Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1901 — THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY [ARTICLE]

THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY

BY RODRIGUES OTTOLENGUI,

Author of “An Artist In Crime,” “A Conflict of Evidence,” “A Modern Wizard,” “Final Proof,” Etc. CopyrtyM, 1596, by G. P. Pulnam’n Sons. AU rights reserved.

(CONTINUED.) Preacher .Udi made no reply, but the doctor aald: "The noßpital will be. Infinitely the best place for her. If you choose to pay for her attendance, why, of course, you may do so. But charity patients are treated with the same care and skill at our institution as are the wealthiest.” “I am sure of it, doctor,” said Mr. Mitchel courteously. “I was merely anxious to consult the sou’s wishes in the matter. What do you say, Jim?” Mr. Mitchel touched Preacher Jim on the arm before he appeared to notice, Then he growled out: “What does it matter where she dies? She’s dying. That is plain enough. Do as you like, only make her comfortable. That is all that I ask.” With these words he turned and went to the window, where he stood staring out until the ambulance had been sumpaoned and the men were carrying the woman down the steep stairway as tenderly as possible. As Mr. Mitchel was about to follow he turned and spoke to Preacher Jim. "Win yon not come with us?” said he. . “Yes,” he replied. Then, clutching Mr. Mitchel’s sleeve, he detained him a moment. “You were born under a lucky star, Mr. Mitchel. You promised that my mother would be alive on my return. I see now that she might have died through no fault of yours. Had it been so 1 think that one of my fits would have come upon me, and then—then your life would have been the forfeit; that’s all. I am glad you were able to keep your promise, glad for your sake and my own.” “I made you another promise, which I will also keep. You shall never regret having left me with your mother. I am your friend.” CHAPTER XII. THE MYSTERY OF THE WILL. When Mr. Mitchel reached his own home on that evening, it was 9 o’clock, and he was surprised to find Slippery Sam awaiting him. The fellow was sitting patiently in the hall. “Why, hello!” exclaimed Mr. Mitchel, recognizing him. .“You here? I did not expect to see you.” “You didn’t expect to see me?” “No.” “Why not? Didn’t 1 give you my word I’d be here?” “You did. but I supposed you had changed your mind since we parted.” “Changed my mind? Say, what are you glvin me anyway? Changed my mind? You’re talkin Greek to me. Make it easy. I ain’t yu. What’s the Treason I changed my mind?” “Look here, Slippery Sam, you cannot play any double game with me, my man. Understand that at once.” “Who’s playin double? Not Slippery Bam, not on your life. That ain’t his sort. Look here, Mr. Mitchel. We’re talkin cross. Let me give you my side of it straight, an then you give me your’n. 1 meet you quite by chance on Essex street this moruiu, an you hails me. You admit that. You called me over to you. I didn't intrude on you. Am I right 1” “Yes.” , “Good. Now we’ll reach it. You mentions to me in the most businesslike way that you’ve got a job on an asks if I’ve got time to lend a hand, lust as if time wasn’t my stock in trade, as it were. Of course I admits that I’ve got time to burn. You says to me, says yon, confidential like, ‘Sam,’ says you, ‘there’s a woman in that house across the way that I want watched.’ Then \. answered you, an I says, says I: ‘l'm the best dog in the district. I’ll watch anything an run it to earth.’ Then you tell me it’s worth a hundred if I carry out orders, an I make a mental note to myself that the money’s as good as mine. You says to me, says you, ‘Sam,’ you says, ‘there’s a woman in that house, an she’s likely to change her address today. When she leaves, I want you to track her.’ ‘To the end of the earth,’ says I. ‘Very good,’ says you. ‘There’s a cab around the Take this card, an the driver will obey your orders. The woman Is likely to leave in a carriage, an

