University of Missouri College of Engineering - Shamrock Yearbook (Columbia, MO)

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4 R ' sfiffyoci f some reason, known only to himself, slipped into the laboratory under the cover of night and taken the missing volt. Moreover, the object of theft was in his possession. It 'is true Hot Wad had not seen it but he had climbed through the Library window and watched Cocky through the transom leading into his oliice and had seen him slyly extract a small wooden box from an obscure corner of the small room, open it and, bending over his desk, fondle the contents with intent eager- ness. Although it was impossible for the sleuth to determine the nature of the contents it was evident that it was of a mysterious character and of ex- treme importance to its possessor. At last, the end was fast approaching. The crucial moment was at hand. The time had arrived for the inevitable arm of justice to reach down and clutch its human sacrifice. The stage was set, there only remained to seize the villain and wring from him a confession of his sin. Could this be accomplished by the usual third degree methods? Would the prisoner yield under a mere batter- ing of words? Although the con- catenated evidence was without a single flaw the eflicient detective reasoned that more than a mere attack of words was necessary to force the prisoner into sub- mission. The tools that were to aid in a more rapid solution of the problem had been selected and arranged. Oflicers Miller and Spalding strode heavily into Cocky's office. Cocky who. at this time, was sitting at his desk greeted the visitors with an expression of awe and solicitude. Deputy Spalding broke the embarrassing silence. As representatives of the law it has become I our painful duty to place you under arrest. Arrest-I don't understand-why, what have I done? Bearing a far-off forlorn expression, Cocky arose- from his seat. It is not our capacity to discuss the matter here, sir. You must come with us, sternly broke in one of the officers. Cocky, with bowed head, followed the two officers out. He was quickly ushered to the high tension laboratory. Inside all was dark, except for a cone of light which Hooded a chair sitting in the center of the room. The prisoner was thrown roughlyqinto the chair and the bombardment of words begun. A spot played over the stern face of the detec- tive as he stood bending over the cul- prit. On and on poured the unceasing How of questions and denials. Each question being punctuated with a shriek from the high tension Tesla Transformer. Cocky, although worn and haggard from the strain, refused to give under the con- stant pounding. Five long hours had still had one elapsed. The detective trump left to play. But I saw you with it-saw you fondling it-you have the volt hid in your office, bellowed the detective. No, what you-. As the prisoner's eyes brightened and was on the verge of relating, the do'or opened and Fuzzy calmly walked in. 'q I heard you were having some trou- ble about a volt. I am sorry-I borrowed it some time ago-during the cold spell. I needed it for the Light and Heat Sta- tion. As he spoke he held a small ob- ject on the palm of his outstretched S t l

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ff r X V u c for their experiments . to the Panel to read th2nviolSti:1egI?epedInCivSr breakfable unit' Surely, there Could be ine my horror upon discoveriincr 312- lysmlstakei Bugs had admitted to Hot needle of the voltmeter Standiig 6 ad,. however only after having been 107 instead of IOS, where it has beeb all Submltted to a grueuing third degree' these years that I have been teacgia that he had seen john Sneak from the the boys dn CH and moreover is Homin? Shop on the day the dastardly crime was Tvice I loogked. unable to believe ma u dlscovereii and had also' from a Safe dis' self. But I vas right. vun volt was song' tance behind, Watched john slink up the B1 as Stalrs and into Cocky's office. Further- . ease Meester Hot Vad, von't you find it for rne? Blease, blease, bl? Here the Efficient Hot Wad inter- rupted with a commanding gesture, One volt you say? 'iYes. Missing. niYeS.1I Do you suspect anyone. No vunf' Was there anyone else in the labora- tory at the time? Just my boys. Anyone else besides the class? jawn vas in the shop. Were his actions of a suspicions na- ture? . jawn vas perfectly honest.'7 At this point the door opened and the goodlook- ing individual entered. She suggested that the hour for visitors was at an end. The Eiiicient Hot Wad gathered his things, thanked Weinie for the inter- view, and bowed himself out of the room, pausing at the door for a back- ward glance at the goodlooking in- dividual. ' -1+ The Eiicient .Hot Wad sat moodily at his desk chewing hard upon the end of a big black cigar. He was arranging and rearranging a mass of data. The web was fast closing in. Link by link the flawless chain of incriminating evi- dence vsias being formed into an un- ! Seventy-Three V more Hot Wad had followed Cocky by day and by night-leaving john whom the able detective reasoned was only a tool in the hands of the designing Cocky to his able understudy and assistant, jiles Haney. With the tenacity of the proverbial bull dog had Hot Wad .doggedthe foot- steps of Cocky. Daily hiding behind a switchboard he would stand patiently peering through a convenient plug hole watching Cocky's every move. Silent- ly, breathlessly' he stood--all silent ex- cept for the ticking of the infallible stop watch held resolutely in his left hand. By this method he had determined exactly the efliciency of Cocky's move- ments-this efficiency had checked, be- yond a shadow of a doubt, with that of the last individual who had visited the fatal panel previous to the discovery of the crime. On that day all visitors had' been carefully excluded from the scene and the eiiiciency of the thief's move- ments wefe computed from his stride- the stride, of course, being found from the foot prints in the dust. The Effi- cient Hot Wad had attended to this im- portant detail in person using a mag- nifying glass and steel tape. During this period of constant hound- ing Hot Wad gathered suiiicient evi- dence to make impregnable his theory: that Cocky was the thief and had, for

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at - r s l ?iQ'!? l'0fk f r - 1'QL9- hand. Weinie who had be . ' C11 st d' ' . m an obscure Comer of the ro an 1158 But what was it I saw You Playing Om ma e ' ' . , with in your ofiifcey' The question was one dive fo th - , rl e frightened Fuzzy, directed at the innocent Cocky. grabbed the object caressed it and ' . ' Went Nothin b 15 1 awa mutt 8 H a urnen. Ithou ht u y erxng. knew all the time. g yo Seventy-Five lil til til i V Qtaking Q9ut y What is that, Mother? The Rodman, my child. His footsteps are weary, his accents are wildg His hair, how disordered! l-lis eyeballs, how hlear! And see where his necktie hangs under his ear. Rod up there! Hold her steady! ! Go down the hill! ! ! 7.8 Cut 2.2--No, hegosh, it's a fill. Half the roadbed, 13+ the slope l :l 9 No, it's lyq though, as sure as a gun. Well, that makes--!et's see-O! stick her in there. It'll do. Perhaps the contractor will swear. But no difference: We're the big dog in this light. No matter what's wrong, just swear it's all right. t donit know a beefsteak from a bone. A contrac or - H Now pick up your tools, and let's pull out for home. ' 1. I-I. K. B., Laurel Hill Swamp Angel. From the S. P., R. R. Transit I