The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-09

Il hope your wife is not seriously
sick, my dear Coleman"
The latter's amaZement silenced him
for moment, and then he exclaimed
with a growl. as the door closed and
latched:
My wife sick! Who are you and
what the devil put that idea into
your"
But his unceremonious nearer now
had seized him by the shoulder and
drawn him into the gloom of the ad-
joining parlor.
Easy, Jimmie" ne hurriedly NUT
tered. Meet me as you find me. Go
Up to yc>Sr wifes chamber and turn up
the light-first see that the shades are
closely drawnl Meantime, I'll see If
other eyes than yours mistrust my
medical pretensions."
Good heavens, Is II you. Felix"
Hush! Do what l ask of you, dear
fellow. A word to your wife should
explain. Leave the chamber light
make you wise to my game when you
return"
Without another word Coleman has
tened up the hall stairs.
Mr.. Felix Boyd darted across the
dark parlor to the nearest window.
there to peer intently through the lace
draperies for some moments, and pres
emily heaving a sigh of satisfaction
when his searching gaze discovered
only his own moving vehicle some fifty
yards away.
When Coleman returned he found
Boyd seated in the library, Invested of
his disguise. He looked unusually thin
and pale; his lips appeared dry and
drawn, and his deep-set eyes glowed
with abnormal brilliancy. Barring his
colorless cheeks, he locked like a man
with q fever.
Yet he smiled when Coleman entered,
and remarked with his keen, customary
vigor:
I've taken the liberty to close your
shutters, Jimmie. and draw the shades.
Surprised to see me, Ell? Well, well,
no doubt. Sit down and I'll tell you
why 1 am here"
You're as thin as a rail-" said Cole
man. staring hard at him.
"A lean horse for a race, Jimmie. In
this race the pace is a hard one l hope
| may last to the wire
Coleman shook his head significantly
and drew up chair. asking gravely:
why these precautions, Felix"
There is death in the air." Boyd
grimly Tejoined. "One sometimes feels
it approaching Jimmie, as you know.
without ocular evidence of it. Yet there
has been. in fact, no dearth of the lat
ter. Half-a-score of times / have
evaded the sweep of the scythe by the
bare skin of my teeth
You amaze mev
well, well. 1t serves my purpose to
have the devils so not after my life
They menace themselves with a two
edged sword in thus giving me so
strenuous a cause for sinking into al
most constant obscurity, for the latter
enables me with less difficulty to play
my little game against them Trims as
a rail, Ell? Well, well. Jimmie, there's
good reason for it,
You feared being observed in COM
ing here tonight?'
Exactly. So 1 adopted the ruse now
obvious enough to you. Bear in mind.
old chap, that we are known as
close friends by certain knave who
would suspect. If not read Alright, the
slightest glance between us"
"Scanlon, the Big Finger" growIed
Coleman, who sat listening with brows
darkly knitting.
None other, Jimmie"
rs he again at work."
He is attempting the browning knav-
cry of his superlatively knavish career
or so | suspect Boyd grimly declared
| After the repeated attempts upon my
| life, Jimmie. which invariably have been
among his chief precautions you'll re-
member I cannot doubt that he is the di-
rector general of the job I now am striv-
! ing to uncover and prevent I've not laid
| eyes on him yet though I've been on his
track for weeks"
why have you not confided in me. as
usual?" frOwned Coleman, a bit piqued.
For numerous reasons. Jimmie"
Yet you have ventured here tonight -
Because you finally have driven me to
it"
How so? In what way?"
by speaking to me today, Jimmie and
thus exposing me to the very suspicious I
have aimed n
Speaking to you today" cried Coleman.
perpleXed. Nonsense I've not seen you
for week"
A faint smile stole about Bovd's thin
lips as he shrugged his shoulders, and said
| dryly:
well, veil. isn't der soft benzu you
bought evidence enough?'
The central office man came out of his
"Oh. by thunder" he cried blank with
amazement. You must be that peddler-
Israel Chuck"
Boyd laughed softly. and signed the
startled detective to his char
THAT calls the turn Jimmie" he nod
ded. Il was the man in disguise all
right. That you have failed to penetrate
it, seeing me day after day for weeks
gives me- some assurance that also have
blinded the knaves I so am striving 10
run down.
Penetrate IT," ehuckled Coleman. now
shaken with suppressed delight by all
that's good and great Felix. the man
doesn't live who could have seen through
it, No. nor another man who could so
skillfullv have rugged himself up in that
fashion"
Necessity is the mother of invention.
quoth Boyd pointedly. Now draw nearer.
Jimmie, and | will disclose the occasion
for this EXCEEDING craft and cunning"
MY interest is beyond expressing"
cried Coleman. fastening to comply.
81 am convinced" continued Bovd
that some very unusual crime is about
to be attempted, the magnitude and des-
perate character of which are plainly in
dicated by the difficulties and dangers 7
already have encountered while striving
to discover precisely of what il consists
That the designs have had origin i'm the
fertile brain of Magnus ScanlOn. the no.
torious Big Finger. and that their execu-
ton is being directed by that scoundrers
mastery hand. I now have not q doubt"
And you are out to land him.
cor TO sacrifice my life in the at
tempt"
God forbid that" Coleman ferventlv
muttered. deeply impressed with the sub
dued austerity with which Felix Boyd had
spoken. What do you already know of
the affair.""
at Will start at the very beginning.
Jimmie" Boyd quickly rejoined. Some
aOo-unWard Of fhraa