Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-01-02
Aurelius Smiths
Neat Ruse

By r. T. M. SCOTT

QolINGWoRTH'S proxy was a
- valuable document. 1t would be
worth millions at board meeting In
New York ON the following day. JEFF
fries and Sanderson motored out to
Bolin.wortl's country house on Long
Island to argue against each other
for the document hui, of course, they
did moi travel in the same car. Fat old
Jefferies took Aurelius Smith along
with him 10 safeguard so valuable
paper. II he obtained It, up to the
minute that II would he voted on the
next day. Smith Travelled oslensibly
as Jeffries friend and moi ms prl.
vate detective
"Tll gel the paper and you will
keep it," rumbled and chuckled old
Jeffries. Together well lick Sander
son and his dirty crew."
As the two entered the big country
house, a feminine shrek rang out and
Smiths long legs carried him up
flight Of stairs without their custom.
airy Incidence. In back room he
found very pretty maid with her
foot caught in steel-jawed rat trap.
He wrenched the jaws apart and held
her ankle for few moments while
she writhed In pain isi
The business meeting occurred in
the music room on the ground floor.
1t had TO he short as BOlingwOrth was
leaving by plane within an hour on
his way to California. There was moth
ing Immediately for Smith to do. lie
shook hands with BOllingworth and
SandersOn and got their names mixed
as deaf people door stupid people,
or people 100 lazy to think much. Few
people could believe that so indOlent
a man was observing everything with
Photographic accuracy.
While the three men gathered
around u table Smith wandered to the
piano and ran his fingers over the
keys tut stopped quickly so as not to
interfere with the conversation.
At the end of an hour BOllngworth
signed a paper and Jeffrles had won.
Bolingworih left the house al once
after ordering luncheon to be served
to his three guests. The proxy lay
upon the table beside heavy blue
envelope Jeffries inserted II In the
envelope aid sealed the flap.
At that moment the roar of plane
sounded outside. Jeffries dropped the
envelope on the table and turned to-
ward the window Sanderson looked
away also. The roar of the plane be-
came louder and all three men walked
to the window near the plano. Smith
and Jeffries approached the window
In advance Of Sanderson. When they
returned to the table the envelope
was gone There were other blue en-
velopes in a rack on the table but
they were all empty
Sanderson laughed vindIctlvely and
offered / LET Jeifries search him. The
offer was accepted and Jeffries found
nothing. hut Smitl had wandered to
the piano and was again running his
fingers over the keys while he frOwned
as II trying to think Suddenly he
turned around on the piano bench
as If an iden had at last been horn
and said that he ought to make GER
tain that the maid had put an antisep-
tic on her foot so that she would
not be poisoned by the rat trap.
81 didn't bring you out here to
fiddle with maids ankles" grumbled
Jeffries. "Bolingworth Is In the air
and we can't get another proxy We
are disheh.
Smith rang the bell. The butler
summoned the injured maid who
limped to Smith and talked in low
tones with him while she secretly re-
ceived ten dollar bill The maid
Iimped oui Of the room and shortly
returned. after which Smith Joined
Jeffries and SandersOn In the hall
where Jeffries had ordered his car.
81 can't understand you, Smith,"
said Jefrries rs the two walked toward
the front door, leaving Sanderson be-
hind.
Have Just little patience" re-
turned Smith softly and opened The
door to speak to Jeffries chauffeur.
Jeffries looked his establishment
as the car r0nred The two stood
for few molnentf In the doorway,
Jefrries too surprised to spenk Std
denly n yell sounded inside the house.
"COmc on called Smith as he
dashed back to the music room.
Beside the piano stood Snnderson
with the rni trap dangling from his
hand while he cursed Blood was
drippins from his hand 10 the floor.
~ knew that he must have taken
the envelope from the table" explained
Smith shut did nti know where
he had nut II until touched the pi.
ano keys the second time and found
that three strings were dead lie
stood quite close Il, the piano when
we looked out the window.
SandrIson. despern.ty helpless, let
Smith pry the trnp from his hand
sThe mai6 Brought me the trap"
continued Smith. land ! placed II on
the strings under which he had slipped
the envelope and covered u with my
handkerchief
Then II was thai SnndersOn strug-
gled 10 tnrp defeat into victory. He
reached into the piano and snnichei
out the hluP envelope
Jeffries started iownrd the mad
dened man hut Smith pulled him
back
~ substituted nm .npty envelope
when the wo )f you FIRST turned to-
ward the window he said. "rhe proxy
has been In y pocket all the time"