Speaker 1: The Eagle's Claws by Ellis Parker Butler. As Filo Gubb
boarded the train for Riverbank. After recovering the silver loving
Cup from the interior of the petrified man, he cast
a regretful glance backward. It was for Cyrilla. There was
half a ton of her pink, white beauty, and her
placid cow like expression touched an echoing cord in Philo
Gubb's heart. Philo felt, however, that his admiration must be hopeless,
for Syrilla must earn a salary in keeping with her size,
and his income was too irregular and small to keep
even a thin wife. Five hundred dollars was a large
reward for a loving cup that cost not over thirty dollars.
It is true, but mister Jonas Meadowbrook had afford to
pay what he chose, and as he was passionately fond
of golf and passionately poor at the game, and as
this was probably the only golf prize he would ever win,
he was justified in paying liberally, especially as this cup
was not merely a tankard, but almost large enough to
be called a tank. Detective Gub hastened to the home
of mister Meadowbrook. But when the door of that palatial
house opened, the colored butler told mister Gubb that mister
Meadowbrook was at the golf club, attending the annual banquet
of the fifty worst Duffers. Mister Gubb started for the
golf club. As he walked, he thought of Sorilla, and
he was at the gate of the golf club before
he knew it. He walked up the path toward the clubhouse,
but when halfway he stopped short. All his detective instincts aroused.
The windows of the clubhouse glowed with light, and sounds
of merriment issued from them. But the cause of Philo
Gub's sudden pause was ahead, silhouetted against one of the
glowing windows. As mister Gubb watched, he saw the head
disappear in the gloom below the window. Only two reappear
at another window. Mister Gubb, following the directions as laid
down in less than four of the correspondences, Lessons, dropped
to his hands and knees and crept silently toward the
Paul Prye. When within a few feet of him, mister
Gubb seated himself tailor fashion on the grass. As Filo
sat on the damp grass, The man at the window
turned his head, and mister Gubb noted with surprise that
the stranger had none of the marks of a sodden criminal.
The face was that of a respectably benevolent old German
American gentleman. Kindliness and good nature beamed from its lines,
but at the moment the plump little man seemed in trouble.
Good evening, said mister Gubb. I presume you are taking
an observation of the dinner party within the inside of
the club. The old gentleman turned sharply. Jess, he said,
I look at their people's eating and drinking, as I
like to see that unsouch good at e thes dot
Man mit Der Blackbeard, he vas es splendid e There
mister Gubb raised himself to his knees and looked into
the dining room. That he said, is the honorable mister
Jonas Meadowbrook, the wealthiest rich man in Riverbank Metterbrook Mehta Krook,
said the old German American. Not Chon's ah not Jones
to my present personal knowledge at this time, said Philo Gubb.
Not Chons repeated the plumply benevolent looking German American dot
vas strange, you vas sure I vas not Johns. I'm
quite almost positive upon that point of knowledge, said Philo Gubb.
For I have under my arm a golf cup. I
am returning back to mister meadowbrook to receive five hundred
dollars reward from him. For so queried the stranger fife
hundr dollars. Wouldn't it is his cup? It is, said
Filo Gubb. He raised the cup in his hand that
the stranger might read the inscription, stating that the cup
was Jonas Meadowbrooks. The light of the window made the
engraving easy to read, but the old German American first
drew from his pocket a pair of gold rimmed spectacles
and adjusted them carefully on his nose. He then took
the cup and moved closer to the window and read
the inscription. Jez jesz, he agreed, nodding his head several times,
and then he smiled at mister Gubb, a broadly benevolent smile.
