| Show r F DRAW ONE FROM THE DISCARD DISCARD- By By Harve Parsons I t t C when you Tou come to think of It k aie aio a n lot Jot like people Theres There's the big tP L 1 tough city that puts on lots of front and 4 Style tyle t the e retired ugly plug-ugly who has learned y i is to eat at with a fork and wear evening clothes therefore considers himself a n shining ex example ex s ample amble o of everything e proper the like lady-like t city which probably grew up around som some college collese or seminary seminar the bo boom m city with miles mUes of paving running in every direction w tion beyond the inhabited district and sounding high J hh sounding street names showing from corner posts almost hidden in weeds weeds- like a bi big overgrown lout in a suit that doesn't fit Then we have ha the retiring little city that has bas reached normal growth r and nd knows it f B But t the real real- problem is the city that i 4 becomes such by outgrowing Its natural tendency to remain a village Many such I l accidents are to be found in the wide agricultural agricultural agri- agri j cultural districts Slowly through generations generations genera genera- I. I the village expands while the denizens s 11 thereof fail to realize the expansion be because because because be- be cause it is like the progress of an hour hand handon handt t on on on a clock and cannot expand with it Therefore a city of or more with the fhe mental development arrested about the tj s time ime the firs first horse-car horse line was installed i f mi may y be found trying to get by with the i same same came machinery it used as a wide place in the road And of such was Grainville The Boosters Boosters' Boosters Boosters' Boost Boost- ff ers' ers Club protested the gover government ment census i because it allowed the metropolis but Yet old Hank Beverly who ran the last and only stable livery-stable in the same samei i block bJork used to drop in at the same police st station lion Ion and into the same chair he had bad occupied three thirty-three years ago and kid th new chief about his force To be sure sai said Old Hank you have t gas bug buggy y but the only reason I didn't La fe a couple of em cm when I was chief was be because use they wasn't invented yet I hadt had tk t vo 0 o more lore patrolmen than you got got and and they as is all good men You got three-four three bums ms and retired bootleggers on your staff stag and they dont don't make male any more detectives like Long John Tanner Ev Pavey and Tim lm Donohue any more 1 Ive got that same Tim defended the theL I L young chief Yell Yeli Hank would reply but Tims Tim's getting old old as I am Hes He's seen better M t. t days r Anyhow hes he's got sense and I wouldn't trade rade him for a n flock of or young youn ones insisted in insisted in in- tj t. t I. I the chief 1 Z I f 1 1 GRAINVILLE f may may be b backward and JT quiet Left to it itS own devices the half 1 portion police force would be sufficient J But a small timid man needs more ore than a strip of lath for defense when living in a f of large tough persons armed with elm clubs dubs Sev Several ral cities within three hours by swift motorcar were noted for their r toughness Denizens thereof might have J mixed cinders with their shaving creamy cream y I Some citizens of these adjoining cities seemed to spend a n portion of their time thinking ii p rude jokes to play on gentle Grainville They une c came to Grainville's annual fair and andr r r littered the fair ground with empty purses gleaned from the yokels who came there to tee see e the prize Poland Chinas and trotting 1 bosses hossen and they burgled burled the homes of the merry villagers who went to the night performance en masse leaving only only the i oj family cat to keep house these unprincipled visitors came also to street par parades des 1 rand and found the pickings fair and they came cameto to dollar day sales shop-lifted shop and exchanged spurious moneys As a general rule lule the tc trials of the Grainville police force came from outside and outside and then Went ent back home homet usually again t again usually before the natives discovered disS dis- dis ff S ed covel covered that wolves had bad invaded the fold Then the police force goat of any municIpal municipal menagerie might expect a flood of abuse that made it until all the last season last str season eason uniforms h lung hung ng upon it like wet net w t blankets on a n a picket fence AT T TILL TIlE time of the wooden-leg wooden of A- A tery the police force was still in disfavor dis- dis favor JaYor fa or as IU the result of a former outrage and anti d' d editorial writers still were offering hopes bopes th that t some day clay the beautiful and progressive iii e city t might have a chief of police who ho didn't smoke mole cigarettes and use the official police tar car to ride home borne to lunch likewise a force A. A I of f officers cers who could protect the high class 1 nn r merchants and progressive of said beautiful a t r and nd pr progressive city from low criminals criminals criminals crim crim- with bad checks Therefore while the the mystery continued to mystify the chief ilat sat Rat In his dingy little office and cursed his b home me town in impotent rage The first call was from the principal hotel botel 1 0 C No trouble to