SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
THE GIRL AND THE DOll
iMTRnmifiMf, aw nnn TPAfFP of am
oy John rleming Wilsd
II c h tit
n'orottcr.
E WAS LEFT HAN DEI), a seventh
sou mid u iiinii nobody could liy any
possibility liavo found in u crowd, so
perfectly and unobtrusively neutral
was his appearance. Mitt lie owned
two unusual features: his name was
Marie-Joan O'I'alrick and lie always saw things re
versed. He had been christened by his mother, and
his peculiar way of looking at things was likely in
herited from his father a male being who had
never done anything right in his life and had died
through a pure accident that got his obituary into
the papers as a hero who had saved many lives at
the expense of his own.
I llrst met him on the Xanax of the Japanese Inn
in Honolulu, on which occasion he laid down n
luridly illustrated hook of detective stories and in
formed mo that they were his favorite leading. La
ter he told me in confidence that he expected sonic
time to be a detective himself. "I have a line of my
own," he whis
pered to the
I) o o m o f t h e
surf on the reef.
"All t b e other
detectives seek
out the object
and the porpe
. trator of great
crimes. 1 shall
seek out the per
son who com
mits magnificent
good deeds."
"You will have
nothing to do,"
I insisted. "The
names of such
are in the pa
lters every morn
ing." "I feel sure
have gone un
heralded a n d
every city street is thronircd with
men and women who have niiii
mitted enormous benefactions without any
one even suspecting them of it. Think
how much better it would be to read in
morning paper, under the heading
r-MTPWTTT- 1
you are wrong,
he said earnest
ly. "Many pro
digious virtues
WELL-DOER FINALLY HUN TO KAKTH
AUTHOR OF TltEME.VDOUS llBXKl'ACTIO.S IS
ItOUN'DEI) TO HIS I.A1I! IN Till! MOUNTAINS
something like this:
"This morning at 3:15 a. m. Dctcctivo O'I'al
rick rounded up Thomas Jones for whom ho
had been searching two months as the author of
the almost unparalleled benefaction committed
in Steubenville, Ohio, last .March, when Jones
saved the health of over one hundred people
by providing coal at his own expense during the
blizzard that threatened to freeze out a large
population.
"Jones fled immediately after committing Ibis
deed and it was only by unremitting ell'orls that
Detective O'I'alrick finally elTected his capture.
Jones resisted as long as he was able, but sur
rendered finally and will be returned to Steuben
ville to be rewarded."
"KJOW," continued Marie-Jean, "that would he
11 really helpful, and 1 feel sure that many peo
ple will gladly pay for my services."
I arose. Air. OTatrick ceased to interest me. 1
did not see him ngniu until five years later in New
York city where ho stopped me in Sixth avenue. I
could no more have remembered him than 1 could
recall the menu of the- breakfast of year before the
last eleventh of April. Hut he knew me, informed
me in a whisper who ho was, laid a linger on his lip
and led me doeilo and amused (one is so easily
amused in Now York!) into a side-street cafe.
"Excuse my precipitancy in hailing you and bring
ing you in here," ho said apologetically. "Hut I re
call vividly our conversation at Waikiki Heach and
At 1 left the pawnihop I felt tho tear coming into my eyet '
I thought you might be interested to know that I
have for some time been successfully practicing as a
detector of virtue."
Slowly that foolish conversation we had in Hono
lulu returned to my mind. Hut Alarie-Jeau looked
prosperous, if undistinguished, and it was New
York and nothing to do.
"Do you find it interesting?" I inquired.
"Exceedingly so," he returned. "1 nm working on
u case now which promises to have most e.xtraordi-
The man tald pleaiantly i "I wiili to pledge thit dollar bill. How much will you advance me on It? "