Excuse me, he added, and with gentle deliberation, he removed
mister Gubb's hat. Just a minute, please, he continued, and
with his free hand, he felt gently on the top
of mister Gubb's head. He turned mister Gubb's head gently
to the right, so he exclaimed, dat vaskuld. He raised
the cup above his head and brought it down on
top of mister Gubb's head in the exact spot he
had selected. For two moments, mister Gubb made motions with
his hands resembling those of a swimmer, and then he
collapsed in a heap. The kindly looking old German American gentleman,
seeing he was quite unconscious, tucked the golf cup under
his own arm and waddled slowly down the path to
the club gates. Ten minutes later, a small automobile drove
up and young doctor Anson Briggs hopped out. Mister Gubb
was just getting to his feet, feeling the top of
his head with his hand as he did so. Here
said doctor Briggs. You must not do that. Why can't
I do it? Mister Gubb asked Crossley. It is my
own personal head, and if I wish to desire to
rub it, you are not concerned in the occasion. Whatever,
Oh rub your head if you want to, exclaimed the doctor.
I say you must not stand up a man that
has just had a fit must not stand up. Who
had a fit, asked Filo Gub. You did, said doctor Briggs.
I am told you had a very bad fit and
fell and knocked your head against the building. You're dazed,
lie down. I prefer to wish to stand erect on
my feet, said mister Gubb firmly. Where's my cup? What
cub who told you I was suffering from the symptoms
of a fit, demanded Philo Gubb. Why a short, plump
little german did, said the doctor. He sent me here
and he gave me this to give to you. The
doctor held an envelope toward mister Gubb, and the detective
took it and tore it open. By the light of
the window, he read received of J. Jones golf cup
worth five hundred dollars p H. Schrekenheim. Filo Gubb turned
to doctor Briggs. I am much obliged for the hastiness
with which you came to relieve one you considered to
think in trouble, Doctor, he said, but fits are not
in my line of sickness, which mainly is dyspeptic to date. Now,
what is all this, asked the doctor. Suspicion. What is
that letter anyway? It is a clue, said Filo Gubb,
which connected with the bump on the top of the
cranium of my skull, will no doubt land somebody into jail.
So good evening, doctor. He picked his hat from the
lawn and in his most stately manner, walked around the
clubhouse and in at the door. Inside the clubhouse, mister
Gubb asked one of the waiters to call mister Meadowbrook,
and mister Meadobrook immediately appeared. As he came from the
dining room rapidly, the napkin he had tucked in his
neck fell over his shoulder behind him, and mister Meadowbrook,
instead of turning around, bent backwards until he could pick
up the napkin with his teeth, after which he resumed
his normal upright position. Excuse me, Gub, he said, I
didn't think what I was doing. Where's the cup, the
detective explained. He handed mister Meaderbrook the receipt that had
been sent by mister Schrekenheim, and the moment mister Meaderbrook's
eyes fell upon it, he turned red. That infernal dutchman.
He cried, although mister Schrekenheim was not a Dutchman at all,
but a German American. I'll jail him for this. He
stopped short, Gubb. He said, did that fellow tell you
what his business was? He did not, said Filo Gubb.
He failed to express any mention of it. That man,
said mister Meadowbrook bitterly. Is Schrekenheim the greatest tattoo artist
in the world. He is the king of them all,
a connoisseur in tattooish art Cantella Schrekenheim as easily as
a picture dealer Cantella corot. But no matter, mister Gubb.
You are a detective, and I believe what is told
detectives is held inviolable. Yes, you and all Riverbanks see
me an ordinary citizen. Wealthy perhaps, but ordinary. As a
matter of fact. I was once, he looked cautiously around.
I was once a contortionist. I was once the contortionist,
and now I am a wealthy man. My wife left
me because she said I was stingy, and she took
my child, my only daughter. I have never seen either
of them since. I have searched high and low, but
I cannot find them. Mister Gubb, I would give the
man that finds my daughter, if she is alive, a
thousand dollars. You don't object to my attempting to try,
said Filo Gubb. No, said mister Jonas Meadobrook. But that
is not what I wished to explain in my contortion act.
Mister Gubb, I was obliged to wear the most expensive
silk tights. Wiggling on the floor destroys them rapidly. I
had a happy thought. I was known as the man serpent.
