Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
THE WIRE TAPPERS
BY ARTHUR STRINGER
Author Of Ths Silver Poppy" "The Loom of Destiny" ETC.
y Brown md Company Rights
BY ARTHUR STRINGER

was hard and dry and colorless, 81 could
never marry You. now. But under one con-
dition 1 would be willing to go with YOU
wherever you say"
And that condition is?''
1t is that you return TO Durkn every
cent you owe him. and let him go his way,
while We go ours.
You mean that, Frank?
Yes, l mean II
He looked al her colorless face closely.
Something in it seemed to satisfy him
But how am I to know you're going to
stick to your bargain?' he stin hesitated.
How am l to be sure You won't get your
price and then give me the slp?"
Would Durkin want me- after that?
Would he take up with when you had
finished with NE? Oh. he's not that make
of man. she scoffed in her hard, dry voice.
There was little silence: then, us that
all?' she asked i'll her dead voice.
That's just as You say" he answered
VERY WE'LL" she said between her drawn
lips. She stepped quickly to the back of the
room. and lifting the hidden telephone
transmtter up on the table she threw open
the window to loop the wire that ran by
the over-hanging cave.
Hold on. there!" cried MacNutt, in
alarm az ~, What's VII. al. all this. ANYWAY"
has got to know, of course, what we have
decided on
ooh, no. you don't. my beauty. If there's
goin to be any telephonin' out O. this
house, do it myself
1T makes no difference" she answered
alphabetically. ''Ycu can tell him as well as
l could
and rage mounting into his watchful eyes.
Il do the talking this trip" he cried
Then cut in and loop that third wire
no. the fourth. counting the lighting wire
on the cave there. 1t Is the Van Schaick
house wire--indeed. it would be much bet
ter to cut them off altogether, after we cut
in. or there might be some interference
from them with central. Now throw open
nd win oi,,
theresa. Now II you will ring up central
and ask for the Bartholdi they will con-
meet you directly with Durkin. He Is
waiting in his room there for me. And
every room of the Bartholdi has a tele-
phone"
He looked at her, suspicious and puzzled.
the momentary note of triumph gone out of
his voice.
See here, Frank. 1 may as we'll tell you
one thing. straight out. Although 1 square
up with Durkin for what got out of him,
and pass this money of his over to you I
tell you right now. I'm going to smash
that man, once for ALL
Smash him." she echoed. dsmally.
Then you've been lyingr'
Yes, smash himi You don't imagine Pm
gon' to have that piker shadowin' and
doggin' ne like a fatty all my days! 1
stand pat now with Doogan and his men.
And in ten days L can have Durkin up
against ten years.
That's a lie she contended.
well I can have him SO he'll be glad to
s get ten 70 years ears just to get out o what's
Then this was all a trap, a plot?" she
gasped.
mo. it's not a trap-it's only that I
| wanted to save you out O. the mess. I'm
wise enough In most things, but about you
I've always been a good deal OF a fool. It's
my loose screw. all right: sometimes it's
| driven me near crazy. Pm goin' to have
you. don't care what 1t costs mel don't
| care IL / have to pound this Durkin 8
brains out with lead pipe!"
Take me! Take me-but save him." she
| pleaded.
e. -, it's not just you I want-its
its your feelin's, it's your love that I've
| got to have!"
'Oh!' she moaned, covering her face
| with her hands.
Its a queer way of maxim love, eh p
J but 1 mean 1t! And I want to know II
| you're goin' to swing in with me and get
] taken care of, or not?"
| denly. shifting the air with her vehemently
| closed fists. You poor, miserable fool! !
loathe and hate the very sound of your
voice, / despise every inch of your british,
| bloated body, I'd die-Id kill myself ten
| times over before I'd so much as touch
your
He looked at her gathering storm of rage,
/ first in wonder. and then In a slow and
deadly anger that blanched his face and
| his withered cheeks.
TN give you one last chance" he said,
| clenching his fiaccid jaw.
| "Chancei / don't want chance! Now
/ know how things must go! Now / know
| how to act! And before we settle it be-
] tween us. and II have toto lose every
thing. l want you to know one thing.