The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1908-02-27


well paid, SO get out yer cut glarss
an see as the silver Is well polished
up, o Their gents is p%etickler."
"All very fine, but I'd like that sons
better if it 'ad a little more toon
about it,"
Wen wot price this fer moosic,
eh?" Hammond took five s~overeigns
from his pocket and jingled them on
the table.
"Lor'. Nosey, that's a perfec' horo-
torio. An wot time1l yer be comin'?'
Our guests will arrive when ther
good people of this serlubrious alley
are 'avin' a game Of shut-eye, an in
horder not ter disturb their by-by we
will approach the castle by Their back
avernoo."
AN thereTl be no %trouble?"
Not a smell on 1t; an there's more
sinners waitin' fer yer %pervided as all
goes right, so fill up ther wine celler,
get some decent grub in, an keep
mum ter the naybors."
After inspecting the dilapidated
apartment facetiously alluded to by
Mr.. Hammond as the "attic suite"
that gentleman, with many instruc-
tons to his maternal aunt, staggered
up the alley again with an exaggerated
air of importance, followed by the adj
miring gaze of the female inhabitants.
The back entrance to Hooker's Alley
was reached through a narrow and
poorly lighted entry ~debouching into
a quiet street of somewhat ~respecta-
BILE appearance. Late that night, long
after the neighbors of Mrs. C~rotchett
had been denied the attractions of the
public hostelries and had retired to
their more or less comfortable
touches, three men alighted from a
four-wheeled cab and made their way
up the narrow entry, bearing in their
midst the inanimate figure of a man.
The back door of No. IA was open
in readiness for them, and Mrs.
Crochet herself was waiting to well
come her guests. Hammond took the
insensible man In his arms and car
ried him up to the room prepared for
him, a proceeding which filed his aunt
with fear and apprehension.
ut amt murder, Nosey, is ito"
"Oh, you amooses me; can't see a
man as AS been knocked silly by a
ha~cksident 'ithout shouting murder.
Now jest make yerself scarce in ther
lower regions, whilst me an my pals
forks bizness."
Having disposed of his burden and
Mrs. Crotchett at the same time,
Hammond returned to the apartment
termed by courtesy the best parlor.'
where he rejoined Montagu Winton
and Percy Twist.
well, gents all, I've made our
friend as comferble as possible, an
yer 'umblell now perceed ter do like
wise. He's a sleepin' like a baby after
a dose O. cinder tea, an is good fer a
few hours, an then we'll send i'm orr
again."
What are we going to do with
him?" asked Twist.
1--WE must keep him here until we
can get clear away. The man is dang
erous. How he got on our track /
don't know. but he and Joe Drawn
and some boy they have picked up
have been logging us all the way from
London, and it has taken all our time
to keep clear. l have met the man
often in Richmond, and If he sees me
my game is up"
"In that case we must keep him
here, Winton. But how did you get
him by himself?"
Il got word that Joe Drawn and the
boy left the motor car at Manchester
80
"And no! 1t did amoose me; rae an
Winton seed our guest a chivvying
our moty-car like a wild Injun. When
we turns a corne in a quiet lane
down we gets sudden with Va long
rope. Mr.. Winton gets benin q tree
on n side, an me on Their other. Up
comes me nabs like a hexpress, an
up goes our rope. Ketched i'm right
under Their chin, an e does a back
somersault inter the ditch an is moty
turned turtle arr a mile away. Oh. 1t
did amoose met"
WELL" answered Twist, Il can tell
you something which you may not
Is not safe Tor u.s."
How Is that?"
We'll. Joe Drawn is here, for one
thing. I saw him down on the land
to-day, and I know that ev-
cry boat Is being watched. For anoth-
er thing, a man has been dogging NY
footsteps ever since I left Euston. l
did not realize It until I had been
some days In Manchester"
"And do you think you have been
watched coming here?"
NO; l shook him off to-day. l took
the ferry across to Birkenhead, the
following. l walked to New Fer.
ry, where there was a solitary rowing
boat. I gave a man a sovereign to
row me across to Garston, and. as the
man couldn't follow. l lost him"
what about May Brent?"
"Oh. she is still in Manchester. Go
and bring ONE whisky up. Ham
mond."
AS Hammond departed on his err
rand Twist leaned forward to Winton.
"Now that Hammond Is away I have
o'tell you. Mary Brent is
living under the protection OF Judith
6aiiais.
The dancerf"
"Yea. have Won ever aoen horS 20