Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, July 27, 1913, SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE SECTION, Page 7, Image 39
SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE nary complications, and last month I finished a case w hie It 1 feel suri' will make my fame and fortune." lie beamed on me. "I suppose you work In nhsolute secrecy?" I suggested. "Quito so," he responded. "Hut last month's case, being now com plete, I feel at liberty to tell about It If you arc so inclined !" "1)0,80," I said wearily. And this Is the story he told mo of The Girl nnd the Dollar Hills. QX THIS sixteenth of September last a richly gowned and very charming young woman called at my offlco In Fast Fifty-third street and told me that she needed my services to unravel tho mystery of a most pe culiar and inexplicable stroke of good fortune which had come to her. I relate what she told mo as briefly as Is consistent with laying tho need ful facts before you. "I am singing a leading rolo In a high-class light opera this coming season," she said. "It will open hero at tho Fancy Theater next week. Ten weeks ago I had spent my last cent and was absolutely without hopo of oven getting a hearing. I must toll you that I came to New York after taking singing lessons of a very good teacher In a Middle-Western college. My parents aro very poor, 1 had spent nearly all my savings in paying for my instruction, and I determined that I must como to New York while I still had some money, and support myself on the stage. "For six weeks I plodded up and down the streets from my little room up town and back again, and was un able to find any opening whatever. Kleven weeks ago I was reduced to my last two dollars, and in order to support life and buy a now pair of shoes I started pawning what few things I had of value. Tho first thing that went was a small diamond ring of my mother's, on which I got twelve dollars. My shoes I knew the value of a good appearance cost eight dollars and other needful accessories were two dollars more. Tho other two dollars went for rent. That night I walked thirty blocks to my room and the next morning I walked forty blocks to an agent's. I ate nothing that day. Tho next morning I returned to tho pawn broker's with my watch. I received two dollars and twenty-flvo cents for it. Now," this young woman went on very earnestly, "as I left the pawnshop I felt the tears coming Into my eyes and tried to find my handkerchief. It dropped from my grasp and was Instantly picked up by a man whoso face I did not see. I didn't even thank him, but hur ried into tho street and into tho Times Square subway station where I had my cry out and proceeded up town. "Two days later I was forced to bring down my most precious pos session, an old solid gold locket left mo by my grandmother, who was also a singer. I knew that It was quite valuable, so I spent some time in bargaining for a good advance on It. I presume my eagerness led me to speak more loudly tnan usual, for a young man who had just como In drew a little nearer, caught the broker's eye and held out a fresh, clean one-dollar bill. Tho broker looked at him and the man said pleasantly: 'I wish to pledge this dollar bill. How much will you ad vance me on It?' " The young woman proceeded to ex plain to me the altercation that took place between the broker and this man, and her own amazement at such a thing as pawning a perfectly good one-dollar bill. Sim observed that the man had his way and received eighty cents nnd a ticket. Sho herself was ablo to got only flvo dollars for tho locket. It appeared from her story that sho made three successlvo trips to this same pawnshop within a week and that each time the samo young man came in and pawned a one-dollar bill for eighty cents. Tho fourth time sho went to another broker with her last little possession nnd the same young man entered and in sisted on Inning eighty cents on a fresh, new one-dollar bill. It was four days after this, ac cording to her story, that she spent her last penny for a paper and began her long, weary walk down town. She stopped to rest In the lobby of a hotel near Forty-second street and Sixth avenue, being too exhausted to resume Immediately her canvass of tho agencies. On doing so, however, she found that it was the same story as on all the days preceding not even a chance for a hearing. Her room rent was duo the next day and she decided that there was but one thing for her to do, walk back up town and try to sleep till tho follow ing noon. On reaching her room sho found an envelope addressed to her, which, being opened, disclosed to her aston ished eyes a fresh, clean dollar bill wrapped In cheap writing paper but without a single word of writing. Her