k 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 Mr. Medderbrook 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 deteckative business," said Mr. Gubb modestly, "is
'Perfection, no matter how many times.'"

Mr. Gubb might have said more, but he was interrupted by Princess
Zozo, the Snake Charmer, who had walked around Syrilla and unhooked
two of the hooks at the top of Syrilla's low-necked gown.

"Look!" she exclaimed, and she pointed to a second pair of eagle's
claws tattooed between Syrilla's shoulder blades. Without a word Mr.
Medderbrook took five hundred dollars from his purse and handed them
to Mr. Schreckenheim.

"That pays you for the cup," he said. And then, turning to Syrilla:
"Come to my arms, my long-lost daughter!"

After Syrilla had hugged her father affectionately, Mr. Gubb and the
freaks laid him on the ground and, by fanning him vigorously, were
able to bring him back to life. Mr. Medderbrook's first act upon
opening his eyes was to hold out his hand to Mr. Gubb.

"Thank you, Gubb," he panted. "It's a big price, but I'll keep my
word. The ten thousand dollars shall be yours."

"Into ordinary circumstances," said Mr. Gubb gravely, "ten thousand
dollars would be a largely big price to pay for recovering back a lost
daughter, Mr. Medderbrook, 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."

THE OUBLIETTE

The discovery that Syrilla was the daughter of Jonas Medderbrook (born
Jones) was a great triumph for Philo Gubb, but while the "Riverbank
Eagle" made a great hurrah about it, Philo Gubb was not entirely happy
over the matter. Having won a reward of ten thousand dollars for
discovering Syrilla and five hundred dollars for recovering Mr.
Medderbrook's golf cup, Mr. Gubb might have ventured to tell Syrilla
of his love for her but for three reasons.

The first reason was that Mr. Gubb was so bashful that it was
impossible for him to speak his love openly and immediately. If
Syrilla had returned to Riverbank with her father, Mr. Gubb would have
courted her by degrees, or if Syrilla had weighed only two hundred
pounds,