Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1906-03-15

Thus hailed the detective tall, we'll
built well-dressed young man who was
crossing the pavement at brisk pace
Hello, Lamm, how goes every
thing?" the reporter said.
Quietly, quietly. How are the boys
In the Globe officer hardly ever see
them nowadays, not even Kingman,
whom / used to run across so often"
"KingmanF said Mr.. Nowak. "oh.,
he's busy on the North mystery.
Doesn't do anything else. Has his own
time, and fits in and out of the office
at all sorts Of odd hours. Sometimes
he's in a dozen times a day. And then,
again, the editor may not see him for
"a hours or more. But Kingman 10 a
privileged character, you know. He
never wastes his time. when he IL on a
Job"
Mr. Lamm nodded his head emphat-
ically. you're right, Nowak. The
word shirk is not in Kingman F.
Thomas vocabulary. You are quite
positive that he has not had any other
work but the North case?"
"Oh, sure. They wouldn't take MIN
on of It under any circumstances, now,
when the facts are liable to come out
any hour"
II hope he isn't wasting his time
and energy. It's a queer case, isn't
it?"
"Deuced queer"
With a friendly hand-grasp the two
knA - 4,
drug store close at hand, consulted the
chained directory, and found in a
minute a certain address desired.
Boarding car, he journeyed south
ward.
Where the streets began to show bits
of garden in front of the houses, and
every brick wall was not party wall,
Mr.. Lamm alighted, and walked up
pleasant-looking avenue.
A new apartment house, not far from
the corner, appeared to have particular
interest for John Lamm. In its neigh
borhood, indeed, he passed the better
part of an hour. Without apparent
effort, Mr. Lamm entered into an easy
conversation with several people there
and thereabouts, and, as result there
of, there was a sudden transfer Of es-
pecial interest from the family hotel
to the building next door.
Mr.. Molon's modest dwelling was by
no means equal in height to its neigh
Dor. But its graveled roof, neverthe-
less, offered certain facilities that the
detective greatly desired. A brief col
loquy was all that proved necessary
to gain the desired permission.
Once upon the roof, Mr.. Lamm placed
himself behind a sheltering chimney,
and cautiously peered into the win
dows Of the neighboring building that
overlooked the place.
All the curtains were up, and the
light, streaming cheerfully into what
was evidently sitting-room, brought
into relief the face of a motherly-look-
ing old lady, busted with her knitting.
Presently she looked up; and soon
the sight of another face rewarded
John Lamm's watch 1t was the face
of short, rather thick-set young man,
whose dark-brown, kindly eyes had
looked into his own not many hours
before.
The detective noted them carefully
as they stood talking together earnest
ly. He saw them turn quickly, and as
the rays of the setting sun shone
through the glass, another form came
into full view.
1t was womans figure.
John Lamm looked with all his eyes.
There was no mistake; NJ room for err
ror. 1t was as he thought and hoped,
! and a smile of absolute satisfaction
played about his lips unconsciously.
Suddenly he drew back. The thick
set young man in the room opposite
was just turning around. Before he
could peer out of the window, in his
turn, the form was out of view. When
the sidelong glance was next directed
outwards the blinds were drawn over
the tell-tale window. But the precau-
ton came too late. The next moment
Lamm found his way down the stairs,
thanked Mr.. Melon behind the counter
kindly for his courtesy, walked up the
street and took car eitywards.
"Ah, my black-haired friend" he
thought, exultingly, "a very clever
scheme of yours. But walls have eyes
for John Lamm once in awhile, King
man, and though you've kept your Sc
cret well from the crowd, you couldn't
conceal it from your partner. WHAT
would Applebee say, what would Stack
house say, for that matter, IL they
knew that Kingman f. Thomas had a
pretty guest, none other than the
strangely missing Stella North?"
CHAPTER XIV.
THE THING HAS A DARK LOOK.
"Cnma In Kinpmnn Won are