The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-04-07

Whitley would brook no excuse what.
ever The case was too Migrant;
there were the two men indicated In
his orders, in plain view all the time.
until they met the third man. and,
pun. 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 all hazards.
Walsh Agnew, OF course. knew St
Joe like 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 n
sign of their quarry. and finally Chief
Agnew said.
Wei, fellows. I'm near beat
There's one more place, old man
Leftrich's dance hall. and II 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 a
train until eight o'clock, and the
country roads are so bad team
couldn't pull wagon very far. Some
hnnun hnIIu I't,, e..
find the gentlemen If have ~ 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. Re that
as 1t 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 JeT City.
In st. Joe, however, he had played as
fair as one OF his class could play.
True. he ren a dance hall with gam.
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 ac-
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! lie 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 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 al
the officers; perhaps more than one
heart beat faster in anticipation of O
pinch" probably nine-tenths of the
entire crowd should have been behind
/ the bars. But 1t was not ordinary
game Mason and his party wanted
| They wanted three men and sole
| leather valse."
Leftrich came forward rubbing his
hands like an Oily Cannon.
Good evening, gentlemen; what
can | do for you this evening, OF
morning, rather? Have drink OH
the house,"
NO" replied Agnew. we're just
| looking round a bit"
Smooth old Lefty" knew what
looking round a bit" meant, His
eyes and ears were wide open.
They're not here, evidently" said
Agnew to Mason sotto voce.
Now, Charley Mason was born or
Friday. and the 18th of the month
He was a great believer in lunches
some Of his greatest successes were
founded on lunches" lie suddenly
zzA eN co@ FD-