first impulse was to burn It, but on second thought sho determined to use It and went out and spent It all on a hearty meal and two subway tickets for the next day. Hy her story I learned that every day sho found an envelope awaiting her with a single one-dollar bill In It. For three weeks she subsisted on this strange contribution because, as she told mo, her pride was nothing to her ambition to get on In her art. At the end of tho third week these contributions ceased for two days. She then found on her return after an exhnustlng journey around tho booking ofllces, an envelopo contain ing five dollars, and a leaf that had been torn from a small calendar, with the dates crossed off up to the same day. A rapid calculation showed her that sho had received a dollar for every day Including Sun days. Tho following day the envelope contained the usual dollar bill, a ticket to Robin Hood for that after noon nnd n small card directing her to nppear the next morning nt ten for a hearing before one of tho leading directors of light opera. Sho was quite undecided whether to go to the theater that afternoon or not, but finally went. She could not see anybody that she remembered ever having laid oyes on, nnd en joyed the show without Interruption. Hut as sho was about to leave her seat at tho conclusion of the matinee an usher handed her an envelope which, being opened, she found to contain a flvo dollar bill and tho words in an evidently feminine hand: Spend this on your voice. Tho rest of her story was that sho had appeared, been favorably re ceived and promptly given a small role. The contributions continued for two weeks longer. Sho was then put under a very favorable contract and promoted to n lead with a two-hundred-dollar advance to cover re hearsal expenses. WHJiN she had concluded this pe culiar story tho young singer told mo that sho wished me to spare no effort to solve the mystery. "I shall have money In plenty within a short time," sho continued. "This un known benefactor has helped mo wonderfully, and with all possible delicacy, and I will never rest till I know who he or sho Is." "It Is beyond doubt a man," I in formed her. "And I think you aro " right In connecting your own expe rience with the man who did so strango an act as to pawn good money for less." She left with mo three of the en velopes, tho coupon of tho theater ticket and tho last dollar bill sho had received. "I must have It back," she warned mo, and gave me to under stand that sho held It a most precious possession. Sho also described to mo as fully as possible the young man who had pawned tho dollar bills in her presence. I will not take your time In re latlng my first steps, but within two days I had myself pawned two fresh dollar bills nt the same broker's. 1 then communicated with the young lady and directed her to return to the pawnshop and redeem one of her pledges at a specified hour. I Waited outside for her arrival and when she w-as engaged with the broker 1 en tered and insisted on having eighty cents on a third bill. Of course neither she nor I exchanged even a glance. When the broker asked me for my name I merely said, as If em barrassed, "Same name," nnd was duly rewarded by receiving a ticket with the name T. Warrinuton on it. Further than this I could n't get for n week, when the young woman called on mo In great excitement and told me that she was again In receipt of an envelope containing bills to the exact number of dollars, which made one dollar for every day since the remittances hnd stopped, and the words: Qloves and such. The letter was postmarked at Madison Square at 10 a. m. I took the envelopo, had It marked by her "Not at this address," re sealed and deposited In a mall box. Two dnys later It was delivered to her at tho theater. As wo had re moved the money nnd substituted paper to make the same bulk, we found that It had been opened nnd twenty-five fresh dollar bills put In. VYITH this to work on I promptly ' reported to the post office inspect or that a letter containing money ad dressed to a certain place In the city had been tampered with, and within an hour found that a similar report had boon made by Thomas F. War rington of 2 Central Park West. Heforo proceeding to this nddrcss 1 made inquiries that plunged the af fair into more mystery than over. Thomas F. Warrington was a news paperman formerly connected with a Chicago trade journal and now work ing nt a small salary in a Spruce street commercial ofllce. He had been In Now York one year, had few acquaintances and was supposed to ho of steady habits, but without much initiative. Having learned his hours of work 1 waited until eight o'clock that evening and then rang the bell of a rather pretentious house at tho Cen tral Park