Could I not save all expenses of tights by having
myself tattooed so that my skin would represent scales? Look,
mister Meadowbrook pulled up his cuff and showed mister Gubb
his arm. It was beautifully tattooed in red and blue,
like the scales of a cobra. The cost continued, mister
Meadowbrook was great. Herr Schreckenheim worked continuously on me, and
when he reached my manly chest, I had a brilliant
thought I would have tattooed upon it an American eagle.
Imagine the enthusiasm of an audience when I stood straight,
spread my arms and showed that noble emblem of our
nation's strength and freedom. I told Herr Schreckenheim, and he
set to work. When and the contract price, by the way,
for doing that eagle was five hundred dollars. When the
eagle was about completed, I said to Herr Schreckenheim, of
course you will do no more eagles. More eagles, he said,
questioningly on other men. I said, I want to be
the only man with an eagle on my chest. I
am doing an eagle on another man now, he said.
I was angry at once. I jumped from the table
and threw on my clothes cheater. I cried, not another
spot or dot shall you make on me? Go? I
will never pay you a cent. He was very angry.
It is a contract, he cried, five hundred dollars you
owe me. I owe it to you when the job
is complete. I declared that was the contract. Is this
job complete? Where are the eagle's claws? I'll never pay
you a cent. We had a lot of angry words.
He demanded that I give him a chance to put
the claws on the eagle. I refused. I said I
would never pay. He said he would follow me to
the end of the world and collect He said he
would do those eagle claws if he had to do
them on my infant daughter. I dared him to touch
the child. And now, said mister Meadowbrook, he has taken
the golf cup I value at five hundred dollars. He
has won. At the mention of the threat regarding the child,
Filo Gubb's eyes opened wide, but he kept silent. Gubb
said mister Meadobrook. Suddenly, I'll give you one thousand dollars
if you can recover my poor child. The detecative profession
is full of complicity of detail, said mister Gubb. And
the impossible is quite possible when put in the right hands.
The cub bother the cup, said mister Meadowbrook carelessly. I
want my child. I'll give ten thousand dollars for my child.
Gub with difficulty, could Filo Gub restrain his eagerness to depart.
He had a clue. Ordinarily, mister Gubb would have taken
any disguise that seemed to him best suited for the
work in hand. But now he was going to see
and be seen by Sorilla. Mister Gub ran down the
list number seven card sharp number nine Minister of the
Gospel number twelve, Butcher number sixteen, Negro hack driver number seventeen,
Chinese laundryman number twenty. Cowboy Filo Gub paused he would
be a cowboy, for it was a jaunty disguise. Chaps, sombrero, spurs,
buckskin gloves, holsters and pistols, blue shirt, yellow hair, stubby mustache.
He donned the complete disguise, put his street garments in
a suit case, and viewed himself in his small mirror.
He highly approved of the disguise. He touched his cheeks
with red to give himself a healthy outdoor appearance. Early
the next morning, before the earliest merchants had opened their shops,
Filo Gubb boarded the train for West Higgins, for it
was there the world's greatest combined shows were to appear.
The few sleepy passengers did not open their eyes. The conductor,
as he took mister Gubb's ticket, merely remarked joining the
show at West Higgins and passed on. Boys were already
gathering on the West Higgins station platform when the train
pulled in, and they cheered mister Gubb, thinking him part
of the show. This greatly increased the difficulty of mister
Gubb's detective work. He had hoped to steal unobserved, to
the circus grounds, but a dozen small boys immediately attached
themselves to him, running before him and whooping with joy.
Boys said mister Gubb sternly, I wish you to run
away and play elsewhere than in front of me, continuously
all the time, and they cheered because he had spoken.
