Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 95: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

\ \ re \ \ wi, qi eS A x SY \" KEENE { DETECTIVE } AG ENCY er eee. ze on ‘a "> rt TELL ade ¢ y !308 S -<S9eo wen GI Me y - sway oe savenasenssees* x AACS NAAN AAR x ‘\ } By JOHN D. SWAIN may find a branch office of the Keene Detective Agency, usually located in a dingy building near the courthouse. The business—or profession—was insti- tuted half a century ago by Arlo Keene, a brilliant and ambitious sub-chief in the Fed- eral service, and two of his surviving sons conduct it to-day. It is strictly ethical; that is, divorce scrapes are not accepted un- less the retaining fee is at least one thousand dollars, and all investigations are strictly confidential. It serves a large number of prominent banks, employers of labor, and jewelers, and is at times called upon by the municipal police and even by the United States authorities. It is best recognized by the public through its slogan, devised by the elder |: any city of five hundred thousand you Keene. Upon a neat, rectangular White enameled sign appear the words in plain black lettering: WE WORK ‘WHILE YOU SLEEP To enter one of its consultation rooms is to enter all. A colorless clerk takes your name and presently ushers you into a room plainly furnished, with a few shelves of books, an array of filing cabinets, ice water tank, and on the wall a life sized steel en- graving of Arlo Keene, depicted as a ratty looking man with scanty burnsides and a long, pointed nose. The local superintendent is always seated behind a large, flat topped desk, upon which stand two telephones, writing materials, cigars, and a battery of push buttons. A green shaded electrolier frames his face in 565 ECOmicsooks (E@) a