Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-30

away. Hardly had he entered his
room and turned his mind on the
changed situation before the telephone
appraised him that a gentleman, Mr.
Gardiner, who represented the FIVE
less Cook Stove, said that he had an
appointment with Col Winter to ex-
plain the stove; should he be sent up?
Directly, Endicott Tracy entered
smiling. Where's the kid? | know
he's back" were his first words; and
he explained that he had been hunting
the kidnapers to no purpose. Except
that | learned enough to know they
put up job with the justice, all right;
! got next to that game without any
Machiavellian exertions. But they got
away Who is it? Any Of Keatcham's
gang?"
Atkins" said the colonel, concisely.
Tracy whistled and apologized. Its
blow" he confessed THAT little
wretch! He has brains to burn and
not an ounce of conscience. You
know he has been housing round at
the hotels after Keatcham's mail"
"He didn't get it?"
mo, Carey had covered that point.
Cary has thought this all out very
carefully, but Atkins has got on to
the fact that Cary was here In this
hotel with keatcham. But he doesn't
know where we come In; whether
Keatcham's gang is just lying low for
some game of its own, or whether
"; M
lieve he knows"
You ought not to be talking 80 free-
ly with me; I haven't promised you
anything, you know" warned the colo
mel.
But you've got your nephew back
all right; we have been on the square
with you; why should you butt in?
know you won't"
Il don't seem to have . fair call
to-" observed the colonel.
"And think the old boy Is going
to give in; he has made signals Of dis
tress, to my thinking. Wanted his
mail; and wanted to write; and in
formed Cary-he saw him for the.frst
time to-day-that he had bigger things
on deck than the Midland; and wanted
to get at them We're going to win
out all right"
Unless Atkins gets at him tonight, "
the colonel suggested. You oughtn't
to have come here, Gardiner. Don't
go home, now Wait until later, and
let me rig you up in another lot Of
togs and give you my own motor car.
Better"
Tracy was more than impressed by
the proposal; he was plainly grateful.
He entered with enthusiasm into the
soldiers masquerade-Tracy had al
ways had a weakness for theatricals and
some of his Hasty Pudding Portraits
of Unknown People We Know" had
won him fame at Cambridge. Ten
minutes later. there sat opposite the
colonel florid-faced, mustached, west
ern commercial traveller whose plaided
tweeds, being an ill-advised venture Of
Haley's which the colonel had taken
off his hands and found no subject Of
charity quite obnoxious enough to de-
serve them, naturally did not At the
present wearer, but suited his inane
complacence of bearing and might pass
for bad case of ready made purchase.
Now" said the adviser, "1'll notify
Haley to have my own hired motor
ready for you and you can slip out and
take it after you've had something. to
eat Here's the restaurant card.
Haley will be there. Leave 1t at the
drug store on Van Ness street-Haley
will give you the number-and get
home as unobtrusively as possible.
You can peel off these toys in the
motor If --ea~~~n.'., - -.~',- 49,
underneath except your coat. Wrap
that in a newspaper and carry it.
don't know that Atkins has any one
on guard at the hotel, but l think 1t
more than likely he suspects some
connection between cur party and
Keatcham's. But first, tell me about
Atkins; what do you know about him
It's an American name"
America can take all the glory Of
him, fancy" said Tracy. Hes been
Keatcham's secretary for six years.
He seems awfully mild and useful and
timid. He's not bit timid. He's full
of resource; he's sided suggestions
into Keatcham's ear and has been
gradually working to make himself
absolutely necessary. think he aimed
at a partnership; but Keatcham
wouldn't stand for it. l think it was in
revenge that he sold out some Of
Keatcham's secrets. Cary got on to
that and has a score of his own to
settle with him, besides. don't know
how he managed, but he showed him
up; and Keatcham gave him the sack
in his own FLOODED way. know
him only casually. But my cousin,
Ralph Schuyler, went to prep. school
with him. SO got his character
straight off the bat. His father was q
patent-medicine man from Mississippi,
who made a fair pile, a couple of hun
dred thousand which looked good to
that section, you know. don't know
s.~. M0HD AnAe0NHA