Only the glad news that the circus trains had reached
town finally dragged them reluctantly away. Detective Gub hurried to
the circus grounds. The cook tent was already up and
the grub tent was being put up presently, the side
show tent was up and the big top rising. It
was not until nine o'clock, however, that the side show
ladies and gentlemen began to appear. And when they arrived,
they went at once to the grub tent and seated
themselves at the table. From a corner of the big
top's side wall, Detective Gub watched them. Look there, deary,
said Marilla suddenly to Princess Zozo. Don't that cowboy look
like mister Gubb that was at Bardville and got the
golf cup. It don't look like him, said Princess Zozo.
It is him. Why don't you ask him to come
over and help at the eats? You seem to like
him yesterday. I thought he was a real gentlemanly gentleman, dearie,
if that's what you mean, said Sorilla, and raising her voice,
she called to mister Gobb. For a moment, he hesitated,
and then he came forward. We knowed you the minute
we seen you. Mister Gubb, Come and sit in beside
me and have some breakfast. If you ain't dined, I
thought you went home last night. You ain't after no
more criminals, are you. There are variously many ends to
the detecative business, said mister Gubb, as he seated himself
beside Sorilla. I'm upon a most important case at the
present time. Sorilla reached for her fifth boiled potato, and
as her her arm past mister Gubb's face, he thrilled
he had not been mistaken. Upon that arm was a
pair of eagle's claws tattooed in red and blue. How
little these had meant to him before, and how much
they meant now? I presume you don't hardly ever long
for a home in one place, miss Sorilla. He began,
with his eye fixed on her arm, just above the elbow.
Well believe me, dearie, said Sorilla. You don't want to
think that just because I travel with a side show,
I don't long for the refinements of a true home
just like other folks. Some folks think I'm easy to
see through and that I ain't nothin but fat and appetite.
But they've got me down wrong, mister Gubb. I was
unfortunate in getting lost from my father and mother when
a babe. But many as the time I've said to Zozo,
I've got a refined strain in my nature, haven't i? Zozo?
You say it every time we begin to rag you
about falling in love with every new thin man you see,
said Princess Zozo. You said it last night when we
was joshing you about mister Gubb. Here, Sorilla colored, but
mister Gubb thrilled joyously just the same, Deary Sorilla said
to Princess Zozo, I've got myself listed right when I
say I got a refined nature, I've got all the
instincts of a real society lady, and sometimes it irks
me awful not to be able to let myself loose
and bant like pant, asked mister Gubb. Bant was the
word I used, mister Gubb, Sorilla replied, maybe you wouldn't
guess it looking at me shovelin' in the etibles this way.
But eating food is the cruelest thing I have to do.
It charged me something terrible, yes, dearie. What I longed
for day and night is a chance to take my
place in the social stratums I was born for and
bant off the fat like other social ladies, is to
ride along. I don't eat food because i'd like it,
mister Gubb, but because a lady in a profession like
mine has got to keep fat it up. My outside
may be fat, mister Gubb, but I got a soul
inside of me as skinny as any fashionable lady would
care to have. And as soon as possible, I'm going
to quit the road and bant off six or seven
hundred pounds. Would you believe it possible that I ain't
dared to eat a pickle for over seven years because
it might start me on the thin word road. I
presume to suppose, said mister Gubb politely, that if you
was to be offered a home that was rich with wealth,
and I was to take you there and place you
beside your parental father, would you refuse. Mister Gubb awaited
the reply with eagerness. He tried to remain calm, but
in spite of himself, he was nervous. Watch me, said Marilla,
if you could show me a nook like that, you
couldn't hold me in this show business with a tense
steak and a bull. But that's a rosy dream. You
ain't got a locket with the photo of your mother's
picture into it, asked mister Gubb. No, said Marilla. My
pa Ma was unknown to me. I dare say they
got sick of hearin me ball and left me on
a doorstep. The first I knew of things was that
I was travelin with a show representing a new born
babe in an incubator machine. I was incubated up to
the time I was five years old and got too
long to go into the glass case. But some one
was your guardian in charge of you, no doubt, asked Gub.
