Show y rW Wt the hit of Ms his life by ALICE E IVES 1 I 1 gt I 1 cop copyright y rig ht b by y W 0 chapman say jerry you must have good stories enough up your sleeve to fit out a fiction writer for a whole year its a darned queer notion you fellows get of a detective after rending reading those sensational stories you dont get one of those blood bloodcurdling curdling experiences once in five years it if you want to be thrilled better stick to the hair raising imagination of mr conan doyle 0 come on now jerryl jerry 1 chorused the crowd you must have one worth telling Is 1 three or tour four of the boys including jerry scott a detective were smoking and lounging in front of the fire on a rough stormy night in my bachelor apartment and we had been telling jokes and reminiscences all but scott who as usual had been simply an interested te listener fire away jerryl jerry I 1 its your turn dont be a shirker I 1 were the various demands that prodded scott to break his silence 1 I dont suppose he said with a deprecating pre cating smile you fellows ever thought I 1 had bad dramatic talent we all unanimously agreed that we had bad not you never can tell by the looks scott continued just bow tar far a frog will jump but I 1 can modestly say that on this particular occasion I 1 was a success if not exactly a hit im not going to tell you the real names of the characters in the little play for reasons but this Is about the way the cast stood gibbs call him floyd gabbs a good looking well groomed gentlemanly young fellow clerk in a bank in a city not a hundred miles from here mrs gibbs gabbs his mother a rather plain little woman quiet mannered and unmistakably a lady a bit old fashioned in dress because she had been too busy earning a living and getting her son educated to think much about herself her husband having died when the boy was nine years old leaving nothing but debts beulah cody about twenty pretty and right up to date all except the painted cheeks and lips beulah havel bavel 9 too bad I 1 it ing some natural assets in that direction ind and too much good sense to take fake them if she come off jerryl jerry 1 shouted one of the boys how do you know she pal paint lit well hedged jerry it if she was artistic artl enough to do it sos you know Il I 1 lavent any objections its those you can spot a block off that gets my goat well anyhow young gibbs must have thought she was the real thing for he was that far gone he be was spending about all his bla spare time and cah on the fascinating beulah ile he such an opulent amount of cash to spend because lie he bada been earning much of 0 a salary ary till about six months before this little play opens ne ile was something over twenty two and ba had d been in the bank tor for nearly three years but it its s slow working up in those places and ho he had been supporting his mother with the little she earned at dressmaking of course he have thought just yet of taking on the extra expense and despod responsibility sivility lity of getting but I 1 guess on that point most of us arent going to lay down special rules not knowing just exactly low how we would proceed well one morning I 1 was sent from the office out there to the bank I 1 was ivas warned to keep everything quiet and away from reporters in the presidents private office there was young gibbs looking pale and defiant accused of false falo checking to the tune of several thousands he stoutly de died the charges but it was up to me to arrest him the only than tiling he came off his perch enough to beg be for foi was that we would keep it quiet sos ills his mother know tor for awhile anyway till ills his innocence could be proved the officers of the bank seemed to like the young fellow und and greed lit to this allowing him to tele phone to his mother that he had bad been suddenly called away on business t s 5 busa she no was not at home but someone e took the message gibbs begged me not to handcuff him promising to go quietly but when we got on the train he looked so sort of desperate I 1 know but he be might throw himself out the window or oft off the platform or some other fool thing so I 1 bad to slip on a bracelet and anchor him to my wrist I 1 ought to have said this bank was a branch of the main one and was in a suburb of the city so I 1 had to take him to the central office for examination we were pretty well fixed in a seat sitting close together sos to hide the cuff and a newspaper thrown over it for extra precaution when all of ft a sudden my prisoner gives a start that drives the steel into my wrist and starts a swear that he cuts short shor with a hush and a low cry my mother I 1 there I 1 coming in int I 1 for gods sake d dont ont give me awaya away the little woman came slowly in search of a seat she find any if she cant get a seat he whispered til ill have to get up I 1 god help m me e 1 just then sirs mrs gibbs spied him she gave a little gasp of surprise and came up smiling ng why floyd whore whom are you going she asked you get my message hi said no she got any message and she was going into town because someone had sent for lier her then because he did not get up she became alarmed and asked it if he was in no mother he said im all ra but but you know I 1 was do ing some detective work did yet yotte well I 1 am come nearer please I 1 dont want to speak so loud im toting this man to headquarters and he let her see the hand handcuff cufr she gave a little smothered exclamation then sho stood still in a kind of dumb surprise too bad it went on gibbs its his first offense you know and I 1 dont believe hes guilty anyhow dearl dear I 1 dearl sympathized the vitie woman that too bad well do keep that thing covered anyway 1 and she carefully adjusted the news new paper over the steel bracelet there I 1 sat too much flabbergasted flabbergast d to speak first the surprise of his bis gall then the humor of the situation got me and I 1 tried to look as guilty as possible the more the kind little soul sympathized with me the more was I 1 determined to carry it out for her sake we left her at the terminal and hurried away tho boy thanking me some for my part in it but the poor chap had worse to face at tho the station where he found his sweetheart she believe him guilty and stuck by him well we all chorused as jerry paused well said jerry he we caught the real thief and I 1 do say aay I 1 take some credit for my acting for his mother never has known to this day that I 1 the prisoner her son had bad in charge and she was awful glad I 1 guilty she told me so the day of the wedding 0 yes of course I 1 was to gibba wedding you see that girl was worth while |