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.