I had forty of them, deary, said Sorilla. Whenever money
run low, they quit because they couldn't get paid on
Saturday night. Huh, said mister Gubb. And does the name
Jones bring back the memory of any remembrance to you? No,
mister Gubb, said Sorilla, regretfully, seeing how eager he was.
It don't in that state of the case of things,
said mister Gubb. I've got to go over to that
wagon pole and sit down and think. Awhile, I've got
a certain clue. I've got to think over and make
sure it leads right, and if it does, I'll have
something important to say to you. The wagon pole in
question was attached to a canvas wagon near by, and
Detective Gub seated himself on it and thought the side
show ladies and gentlemen, having finished, entered the side show tent,
with the exception of Sorilla, who remained to finish her meal.
She ate a great deal at meals. Before meals and
after meals, Mister Gubb, from his seat on the wagon pole,
looked at Sorilla thoughtfully. He had not the least doubt
that Sorilla was the lost daughter of mister Jones, or Meadowbrook,
as he now called himself. The German American tattoo artist
had sworn to complete the eagle by putting its claws
on mister Jones's daughter if need be, And here were
the claws on Marilla's arm. But just as it is
desirable at times to have a handwriting expert identify a
bit of writing, mister Gubb felt that if he could
prove that the claws tattooed on Marilla's arm where the
work of mister Schrekenheim, his case would be complete. He
longed for mister Schreckenheim's presence, but lacking that, he had
a happy idea. Mister Enderberry, the tattooed man of the
side show, should be a connoisseur and would perhaps be
able to identify the eagle's claws. Leaving Marilla still eating,
mister Gubb entered the side show tent. Mister Enderberry, seated
on a blue property case, was engaged in biting the
entire row of finger nails on his right hand, and
a frown creased his brow. He was enwrapped by a
long purple bathrobe which tied closely about his neck. As
he caught sight of mister Gubb. He started slightly and
doubled his hand into a fist, but he immediately calmed
himself and assumed a nonchalant air. As a matter of fact,
mister Endburry led a dog's life for years. He had
loved Sorilla devotedly, but he was so bashful he had
never dared to confess his love to her. And year
after year he saw her smile upon one thin man
after another. Now it was mister Lonardon. Again it was
mister Winterbury, or it was mister Gubb, or Smith, or
Jones or Doe. But for mister Enderberry, she seemed to
have nothing but contempt. Mister Enderberry had first seen her
when she was posing in the infant incubator, and had
loved her even then, For he was twenty when she
was but five. The coming of a new rival always
affected him, as the coming of mister Gubb had, But
for good reason. He hated mister Gubb worse than any
of the others. Excuse me for begging your pardon, said
mister Gubb. But in the detecative business, questions have to
be asked. Have you ever chanced to happen to notice
some tattoo work upon the arm of Miss Sorilla of
the side show, I have, said mister Edinbury. Shortly a
pair of eagle's claws, said mister Gubb. Can you tell me,
from your knowledge and belief if the work they're done
was the work of mister Harrer Schreckenheim. I can tell
you if I want to, said mister Enderburry. What do
you want to know for? If those claws are the
work of mister Harrer Schreckenheim, said mister Gubb. I am
prepared to offer to miss Sorilla her daughterly place in
a home of wealth at Riverbank, Iowa. If those claws
are Schrekenheim clause, Miss Sorilla is the daughter of mister
Jonas Meadowbrook of the said Bergh. Beyond the question of
a particle of doubt. Mister Enderburry looked at mister Gubb
with surprise. That's not he began. And if Schrekenheim did
those claws, You'll take Sorilla away from this show forever,
he asked. Asked, I will, said Filo Gubb. If she
desires to wish to go, then I have nothing whatever
to say, said mister Enderburry. And he shut his mouth firmly,
nor would he say more. Do you desire to wish
me to understand that they are not the work of
mister Herr Schreckenheim persisted mister Gubb, I have nothing to say,
said mister Enderberry. I consider that conclusive, circumstantial evidence that
they are, said Detective Gubb, and he clanked out of
the side show. Marilla was still seated at the grub table,
finishing her meal, and mister Gubb seated himself opposite her.
