The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-14

; that's me-" he explained.
1T would sound queer" Schneider ad-
mitted, and I'm not counting on any
pull to keep from getting caught. If
you don't mind, I'll leave these things
here for o to bring along; n also
we'll come back here after the deed is
did l don't mind telling you that there
IS a certain risk in this thing, particu-
larly for me-, and I want to shove as
much Of 1t on you as I can I ave
managed to become unofficially &C
quainted with Delwater the last week
he'S not SO nice in mis- choice of asso-
. ciates as o might have deduced from
his speech to me in the Auditorium-and
ne may recognize me. In fact, he prob
ably will; for we've been drunk togeth-
er, and down the line together, and one
night We landed in the Harrison Street
Police Station together, where fortu-
nately Sergeant Brindle was at the
desk, SO we got off with a reprimand to-
the policeman for lacking discrimina-
ton"
, And you couldn't worm the story
out of him in all this?''
Il couldn't while he had a vestige of
sobriety left, and the only time he was
entirely bOOZed. l was the same; and i
can't remember whether he told me
anything. or not. 1 think he did; for Il
remember weeping over something with
him.
We'll goodbye theatreI" Tad threw
Il kiss at the tickets. Goodbye lady
friend'!" he waited another towards the
north wall of his room. Now what is
the scheme?"
w shall, if all goes we'll, hold him up
tonight, when hes coming home from|
some dive, and get that story out of
him. He has a great idea OF the law
lessness of America; and 1 don't think
much of his pluck. He won't go on the
streets alone after dark, and that's how
[ happened to get in with him.. Billy
Barnes and : usually act as his body
guard"
Curtis laughed; Billy Barnes was no
torious.
Yes. I never expected to consortI
with a tIn-horn sport like him." Schnei-
der Went on alphabetically. But we can
manage the two of them,I guess
After Schneider had gone, CurtisI
dressed himself and went over to thej
Wyandotte Club for a couple of sets of
tennis, stopping after the second lest
~ 49, iASC hO1 14C Xix hSu lid u
he had not sent off the theatre tickets,
and went back to his room for the pur-l
pose. After that was accomplished
there was nothing in particular for him
to do, and gradually the same n~ervous-l
ness and tendency to yawn crept over
him that used to, at college, before al
race.
This turning highway rob- he SAID
to himself, is almost as distressing as|
the Mott Haven games"
Tarying council with himself, he decid-
ed that 5 o'clock tea with a soothing girl
would be the most profitable thing heI
could do; and he took the Clark street,
car up to where the conductor announce
ed Go-eth Street. Here he jumped off
and walked briskly over to Miss Han
ley's on Dearbon Avenue.
The atmosphere of the draWing-room,
and Of the little pink shades on the can
dies, when the tea was brought in, was
having the desired effect on the visi-
tor, when it was ~dispelled by the very
one OF whom he had counted.
Wasn't it awful Miss Hanleyl
cried. as she handed him lis second cup.
'abour poor Mark Milton?"
What, awful?" he asked.
Why, didn't you see in the papers,
this morning about his being held up
and murdered?"
Who murdered him. Tad asked
with sudden irritation.
Nobody knows. His body was found
in the river, and they think some of
those terrible hold-up men killed him
because he wouldn't give them his
money, and then threw him off one of
the bridges"
This was encouraging. Milton. the
banker, was of an Importance to stir,
up the police to unusua endeavors for
D few days. The SAVIOR of the tea in his
cup was suddenly lost to Curtis, and!
the pretty room had a garish look, asI
if it were staged on a second class thea
ire. This thing is getting on my
nerve he muttered.
What did you say" Miss HanleyI
asked sweetly. Without waiting for an
answer, she continues: Il have been
reading The New Arabian Nights
again. and it does make one feel creepy
to have a man one has met, like Mr..
Milton, be murdered before ones face
almost. Stevenson makes it seem sol
matter of-fact. 1 declare If a trunk
NNIlN GU ~ d IIS SbO4I OUS ca
.pressman. 1 should be afraid to open i'll
for fear l houId find one OF my friends
doubled up inside"
"Ha. ha!" Tad laughed mirthlessly.
Il may be a highwayman myself for
all 0 know"
He ended his call soon afterwards
and wandered down to the Boston res
taurant for supper. The time, he no.
ticed. dragged along almost intermin-I
ably, n yet flew by. Il suppose al
man looking Onward to being executed
in the evening woul have somewhat
the same sensations I have: lookingI
forward to going TO Joliet" he added
with a grim smile.
After supper he walked to his roomI
on Superior Street and loitered about.
delaying getting ready that he might
not have so much time TO wait. Then