catch him said the 4 tic Clerk lerl erk that is if those bulls buUs of yours could t trick tack an nn elephant in the snow Smooth Smoothing l king ing young feller with a wooden leg i of go gold d teeth teeth- and a. a a birthmark on one e ove e side sule of his facet face Tte The I ie usual procedure had been followed Depot vot patrolmen were called up and given l description an and a pair of detectives Ii n 1 Vil s and Ben Bea Judson had been seat sed to the ho hotel el to take up the trail As patrol- patrol m men 1 from other points reported the aged Vi eck sergeant read off the report Inside t i f n an ap hour six men ranging in in age from enteen to one eighty-one had been walked 4 to to the Station lation because they Lad had wooden legs brine l ne because the they were strangers wit with one or moie gold teeth and three with birthmarks birth birth- 1 Ia i k i marks arks on t their b. b h hands an d s arms or f faces aces Th The e 5 r report from the hotel was as followed in inthe the course of the morning by reports from rota f about bout every every bus business ne s institution on the avenue venue for Grainville despite its geographical geographical geo- geo graphical spread was a street one-street town so sor F r far faras business was VIlS concerned An this feller comes in my store reported re rel reported re- re l ported Abe Goldberg of the Mammoth r Gents Gents' Ready ReadS to Wear Fear and Ind he be says ori I or I i want ant a Pair o of gloves good ones y understand under under- 1 stand and I says that's the only kind kindt t we keep positively I 1 says So he be selects selecta selects select I a n pair of unlined tans y understand and andY I In Y he says I r suppose you know a n P. P Gh G G. G h railroad pay check when you OU s see e it Soil Soil- 4 I says saya My Iy best trade is with you p. p G. G boys h h come here because they i know good stuff when they see it and is isy y 1 y tl swell dressers I says And I cashed his check for O y y understand and steps over to the Traders y understand and antI the cashier says its it's a sour one and theres there's theresa a lot more just like it y understand I dont don't want to Jo punish the young man y y 1 understand understand-l I aint got no time to be witnessing witnessing wit wit- nussing around a I courthouse I just want my money back y understand I TT T W WAS AS th the same from each place The highly decor decorated ted stranger had bought some small article and cashed his railway pay check for SOt O. O All AU victims were certain certain certain tain he had a n wooden leg a n collection of gold teeth and a birthmark No one re remembered remembered re- re how he was dressed but each and severally they demanded to know what th th difference it made when he had hadn hada a n wooden leg a birthmark and gold teeth An examination of some of the checks showed them to be fair imitations imitations although probably probably probably ably printed far from a railway print shop and the figures duly embossed with a crook proof perforation stamp similar to th that t used by the railway company Original reports had not ceased censed to co come comeIn comein e eIn in over o the chiefs chief's wire until the flood of seconds started First from the hotel clerk r a fine pair of bum bums bump you sent up here Ask n a lot of fool foo questions even after I told em about the guys guy's wooden leg legand and gold teeth and everything Wanted more detail I Next from Abe Abc the merchant Is this is what us taxpayers cough up for such for such a no couple bummers as them detectives de detectives de- de Positively chief they comes in my place y y understand and they says what did the guy look like and I tells them them them-I I give gire you my word chief chief I I tells them just like I tells you that the got a wooden leg yet and gold teeth and anda a kinda deep lavender laender spot on his face And what you think them bummers done chief Im I'm going right up to see the Mayor about it they it-they they tells me and walks walls out right while I was talking y understand and I don't dont dont don't- What they said sald goes double yelped the chief into the tra transmitter and hung bung up TWO WO hours had passed before the enraged head of the Grainville police force left his bis office slammed the door and walked down the hall ball He could hear bear his telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone bell clattering as he moved away Old Tim occupied a room down at the end of the hall aIl He was In the secondary stage of retirement knew it and resented it The chief had put him in charge of the pawnshop reports a confining desk job two weeks before after all supplication threats and r requests quests on the grounds s of personal friendship had been disregarded Tim was old but had refused to recognize the fact Disobeying strict injunctions to take it easy keep out of the rough stuff stun and stick around arO to give me advice he be had walked out deliberately tied into a you young g and active crook and captured him liim but not without having his false teeth and a rib broken in inthe inthe inthe the encounter The pawn record job was wasa a punishment The chief opened the door and stood a moment staring at the old roan man man a short wide-shouldered wide headed bullet specimen with clos cropped