As delicately as he could, he told of Jonas Meadowbrook
and his lost daughter, of the home of wealth that
awaited that daughter, and finally, of his belief that Cyrilla
was that daughter. It was clear that Marilla was quite
willing to take up a life of refinement and dieting
if she was given an oper tunity such as mister
Gubb was able to offer in the name of Jonas Meadowbrook.
And this being so, he questioned her regarding the eagle's claws,
Mister Gubb, she said, I wish to die on the
spot if I know how I got them claws tattooed
on me. If you ask me, I'll say it was
the mystery of my life. They've been on me since
I was a little girl, no bigger than why who
is that? Mister Gubb turned his head quickly, but he
was not in time to see a plump, good natured
looking little German Americans slip quickly out of sight behind
the cook tent. Neither did he see the glitter of
the sun on a large silver golf cup the plump
German American carried under his arm. But the German American
had recognized mister Gubb, even through his disguise of a cowboy.
No matter, said Marilla. But these claws have been on
my arm since I was a wee little girl, mister Gubb.
I always thought they was a trade mark of a hospital.
I was not knowingly aware that hospitals had trade marks,
said mister Gubb. Maybe they don't, said Zyrilla. But when
I was a small child, I had an accident and
had to be took to the hospital, and it wasn't
until after that that anybody saw the eagle's claws on me.
I considered that maybe it was like the mark the
laundry puts on a handkerchief it has laundered. I don't
know much about the manners of the ways of hospitals,
admitted mister Gubb. And that may be so, but I
have another idea. Did you ever hear of mister Harrer Schrekenheim,
Only that mister Enderburry has always cross on the days
of the month that he gets mister Shrekenheim's statements of
money too. Mister Shrekenheim is the man that tattooed mister
Enderburry so beautiful, but poor mister Enderberry has never been
able to pay him in full. Filo Gubb arose, I
am going to telegraph mister Meadowbrook to come on to
wes Higgins immediately by the three p m. Afternoon train,
he said, and you will meet him as your perternal father,
and arranged to make your home with him as soon
as you desire to wish it. At five o'clock that afternoon,
mister Meadobrook, escorted by mister Gubb, entered the side show tent.
The lady and gentlemen freaks were resting. Before evening, Grubb
and all were gathered around Marilla's platform for the news
that she was to leave the show to enter a
home of wealth and refinement had spread quickly. Marilla herself
was in tears. Now that the time had come, she
was loath to part from her kind companions. I tell you,
mister Gubb, mister Meadobrook said, as they entered the side show.
If you have indeed found my daughter, you have made
me a happy man. You cannot know how lonesome my
life has been. Now which is she? She is the
female lady in the pink satin dress on the platform,
said mister Gubb. Mister Meadobrook looked towards Marilla and gasped,
Why that that's the fat woman. That's the fat woman
of a side show, he exclaimed. I thought, I why
my daughter wouldn't be a fat woman in a side show.
But she is, said mister Gubb. Great Scott, exclaimed mister Meadowbrook.
For years, mister Meadobrook had retained a memory of his
daughter as he had seen her last, a tender babe
in long clothes as he rode toward West Higgins. However,
he had thought about his daughter, and he had revised
his conception of her. She was older now, of course,
and he had finally settled the matter by deciding that
she would be a dainty slip of a girl, probably
a tight rope walker or one of the toe dancers
in the Grand Spectacle, or perhaps even engaged as the
ten thousand dollar beauty. But a fat lady, jes said
a voice. Suddenly, you'll bet i've us here. Well, I
fand my money years I have been collecting dot bill
un Still you owe me. Now I come and you
pay me all that you owe me, or I make trouble.
