The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-12-08
The Daily Short Story
sKaanSs, " ts1gf siew'

at might be a joke, mightn't it?
The Is iron men Would shut up
most peoples curiosity, but now
s'posing a cop found it and saw
that? He'd think of the pearls
first thing. All l see for us is to
close up and make a getaway before
night. There was only ten thou
sand dollars worth in that lot"
Tom had heard enough. With the
stealth of an animal he crept to
the turn in the hall. There he
stopped to hide the precious box
inside his clothes, then ran to the
elevator. Ten minutes later,
breathless with excitement and the
speed with which he had covered
the ground, he burst into Station s.
"Lemme see the chief he demand
ed. Il won't tell anybody else, and
its thousands Of dollars" lie
gasped. He stuck to his determin-
alton and won. II found this" he
told the chief, land when l got to
the place this said" Tom produced
the newspaper clipping as he talk
ed, Il heard a man saying they
must get away today-and these
are pearls" he finished. Cant
we beat t.ssir!"
BEAT it's the word. son." came
the answer. IAN officer not in
uniform will 60 with you and I'm
not going to tell you what to do or
say. You go ahead your own way
and he'll speak when the time
comes"
d. The time came after Tom had
handed over the box and pocketed
the SIS.
! Aren't you going to open the
box" suggested his companion,
; pleasantly. How do you know the
: kids on the square?"
! We'll chance it on his phiz," the
older of the two said. Time was
life to him. Every second counted.
, Just the same. I'd advise open
ing it, AS he spoke, the officer
placed his back sQuarely against
the door and his right hand went to
his hip pocket, while the left turned
back the lapel of his coat, exposing
a significant badge. "No use to
make fuss about it, Dow. you're
pinched."
Three days later Tom was sum-
moned to the chiefs office. This
is Mr.. Mooar, Tom," was his intro
,duction to fat, flourishing look
ing gentleman, who surveyed Tom
with a pair of particularly bright
gray eyes. Hes come over from
New York to meet you"
j The fat gentleman laughed. And
!. a few other little things" he added
$50 you're the boy who found my
! wife's pearls. are your"
"Yes, sir. mean-I found the
box. l didn't know it was pearls
when l picked it up"
mo, of course not. And ! sup.
pose you didn't know it was part o.
IA string worth three hundred
thousand dollars which, was stoler
last May? Or that the reward !
ioffered was five hundred dollars
It looks to me as il it belongs t.
you, my boy. We may not get al
the beads, but we're on the track
thanks to your honesty and intelli
gence. And II you ever want ad
vice or help when you get oldel
you come right to r. H. Mooar."
Can you get up dinner goot
enough for Ibis beau with that
imaTs' Tom landed like cyclone
/ in his mothers kitchen and flunl
ten-dollar bills on the table. BE
cause II you can't, l know wher'
there's plenty more"
: For one staggering moment Mrs
Kimball had the thought that he
pride had driven the boy to theft
Her face betrayed her.
: "Oh, mummy. you don't thinl
thatr He flung his arms abou
J her and in jerky sentences told hi
story. And will We have an old
4 fashioned dinner at home! h
!. asked, with"
: Turkey and all the 'fixings.
8 his mother answered, land pies
and nuts and raisins, and ice cream
and 'es'rything.' And we'll asl
: you're Uncle Lowell and the Goss
{ | eS-"
And perhaps there-ll be 16 o
n. after ali M"
: =