Evening star., 1928-06-28
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
JERRY JARVIS WIG.
BY RICHARD H. BARHAM.

one of them away for anything. The
neighbor particularly coveted one speci-
men, but he did not dare offer to buy
| it from so wealthy man as Jerry
| Jarvis. There remained the gardener
Was he strictly honest?
At any rate, the neighbor resolved to
| try. He approached Joseph Washford
on the subject, but Joseph was horri-
fed at the suggestion. Then the man
held up half crown--and next MORN
ing the coveted specimen was in the
neighbor's tulip bed. and Joseph Wash
ford was drunk Joseph was drunk, in
deed, exactly half a crowns worth.
After that the wig began TO have
more of its own way. 1t would whisper
that small voice into Joseph's ear with
tickling sensation. and Joseph would
listen and obey more often than not
NeighborS began to miss things. AT
church, which Joseph never missed,
small things disappeared from the
cloakroon. That wig was certainly Lead
ing Jerry Jarvis gardener TO the devil.
II all came to "a climax when Mr.
Moneypenny's horse shied at something.
and the something proved to be a mans
body lying in some Ilettles. The man
was dead: he had been murdered and
robbed There were no signs of any
struggle. There was no evidence-ex-
cept that one hand of the dead man
clutched something tightly. 1t was an
old wig!
/ The murdered man was a farmer,
worthy and well to do, though perhaps
too apt to indulge on a market day
when a sale of ewes had brought in a
reasonable profit Some such cause had
detained him longer than usual this
day He had left the town late and
alone. That. when his body was found
/ he had been murdered and robbed
| there could be no question.
| But how could he be the perpetrator
| of the atrociouS deed? Well. Jerry
Jarvis was the coroner OF that division.
He had not sat two minutes on this
case before he recognized the old wig
as his former property. He stared at
! beholding it. found in the grasp Of the
victim, as torn in the death struggle
/ from the murderer's head. It was
| Jerry Jarvis own old wig, which he
/ clearly remembered giving to his gar
/ dener one way when the sun was very
/ hot. and he had sat watching him from
I his window.
In brief. the silver buckles Of the
4 murdered man we're found in Joseph
4 Washford's shoes Joe Washford him
sell na0 Deen 1Oun0, nld IN corn rlE
! at no great distance from the scene OF
/ the slaughter. his pruning knife RED
with the evidence Of his crime.
Why prolong the painful scene? Joe
/ Washford was tried-Joe Washford was
conyicted-Joe Washford was hanged
The gallows on which he was hanged
have long since disappeared. But foi
some time 1t could be seen. terrible
warning to all bald-headed gentlemen
how they wear, or accept, the old wig
| Of special attorney like Jerry Jarvis
The fate of Jerry Jarvis wig itseli
Is somewhat doubtful. It was told bs
| some that when it was thrown int
the fire by the court keeper, after whiZ.
zing and hzzling and performing al
sorts Of supernatural antics. IL at Length
whirled up the chimney with bans
that was taken for an explosion OF one
Of the Faversham powder mills, 81
miles off.
Others insinuate that In the grea
Storm which took place on the nigh
when Jerry Jarvis died, the whole o
the marsh appeared as one broad shee
Of flame. and something that looked
like a fiery wig--perhaps 1t Was min
iature comet--it had unquestionably I
tail-was seen careening in the blaz
and seeming 10 ride on the whirlwins
and direct the storm.