close cropped white hair and mus mus- tache Over his glasses the timer old-timer returned re returned rf- rf re- re turned the stare nese Resentment and reproach came with that look Ingratiatingly the chief approached holding out a n cigar Got Gota a n little something I want your advice advice and and help about lie admitted Tim gru grunted ted and reached for the cigar You Ton see its it's this way and the chief hl had d to go ahead and tell Tim about the wooden leg deal Tim sat and smoked l. l And nd I thought maybe you felt well enough to to togo go but just but just take it easy you know know and and see what you could do I Sure said Tim lIe He arose removed his his spectacles and antI placed them carefully in their thel tin pocket case He lie put on his bis armpit holster stretched the elastic brace over dYer the other arm took his bis gun from a draw drawer r and placed it in the holster Then he put on his hat and coat and walked out without out without a word The chief felt like he had be been n kicked Tim still smarting from retire his ment went intended he be should feel like he been kicked Probably ten minutes later Tim accosted the hotel clerk Tell me me all about this feller he de- de J i Sure replied the clerk lIe He came in inhere inhere here and registered register registered that's that's him bim H H. H F F. Nolan Ii K C. C and the boy went up him carr in his bag Its It's up there yet yet yet- IJ Im I'm goin gom to get that much back anyway anyway anyway any any- way way way- Forget it Interrupted Tim Send fer that bag lets let lets let's s dump the bricks out an and see if there's theres any clue of wll where re it came from But the rather shabby bag didn't contain bricks just bricks just plain rocks wrapped In news news- papers The e papers were old of widely divergent dl publication probably stolen from reading ra rack l of some hotel There were eno no nomar no mar marks s on the bag to indicate it its history No Xo I dont don't care caie to hear about his wooden leg or his lIis birthmark or his gold teeth said Tim but if Jf you jou can remember remember ber bee the color of his eyes or hair height clothes or hat you might help I bod ever ever er think of such sidelines as is that when a guy is marked up like a picture picture pic pie ture book demanded the clerk Its a cinch you wouldn't replied Tim Timas as he walked out He didn't go near Abe or ora ora ora a lot of other victims named over I by y the chief but from the hotel his steps led to toa toa a II novelty no store far down the street one of the last places to report the decorated d stranger Arriving ing Tim paid no attention to the hostile greeting of the proprietor who had been far down the list of those reporting wooden legs and gold teeth and therefore as a n simple victim of being thelast the thelast thelast last straw of a heavy load had received the latest and best cussing delivered by Viles and Judson detectives Th The pro- pro they were gone and he had recovered re recovered recovered re- re covered from the shock thought up an excellent excellent excellent excel excel- lent scathing almost s scorching comment on THE Chief thought Tim was vas too old for active dui duty as a detective and Tim sullenly took his his his' medicine until the wooden leg mystery had the whole force standing on its ts ear Then Timothy and a wise vise vis little b girl girl after after all you'd better read the yarn R Ri i f fy v t I t y t I e fi V 4 J rA n 4 h 11 r I r rr t ii 11 t i h S i a y r ac a r f l r i i I W vI Y 5 n lr s I rl cf 4 A i s t t r. r 1 i fJ t lr 1 r i i z r S n I 1 rt r r t I Ir r P all A sl p r S 1 S 5 f 5 S. S 1 4 17 J J 4 r A a l r T i r i 4 r i 0 c Oh that fellow He artificial er limb b and d had an artificial er go gold t teeth eth and and and- f I i detectives in g general n He He was a disappointed I when hen Tim ignored him and walked b back ck In Inthe inthe the store as if to make a purchase The pr proprietor resumed his vi vigil il at the door intent upon telling every possible fellow- fellow townsman townsman of the outrageous cond conduct ct of the the detectives when he started to give them a perfect description of the check artist So he didn't hear Tim as t tie the e ancient jawn- jawn darme spoke to the pretty little girl combination combination com com- Iii cleric antI nud bookkeeper Oh that fellow lIe He had an Art artificial er limb er limb and gold teeth and andYES and and- u YES y ES S yes Nellie AU AUthe the r st av noticed thins thim little marks but put youre you're a no smart smut girl and I had hopes joud you'd do better than the others First know he be had a wooden uh wooden uh limb Wire Why r replied plied the girl anybody could bear it squeak and h he limped limped just just a little like Benny Adams Adams who gO hot got run over o o er with witha a n freight And then while Mr Ir Jenkins was examining the check he offered the fell fellow 0 v. stood light right here and kinda rested his lame limb lame er limb on this box and tapped on onIt onit onit it kinda minded absent-minded like with on one of or these hardwood rulers It sounded like rapping rap ping on a box or something fine said Tim And And inay may be notice anything about his clothes or his hair hair or or his hands hands hands- Why yes admitted the girl gift He He |