rtr give you the signal to follow her. You find out where she moves to, an you will earn the money an my gratitude besides.’ ‘Right you are, mister,’ says I. ‘l’ll be at your house at 8 o’clock as near as I can manage, an I’ll be ready for that hundred.’ Now, there you are. That’s what passed between us, an you could cross examine me all day, an I’d stick to the story. How does it strike you?” “Your memory is very accurate,” replied Mr. Mitchel. “But when you agreed to enter my service you did not tell me that you were under the necessity of obeying the orders of others, or I would have engaged a different agent. That is what I mean by double dealing.” “Come again, mister. I don't twig you yet. What orders do you mean?” “You need not play the innocent with me. I know w hat happened since you left me.” “Oh, you do! You’re a bird, you are! Did you soar up into the sky an keep an eye on yours truly?” “Come, no Insolence, or I will kick you out into the street.” “No offense meant, on my honor. f*m onlv curious as to how you could know what happened after we parted. You didn’t follow me, that’s sure.” “Your cab was stopped at the Bowery by the driver of the carriage which you were following, and he. left his vehicle to speak to you. You recognized him as a crook, and he informed you that you were to give up tracking him, which order you obeyed.” “Well, on my life, you’re a wonder, an no mistake! You’ve got that as straight as a die, all but the last deal. How did you get on?” “That is immaterial. What do you mean when you say that I am right, ‘all but the last deal?’ ” “I mean, Mr. Mitchel, that I didn’t obey that order. I didn’t drop the scent. That’s what I mean.” “Don’t Imagine that you can trifle with me, my man. You cannot invent a story which I will accept and pay money for. Before you get that money you must earn it. It will not suflice to tell me an address. I must go there and find the woman before I settle with you.” “So that’s the new deal, Is It? That wasn’t on the cards this mornin. I was to give you the address tonight,an you was to hand -over the long green. But now you’ve got a notion that you can’t afford to trust Slippery Sam. You ain’t willin to pay for the address?” “Not after what has occurred. I must find the woman first.” “There’s np.alterin that, I suppose?” “No. That is a the best I will do.” “You’re wrong, mister. You’ll do better than that, a good deal better. I’ve acted on the level, with you. I’ve risked my neck to keep my word with you. I got word to drop the job, an I choosed to go ahead. I made believe to gd down town, an I doubled on my tracks an kept that carriage in sight till I saw the woman get out. I dogged her to where she is an where I can lay my hands on her any minute. That’s what I done to keep my word, but now you say my word ain’t good enough. All right. That's your privilege, but it’s a jar on my feelin’s, an when my feelin’s get hurt I’m a hard man to make terms with.” “Oh, come to the point! I am tired and wish to go to bed. What are you driving at?” “Well, to put it in a few words an make it plain, you want to find the girl. Correct. I’ll be here any time tomorrow you name, an I’ll take you to her. How does that strike you?” “Be here at 10 o’clock tomorrow and take me to the woman, and I will hand you a crisp hundred dollar bill.” “Not on your life, you won’t. You’ll pass over two crisp hundreds, or I’ll drop the job.” “Do you think you can bunko me, you fool?” “It’s not bunKo, an I’m no fool neither. You made the offer, an I carried out the agreement, but now you’ve backed down. That ends the first transaction. Now it’s my turn to make the terms. I’vie got information that you want. If it ain’t worth two hundred to you, why, you’d be a fool to Invest. You judge for yourself, but there ain’t no compulsion. You take it or leave it, an I ain’t sure but I’m safer if I wash my hands of the whole thing. I’ve gone back on my pals for you, an I don’t know who I’m up against. I may be workin against mme of the small fry, or I may be crossin one of the most dangerous of the gang. The driver wouldn’t give me the straight tip. So far I’m safe, because I ain’t told you nothin. If I take you to that woman, I may be a dead man in 24 hours. You don’t know the crowd like 1 do.” Slippery Sam spoke so earnestly that his words carried conviction to Mr. Mitchel’s mind. He saw now, when it was too late, that he had made a mistake in mistrusting the fellow. Had he not done so he believed that the correct address of the woman would have been supplied to him. He decided to conciliate Slippery Sam if possible. “Look here, Sam,” said he. “I am sorry that I doubted you, and”— “Your sorrow don’t weigh much, I reckon.” “And I confess that I was wrong,”

teontinueu Mr. Mitchel, fifnoriug tne interruption. “But you must admit that when i teamed what I did from Preacher Jim I” “Prc;;e’;< r J.m!” cried Slippery Sam, truly ala: med. “So he told you, did he? He's mixed up in this? He sent out the order to head me off, did he?” When Mr. Mitchel observed the effect that this name had upon the man, he bit his lip with vexation at the slip which he had made and hastened to repair, if possible, the damage which had been done. “No, no!” he said. “Preacher Jim merely happened to be at the rooms of your society when the driver was sent out and by the merest accident knew about it.” “I don’t swallow that too quick,” replied Slippery Sam. “Let me explain the whole matter to you. This woman is supposed tq, be secretly married to“a wealthy young man up town. It has just been discovered, and he hastened to remove her from the house, in order that her identity might not be known. It was he who sent the carriage to take her away. I suspected that lie would make this move, and that is why I was there. Do you comprehend?” “Then this fellow ts a crook? Otherwise he would not go to our place for help.” “I «m not sure about that, but it was his man who went, and Preacher Jim admitted that this servant is a crook.” “What is his name?” “I do not know.” “You don’t know, an you’re workin on the job? That’s odd.” It was evident that Sam’s suspicions were aroused. “Well, then, what’s the name of the main guy?” “The what?” “The chief, the master, the rich young sprig up town.” Mr. Mitchel concluded that circumlocution would be useless, so replied frankly: “His name is Matthew Mora.” The effect upon Slippery Sam was electrical. He started back and supported himself against the wall to save himself from falling. fro n CONTINUED.]

The New Fertilizer Law of Indiana. The Legislature at its last meeting amended the fertilizer law so that Indiana now has one of the simplest, most effective, and most equitable fertilizer laws in the country. The new law provides: Ist. That manufacturers shall register their goods stating the minimum quantity of each fertilizer ingredient; 2d. The label or tag of the state chemist showing this minimum guarantee must be attached to every package of fertilizer sold, and also to every sample bottle used tn making sales. Where goods are sold in bulk or where only a few pounds are sold, a tag or label must be delivered to the purchaser with each 200 pounds or fraction of 200 pounds 3. Both buyer and seller are held responsible under the Jaw. Any one who receives any quantity of the fertilizer without the tag of the state chemist attached to every package is subject to the same penalty, a fine of fifty dollars, as the seller. 4. The state chemist employs trained men who travel' about the state and make examinations to see if goods are properly labelL d and take samples which are analyzed to learn if the fertilizer comes up to the legal guarantee. If the goods are not as good as guaranteed a penalty of fifty dollars for the first offense and one hundred dollars for each additional offense is provided. 5. Penalties are provided for any one who interferes with the work of an inspector. The full text of the law will be sent to those who request it. Tne law is stringent, but not more so than past experience shows to be necessary. It provides severe penalties for those who violate it, but it imposes no hardship on any one yvho intends to do busine‘B in an honorable way and will take pains to inform himself in regard to the requirements of the law. In making contracts with manufacturers it might be well for local dealers to include in the contract a provision that the manufacturer will guarantee the local dealer against fines and penalties which may be imposed on account of the goods not coming up to the legal guarantee. Purchasers should positively refuse to receive any packag < of -fertilizer large or small, which does not bear the legal label with the signature of the state chemist. H. A. Huston, State Chemist.