Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-20

| WRITTEN In RED
cHAs HOWARD MONTAGUE AND c. w. DYAR
(copyrieht. by The cassell Publishing Coz
CHAPTER xII.-(Continued)

didn't seem to me-"
ooh, the girls? Well, they may not
have had much to do but to smile
sweetly on Fetridge and keep him in
the firms traces" continued the de-
tective, with covert glance at his
ally's face; land, of course, this Fet-
ridge was no fool to be caught by the
bare hook. He isn't possessed of any
great amount of brains, but his expe-
rience in the business world makes up
for some of his natural shortcomings.
However, perhaps this failure will
bring out the facts about Stackhouse.
hope so. It's bad break, and great
many people have gone down with
North & Stackhouse. But I think
Thornton Stackhouse himself has saved
nothing out of the crash"
1.-THE Norths have gone under, Of
course?"
Eyes. Not dollar, SO far as can
see, will be left to them. There's no
telling, though, what those girls may
have managed to pick up and hide all
this while. That young creature, now,
who went off,"
"You mean-Miss Stellar" There
was dangerous look in Thomas eyes.
Certainly. She's hardened little
baggage, I'll be bound. Why man, she
was shrewd enough to throw you off
the scent, and a girl Of 10 who can
trick Kingman F. Thomas when he's
on the watch is an abnormally clever
sort of creature"
Mr. Thomas abruptly arose and
looked out of the little window.
"How do you imagine she got away
from you, Kingman?" pursued Mr..
Lamm.
"a piece of bad luck" the reporter
returned, CURLY. I'VE all have that
sort of happenings sometimes. sup
pose the girl watched her chance and
stole away. Nothing very calculating
about that, it seems to me. 1t was her
good fortune"
Gust so, just So" assented Mr..
Lamm. cts sore spot with you, old
fellow, Ell? Well, never mind. We
know, of course, who the guilty party
is in this affair. Never mind Fetridge
now. Flight is confession, and you can
take ample revenge by helping to bring
that large-eyed maiden who gave you
the slip to justice. You see the point,
l.ingman?"
mo, l don't" said Mr.. Thomas,
turning upon the ingenious Mr.. Lamm
in great heat. What morbid state of
mind has come over you? What's the
matter with you that you go on maun-
dering like this?"
"Maundering?" Mr.. Lamm's face
wore look of cleverly assumed aston
ishment.
Eyes. Numbering is what said,
and meant it. too. Come! You don't
mean to look me in the face and tell
me that you think that timid, shrink
ing girl like Stella North would ever
have the courage to murder her father,
sven II she had the heart to do it,"
"But she ran away
There was tell-tale twitching at
he corners of the detectives mouth
despite his efforts to the contrary, OBJ
Serving which Mr.. Thomas gave little
start, pulled up his shirt collar, re-
Taxed his features, laughed, though
rather constrainedly, and clapped Mr..
Lamm on the shoulder.
Have done with your Kidding old
man., he said "I'm not one of the
Central Office crowd"
Mr. Lamm coughed behind his hand
you can't make me believe any Of
your foolishness,' continued the re-
porter. ''Now talk straight for mo-
ment. Stackhouse or Fetridge-whom
shall watch, now?"
mo use to try to cheat you, King
man." retorted Mr.. Lamm, with an ex-
pansive smile. well, in the present
uncertain state of affairs, both must be
watched. We ought to be here, both
of US, to look after matters; but am
suddenly called away and this is why
am SO glad you came in.'
Called away?"
Eyes: old Jobson, the clerk at North
& Stackhouse, has just told me in his
innocent way all about certain suspi-
cious character that occasionally came
to see North, and lives in New York.
am going to look the man up there,
and for a day or two you must watch
the Boston end for both of u.s."
Mr.. Lamm, after advising Thomas
to still watch Swampscott, and promis-
ing to bring in man or two to help
cover the city points, babe the report
er friendly good by and went from
his Office directly toward the Albany
station.
But the protuberance on his valise,
which marked the sojourning place of
the very rigid hair brush which was
Mr.. Lamm's constant travelling COM
panion. soon pointed north instead of
south. 1t was Mr.. Thomas whom the
detective followed. Seeing him enter
the Office of his newspaper, Mr.. Lamm
turned back, deposited his valise in his
office, and betook himself to Court
square.
"Nowak, how are your"
Thus hailed the detective tall, we'll
built, weI-dressed young man who was
crossing the pavement at brisk pace.