The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1907-03-08

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Whitley would brook no excuse what
ever. The case was too fragrant:
there were the two men Indicated in
his orders, in plain view all the time,
until they met the third man, and,
puff, they were gone-vanished into
thin air! No, Mason's salvation de-
pended on finding the three men, and
landing them high and dry behind
bars. The sole leather valise" must
be secured at alt hazards.
Walsh Agnew, of course, knew st.
Joe like a book, and in those days it
was a typical river town; neither bet
ter nor worse than others. There
were plenty of saloons, dance halls
and gambling places, and the four
men started out to make systematic
tour, taking in every place. Not a
sign of their quarry, and finally Chief
Agnew said:
well, fellows, I'm near beat
There's one more place, old man
Leftrich's dance hall, and if they are
not there it's ten to one st. Joe
doesn't hold them; that is, not the
under part of the city,
Mason was mad-mad all the way
through.
They're in this town all right,
Walsh. They couldn't get out on
train until eight o'clock, and the
country roads are so bad a team
couldn't pull a wagon very far. Some
house holds them, and I'm going to
find the gentlemen if have to search
every house in town. Chief Whitley
expects a wire in the morning, and
he's got to have it,
Leftrich's place was a typical dance
hall, a long, low, rambling shack
standing just across the Hannibal and
st. Joe railroad tracks and right on
the bank Of the Missouri river. Ugly
stories had been told about crimes
committed within the shack, and all
evidences thereof cast into the swirl
ing torrent of the Big Muddy. Be that
as it may, old Leftrich himself was
not an entire stranger to the force.
His revolver butt had two hicks, and
he had done time" down in JEFF City.
In st. Joe, however, he had played as
fair as one of his class could play.
bling attachments, and once in a
while, doubtless, some of the light
fingered gentry had taken refuge
there, but Lefty as he was called,
steered clear from doing any action
by which he might be judged an &C.
cessory before or after the fact. His
virtues would not entitle him to a
place in Sunday school, but he
wouldn't sacrifice himself nor his lib
erty for any crook or gang of crooks.
They might meet there, and so long
as the law didn't intervene he
wouldn't raise any rumpus. Virtuous
Leftrich! He knew Agnew, of course,
and he also knew Mason; therefore,
when he saw these men enter his
place he glanced anxiously around the
room to see who they might be after.
There was a haze of blue, rank
smelling tobacco smoke, the clink of
glasses, and ribald songs and jests of
men and-the pity Of it-women, too.
habitues of the place. At one end
was the bar, backed by bright mirrors,
in front of which were the ornate bot
ties filled with what has been truly
called "hell fire and blue ruin" A
faro game was in progress; poker and
keno held forth. Such was the scene
greeting the eyes of Mason and his
party.
Many an anxious glance was cast at
the officers; perhaps more than one
heart beat faster in anticipation of a
"pinch;" probably nine-tenths of the
entire crowd should have been behind
the bars. But it was not ordinary
game Mason and his party wanted.
They wanted three men and a sole
leather valise."
Leftrich came forward rubbing his
hands like an Oily Cannon.
Good evening, gentlemen; what
can 1 do for you this evening, or
morning, rather? Have a drink Oh
the house%
NO." replied Agnew, "we're just
looking round Bit
Smooth old Lefty knew what
looking round bit" meant. His
eyes and ears were wide open.
'They're not here, evidently" said
Agnew to Mason soto voce.
Now, Charley Mason was born on
Friday, and the 18th of the month.
He was great believer in "hunches''
some of his greatest successes were
founded on lunches" He suddenly
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