West address. I was In formed that Mr. Warrington was In, and was shown Into tho reception room. Presently ho appeared with my card In his hand, and I realized that ho answered precisely the descrip tion of tho man who had pawned the one-dollar hills. He seemed surprised to see me, and after taking another look at my card, ho Inquired, "What can I do for you, Mr. O'Patrlck?" "You pawned several one-dollar bills," I Informed him, "nnd I hnvo come to Inqulro the reason for such an extraordinary procedure." "It could be of no possible Interest to any one," he replied promptly. "It certainly Is not criminal." I hail observed that tho room and hall were tastefully, even handsome ly, furnished. I also saw that Mr. Warrington himself was well dressed. So I ventured further. "I represent my client. Miss O. As you aro aware, sho Is soon to open In n light opera at tho Fancy Theater. She has commissioned mo to dis cover to whom she owes tho sum of one hundred and fifty-five dollaiB and her present position. I trust that you will not occasion her any more expense In proving the identity of the man who has put her so deeply in debt." Within ten minutes I had con vinced Warrington that It was use less for him to deny the authorship of this extraordinary benefaction, and that while I was a detective, I was a detector of good deeds and of well doers only. "If I admit that I did do these un usual things, what will happen?" ho finally asked. "Miss O will repay you," I said promptly "This Is provoking!" he exclaimed Impatiently. "Why couldn't she be reasonable about the matter?" "1 presume no lady likes to be un der obligations to an utter stranger. " I returned. "1 know that she feels this way about It." Then to get his mind oft' tin' Immediate question I In quired why he had done such a thing and how he had found out her cir cumstances, lie replied, grudgingly enough, that he had observed her en tiling the pawnshop, had been sure that she was lll-lltted to struggle along In New York penniless and In actual want, and had therefore ar ranged (being a saving follow) to provide for her secretly until she could be placed. A rather close ac qualntance with a theatrical mana ger had enabled him to get her a hearing and so the affair had suc cessfully proceeded. "Mow did you know her name?" 1 Interrupted. "She gavo it to tho pawnbroker." "And why tho dollar bills?" "Hecause I had nothing on my per son of nny pawning value," was his reply. "Hut you seemed to bo perfectly aware of her movements," I Insisted. "She gave both her natno and ad dress to tho pawnbroker," he re sponded. "The rest wns easy." "Hut why did you go about helping Miss O. In such a strango way?" I pressed, curiously. Ho became suddenly reticent, how over, and I left him and duly com municated to my client the rnctH so far ascertained. She handed me the money to repay him, wrote a note of thanks nnd commissioned me to close tho affair. Hut Mr. Warrington re fused to have anything further to do with me, and 1 was obliged so to re port to Miss O. She considered the nintter for a week and then told mo to make an appointment for Mr. War rington to meet her nt my ofllce tho following evening. He was ngreo able, and at half-past eight appeared. With li i in was another man, In even ing dress, whom he Introduced In my outer olllco as his principal. "This Is really tho man responsi ble for the present situation," ho said. "He Is a publisher, and a near friend of mine. I did all this In or der thnt he might not appear In tho case. Hut as things statu! now I have insisted that he como down nnd ex plain." yAUI3-JHAN ceased and stared at ivl the liqueur which ho hail barely tasted since It was sot before him. I said sharply. "Is that all? What happened?" Tile detector of well-doers rose nnd put away his wallet, which contained various memoranda ho had con sulted. "Oh, when I loft tho olllco with Warrington three minutes after we entered Miss O. was cry ing on the other man's shoulder and saying, 'Oh, Tom, Tom, Tom !' " "Her brother?" Mnrle-.Ienn looked at me with con tempt. "You would never succeed ns a detective," he snapped. Easy Money plIAMP CLARK tells of a Howling (iieen, Missouri, youngster who asked his mother for a nickel. "You should earn some of your spending money," reproved the moth er, "and not always come to me for It." Tho boy went away. That after noon his mother saw him on the street surrounded by a crowd of boys. Shi' went to him, and tacked on a fence-poHt behind him was a enrd, neatly printed, which bore this announcement: "Willie Jones will eat 1 small worm for 1 cent 1 largo worm for 2 cents 1 butterfly for 2 cents 1 caterpillar for 3 cents 1 hop toad for 5 cents And the boy. his mother plainly saw, was doing a good business.