The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-31
By HAROLD MocGRATH

then little addition in common
sense, and dash of ina gination. But
the world is still full of blind alleys,
and I'm still prowling up one"
Mr.. Van Vetchen. YOU paid a, visit
to young lady. aspretty little lady
but as cold-blooded little CRATER as
ever smartened up Broadway She
was threatening to sue you for
breach of promise. If you wanted
your freedom. 10000 would cover
her lacerated heart Pah! Wipe her.
off your slate. Mr.. Van vetchen.
She's what we call Sing Sing
widow; and she's been that for five
years and will continue SO for five
years more"
"Married?"
Regularly married" said Hag-
gerty. I'm telling you these things
to show MIR. Forbes here how we go
about our work. Oh, we make blum
ders-we aren't -clairvoyants. We
pick up a little thing like lead
pencil and start out from that. Some
times it's hard and sometimes it's
soft, But very few of those we are
after get away in the end
Nov, what do you suppose popped
into my coco that night | came here
and found you all ready to hike, Mr..
Van Vetchen? / saw a stack of bills
and check on top and a letter from
your brother. Got the whole thing
in the jerk of a lambs tail"
Motive? built one up for you as
big as barn, every nail in the right
place. You were white-lighter,
you were broke--no more cash from
your brother. You were to wait a
little over four years for your share
of the property. You owe thousands
to money lenders. So, being desperate
and hard up, fearing blackmail from
the girl, l mapped 1t out that you
had stolen the boy in order to hold
up your brother"
Robert Van veehten sprang to his
feet with a stifled exclamation.
Keep your hair on" Haggerty
said. Human nature has a whole lot
of nonunderstandable kinks. You
never can tell what man will do
until he's tempted. Well, two men
took that boy. The finger prints on
that cigarette case-remember me
handing it to you?-and one that
slip of sketching paper of yours. 1t
took me exactly four days to get into
your room here and find that you
didn't wear No. SIS and toe in. So L
had to start all over again"
dSStIty turned swiftly upon the
artist. And where were you, Mr..
Forbes, during these hours I'm talk
ing about?"
Forbes. very pale. but very reso-
lutte, shook his head Il decline to
answer"
Robert gazed from the detective to
his friend, his eyes wide and his
mouth partly open. He felt himself
in a kind of dream. Forbes? Where
did Forbes come in2
Thought you wouldn't answer"
said Haggerty. when I dropped
Mr.. Robert here, on account of his
shoes. l mulled over the whole af-
fair for another handhold. A glance
around this room told me that you
and Mr.. Robert were friends, that he
sketehed in an amateurish way, and
that YOU were a well-known artist. /
saw your check, but did not get the
sum of it. This morning l got it at
your bank.
eAll over but the shoutingi No
matter how clever criminal is, he
always leaves something behind That
little bit of paper and those pencils
naturally turned me to you, Mr.. Van
Veehten. Everything pointed to you
until got a pair of your shoes and
learned that you walked like white
man. This is the way l reasoned it
out This paper WAS yours
Some one you knew took it away.
] learned that Mr. Forbes had called
that night about 9. [ wasn't sure,
butt took a chance. Your past is
darned clean, Mr.. Forbes, that / be-
gan to get the willies. Pencils have
habit Of dropping out of pockets.
Here are two pencils such as artists
use. Here Is the box they came in.
The finger prints on these pencils.
that box. the Golden staircase, and
on this goblet are yours, Mr.. Forbes.
You never can get away from little
old finger prints
You, Mort?' gasped young Van
yeehten, incredulously.
Your Jap valet" went on Hag-
berty lis in the lookup. and all we
have to do now is to go and get the
boy I've gothic goods on YOU"
And yet, Forbes, you've got me up
a high green tree on one point--mo-
tive. | don't get you there, not in
one million years. You've been in
formally clever in keeping away from
where you've hidden the boy For
six days you've never made any mis-
takes"
| didn't put my hand on your shout
der because / wanted the boy first.
You've worked, dined, gone to thea
tres, and all that. just the same as
usual, and never a bat of the eye.
Z But ] want your motive, and l want
it quick.