The voice came from outside the tent, and with surprising agility,
Detective Gubb dived under the platform and wriggled under the
canvas wall. I don't know you a cent, exclaimed the
voice of mister Enderburry. I've paid you for every bit
of tattoo I have on me. Seven hundred dollars vas
der contract, cried the voice of Herr Schreckenheim. Ound ten
dollars is due me? Yet I wanted? Well, you'll keep
on wanting it, said mister Enderberry's voice. Look here, look
at my chest. There's the eagle you did on me.
Do you see any claws on it? No? You don't. Well,
I'm not going to pay for claws that are not
on me. No, sir, claws. I'd do some claws on you,
don't I ven i'd do that eagle, asked the German American. Yes,
but they're not on me now are they asked mister Enderburry.
You can go and collect from the person that has them.
What do I care for her? Now? She's going to
quit the circus business. I've paid for all the tattoo
that's on me. You go and collect ten dollars for
those claws from Cyrilla. Und how does she get those
claws on her, asked harr Schreckenheim. Shrewdly, I'll tell you how,
said mister Enerbury. You remember when Griggs and Barton's circus
burned down years ago. Well, Sorilla was burned in that fire,
burned on the arm, and they took her to a
hospital and her arm wouldn't heal. So somebody had to
furnish some skin for a skin grafting job. And I
did it. The piece they took had those claws on it.
That's what happened. I gave those eagles claws to cure her.
And I've hung around her all these years like a
faithful dog, and she don't care a hang for me.
And now she's going away. Go and collect for those
claws from her. I haven't got them. She's going to
be rich. She can pay you. Simultaneously, there was an
exclamation from mister Meadowbrook, a cry from Syrilla, and a short,
sharp yell from outside the tent. Mister Gubb entered, spurs first,
creeping backward under the canvas. As he backed from under
the platform, it was observed that he held a shoe
about number eight size in one hand, and that a
foot was in the shoe, and the foot on a leg,
and the leg on a short, plump elderly German American,
who yelled as he was dragged into the tent on
his back. In one hand of the German American was
a large silver golf cup with a deep dent on
one side. As mister Gubb arose to his feet, still
holding the German American tattoo artist's foot in his hand,
he said, mister Meadowbrook, the detecative business is not always
completely satisfactory in all kinds of respects. And it looks
as if it appeared that the daughter I found for
you is somebody else's. But if you will look at
the other end of the assaulter and batterer I have
in hand. You will see that I have recovered the
silver golf cup trophy once again for the second time.
And that, said mister Meadowbrook as he took the cup
from the German American's hand, is remarkable work. The ordinary
detective is usually satisfied to recover stolen property once, but
you have recovered this cup twice. The motto of my
detecative business, said mister Gubb, modestly is perfection. No matter
how many times mister Gubb might have said more, but
he was interrupted by Princess Zozo, the snake charmer, who
had walked around Soyrilla and unhooked two of the hooks
at the top of Sorilla's low necked gown. Look, she exclaimed,
and she pointed to a second pair of eagle's claws
tattooed between Marilla's shoulder blades. Without a word, mister Meadowbrook
took five hundred dollars from his purse and handed them
to mister Schrekenheim. That pays you for the cup, he said,
and then turning to Cyril, come to my arms, my
long lost daughter. After Sorilla had hugged her father affectionately,
mister Gubb and the freaks laid him on the ground,
and by fanning him vigorously, were able to bring him
back to life. Mister Meadowbrook's first act, upon opening his
eyes was to hold out his hand to mister Gubb.
Thank you, Gub, he panted. It's a big price, but
I'll keep my word. The ten thousand dollars shall be yours.
Into ordinary circumstances, said mister Gubb gravely. Ten thousand dollars
would be a largely big price to pay for recovering
back a lost daughter, mister Meadobrook. But into the present case,
it don't amount to more than ten dollars per pound
of daughter, which ain't a largely great rate per pound.
And of the eagle's claus by Ellis Parker Butler