
sition. About eight o'clock that
evening the young lawyer, Ralph
Tilden, left his office:
K A drizzle changed into a dreary
spelting rain in short time. Dave
was glad when Mt last Tilden reached
a two-story building on one Of the
lower strata streets Of the city. = ~
2 "Do you see" cried Mart, exulting-
", grasping the arm Of his companion.
"Nhat did 1 tell you?"
"Why, what do you mean?" inquired
Dave. staring Dlankiy.
"That place--downstairs, saloon.
upstairs the most notorious gambling
house in the city"
"How do you know 1t is9'' submitted
Mart .p0intedly. 3s 4.
:''Why-er-that is, I heard so-somet
one told me-" explained Mart STUN
blfngly. ..,.. ...s...
In his excitement the speaker wiped
his face with his handkerchief. Some.
people passing by stirred strangely.
Then a policeman came up, regarded
them with suspicious glare, and
caught each by the collar. q IS #
q "Ah!" he remarked Disgusting
yourselves. eh2 You'll explain this to
the sergeant, my hearties.' y
Remonstrances were In vain. "A
hooting crowd followed the two seek
ers after ''local color" clear to the sta
( tion. No wonder! Where the rain
had trickled and their careless hands
had wandered. the faces Of the un.
/ happy captives were streaked in lu-
dicrous patches Of lamp black. [
hi Somehow, they managed to get out
Of their trouble; somehow, too, the
story got out. S U :35s
There seems to be something to
EXPLAIN remarked Rose to Ralph the
next evening. ss3 ;
ma chere, c'es que je q aime, = re,
piled Ralph, enigmati tically (which
: means, how much ], love you. In other
words, poor tearher Of languages,
too poor to select his preferable resi-
dence, lives in the building where our
good friends located me. He has been
t'teaching me French"
Which explained the seeming mys-l
#;fery and made fair, trustful Rose.
Brierly love him more than ever.