Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-05-07
medIateIy grabbed his hat and cont

the days work by phOtograpnlng lne
mayor Of the city, who was .accompa-
MED by three ladies. The official blus-
tered when Doodle made the accusa-
ton, but, like the others, was forced
into corner when confronted with
the tell-tale film, and he drew a cake
of soap from his pocket when the pro
prietor threatened to call an officer.
In ten days Doodle had recovered
thirteen hundred and eleven cakes of
soap, or, more correctly speaking, he
had recovered several cakes thirteen
hundred and eleven times from the
same number of soap thieves, who
We're ignorant of the fact that their
theft had been recorded by the unseen
instrument. And in no single In
stance had the detector made a mis-
take.
But Doodle found that the detection
of soap thieves was costly business.
The thirteen hundred and eleven Gus
toners detected In the act Of purloin-
ing the cakes Of soap did not return,
and each day made matters worse.
The detector's average decreased as
the patrons fell away, but each day 1t
scored Its victims.
And Doodle was determined. He
had made up his mind that he would
not allow man who paid seventy
five cents for a dinner to carry off
forty cents worth Of soap, and the
moment the machine registered a thief,
John Jefferson lost no time In making
the accusation and recovering the
stolen property.
On the twenty-fifth day after the In
stallation of the invention Doodle had
but ten customers to dinner, and be-
fore the meal was over John Jefferson
Doodle retired to his office, and throw
ing himself into a chair spent some
two hours in considering the situation.
He then arose and acted with sudden
energy. He dictated lengthy tele-
gram and after seeing 1t was imme-
dIately dispatched he drafted a cir
cular and had 1t typewriter. Then,
with a satisfied expression upon his
face, he sat down and awaited events,
And he had not long to wait. Two
hours after the dispatch of the wire
fat man walked into the dining rooms
and asked for the proprietor. John
Jefferson inclined his head and mo-
toned the stranger to seat.
II am the president of the lnterna-
tional Toilet Soap Trust" said the
newcomer eagerly, land came in re-
Spouse to your peculiar telegram. 1t
Is trlhe vague, and we want more in
formation regarding the matter you
mentioned"
John Jefferson Doodle stood up, and
without speaking led the way to the
Mushroom. With grim smile upon
his face he explained the mechanism
Of the Soap Thief Detector to the
president of the International Toilet
Soap Trust, and the fat man breathed
heavily.
There is nothing vague about this"
sneered Doodle. "What | wired you
is the truth Nine out of every ten
people who steal soap from hotels and
restaurants never buy toilet soap.
Therefore, the more thleving the more
soap you sell, and It stands to reason
that you do not wish the Thief De
tector to come into general use"
Unto general use2" querled the Wis
itor.
"Yes," snapped Doodle. I'm going
TO have. this circular printed, which
tells the whole story In plain Ian
guage If every hotel, cafe, and board
ing house uses one-but, there, read
1t, and then I'll talk terms with you"
The president Of the International
Toilet Soap Trust leaned back In his
chair and read the document, then he
did some rapid figuring on the back Of
an envelope.
"What are your termsT he asked
sullenly.
"A quarter Of million for all
rights" cried Doodle. "If you don't
want It guess that every member of
the Hotel, Restaurant and Boarding
House union will feel glad when they
get my circular. There are over two
hundred thousand members, and the
triflng sum Of five dollars head will
yield me over million"
The other stood silent for moment,
regarding the face Of John Jefferson
with his keen gray eyes.
81 couldn't do 1t on my own respon-
slbillty," he said at last.
"Get busy on the long distance
phone" suggested Doodle. Call a
special meeting of directors and ex-
plain matters, and I'll await the de-
cislon. II your people don't buy, I'll
promise you that the great soap de
tector will be known from Mlndanao
to Bafiln's bay inside three months"
Three hours afterwards the fat man
returned, and picking up pen he
wrote a check in favor OF Doodle for
two hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars, which he exchanged for a deed,
conveying all rights in the detector.
He then stepped into the Mushroom,
tore the picture machine from Its hid
ing place, disconnected the wires lead
ing to the soap tray, and ripped the
film into a thousand pieces.
"Pve seen enough Of that thing" he
growled angrily Cleanliness Is next
to GodIiness,' and the man who stops
another man from stealing soap Is
running pretty near the sin line, /
take It,"
Then, with a final snort Of disgust,
he went out into the street, and the
doors Of Doodle's famous dining rooms
were closed. Doodle the crank was
happy and-rich.