The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-28

with volubility that gave Coleman no
chance TO slip word in edgewise. The
central Office man was a bit puzzled !;
but Felix Boyd had him by the arm and
was marching him away all the while
and Coleman knew him far too we'll to
protest. or to venture intruding ques-
lions in his companions obvious state of
mind.
Mr. Felix Boyd however. before they
had covered fifty yards, had become
as cool as an iced melon, and wore his
habitual air of Indifference and repose.
Maintaining a cursOry stream of talk.
tommy-rot from beginning to end. he
conducted Coleman 10 the Woodcock.
in those days "A popular restaurant in
that locality, where cuisine was of the
best
With never a backward look. Boyd
entered with his companion. then
SIanced sharply at the long row of cur
tanned booths adjoining one wall of the
elaborate saloon. Several of the booths
were unoccupied. one of which Boyd
promptly entered. and drew the cur
tain. AS its folds fell into place, a man
on the street peeTed sharply into the
saloon.
1t was the man in goggles. With
lips maliciously drawing, he noted that
an adjoining booth was vacant. TAX
ing no chance of delay. he Immediately
entered the saloon and slipped into the
booth next that that occupied by Felix
Boyd and his companion. Having
dropped the curtain, he complacentIy
removed his goggles. inscribed an order
for light lunch. and then settled him
self within a foot of the drawn curtain
of the adjoining booth.
1t at once was obvious to him that
Felix Boyd had no thought of an caves
dropper. for he was speaking without
restraint and in ordinary tones.
Loose digging. as they say in the
Klondike. Jimmie, that's what it was,
and / foresaw it would be before you
left me-" he was remarking, over a
sparkling dry Martini. 1T took some
little time, however, and has given me
racking headache
yet you deciphered the secret mis-
sives?" demanded Coleman. eagerly.
Each and every one of them. Jim
mic. and transcribed them into plain.
unvarnished English. Incomplete and
disconnected though they are. and evil
IDENTIFY covering several weeks of secret
correspondence. they point plainly to a
startling and most audacious scheme"
Have you fathomed it?'
After a fashion, let me alone for
that" nodded Boyd Here's to the ad-
vantage it offers us, and here's to the
speedy downfall of certain knaYish
genius by the name Of Scanlon. God
willing, I'll have him in bracelets this
day next week.
The short. muscular fingers of the
man in the next booth absentfy caressed
his brawny wrists. much as IL he al
ready vaguely sensed a chill of steel
around them; and then his thin cruel
lips took on a derisive curl. and the
malignant glow i'm his scowling eyes
intensified.
Jimmie Coleman drained his glass.
then stared perplexedly at Boyd for a
moment
''Scanlon, did you say" he demanded.
who the devil is Scanlon?"
THE devil himself. Jimmie and that's
no lie said Boyd. with a mirthless
laugh.
Not the--the Big Finger" gasped
Coleman.
Yes, the Big Finger
His name is Scanlon?"
"Scanlon is his name. Jimmie. Scan
lon-or mine is not Felix Boyd"
Did you discover it in the convict
code?''
Boyd vented an ominous snarl. and
his lowered voice grew more hard and
threatening.
That's not a 1.-THE of what discov-
cred, Jimmie" he cried. God willing.
repeat, Well have the Big Finger and