nto; 'Big Money in Deteckating. Be a Sleuth. We can make you the
equal of Sherlock Holmes in twelve lessons.' Why?"

"Well, sir," said Mr. Critz, "that's funny. That ad. was right atop of
the one I saw, and I studied quite considerable before I could make up
my mind whether 'twould be best for me to be a detective and go out
and get square with the fellers that sold me gold-bricks and things by
putting them in jail, or to even things up by sending for this book
that was advertised right under the 'Rising Sun Correspondence
School.' How come I settled to do as I done was that I had a sort of
stock to start with, with a fust-class gold-brick, and some green
goods I'd bought; and this book only cost a quatter of a dollar. And
she's a hummer for a quatter of a dollar! A hummer!"

He pulled the paper-covered book from his pocket and handed it to Mr.
Gubb. The title of the book was "The Complete Con' Man, by the King of
the Grafters. Price 25 cents."

"That there book," said Mr. Critz proudly, as if he himself had
written it, "tells everything a man need to know to work every con'
game there is. Once I get it by heart, I won't be afraid to try any of
them. Of course, I got to start in small. I can't hope to pull off a
wire-tapping game right at the start, because that has to have a gang.
You don't know anybody you could recommend for a gang, do you?"

"Not right offhand," said Mr. Gubb thoughtfully.

[Illustration: "THIS SHELL GAME IS EASY ENOUGH WHEN YOU KNOW HOW"]

"If you wasn't goin' into the detective business," said Mr. Critz,
"you'd be just the feller for me. You look sort of honest and not as
if you was too bright, and that counts a lot. Even in this here simple
little shell game I got to have a podner. I got to have a podner I can
trust, so I can let him look like he was winnin' money off of me. You
see," he explained, moving to the washstand, "this shell game is easy
enough when you know how. I put three shells down like this, on a
stand, and I put the little rubber pea on the stand, and then I take
up the three shells like this, two in one hand and one in the
other, and I wave 'em around over the pea, and maybe push the pea
around a little, and I say, 'Come on! Come on! The hand is quicker
than the eye!' And all of a suddent I put the shells down, and you
think the pea is under one of them, like that--"

"I don't think the pea is under one of 'em," said Mr. Gubb. "I seen it
roll onto the floor."

"It did r