The Tupelo journal., 1909-07-02

zled by Archie's part in the affair.
But he believed could he find the
boys present hosts he would find Ed
win Keatcham. 1t would not be the
first time Keatcham had hidden him.
self, the better to spin his web for the
trapping of his rivals. That Mercer
was with his employer the ex-secre-
tary had no name of doubt, any more
than he doubted that MERGERS scheme
had been to Dust him and to build his
own fortunes on Atkins ruin. He
knew both Tracy and young Arnold
very well by sight. When he couldn't
brighten Archie into telling anything,
probably he went back to his first
plan of shadowing the Winter party
at the Palace. He must have seen
Tracy here. He penetrated his dis
guise. Giles as sharp as the devil,
l tell you, Colonel.") He either fol
lowed him himself or had him fol-
lowed; and he heard about the tele-
phone. C'Somebody barking in the
next room, most likely.") Knowing
Tracy's intimacy with Arnold, it was
not hard flor so clever and subtle a
mind as Atkins to jump to the con-
clusion and test it in the nearest tele-
phone book. Cat least that is how l
figure it cut, Colonel.") Birdsall had
traced the clever mechanic who was
i~nterrogated by the eastern gentleman
about to build; this man had given the
lavish and inquisitive easterner a plan
of the secret passages-to use in his
own future residence. Whether At
kins went alone or in company to the
Casa Fuerte the detective could only
| surmise. He couldn't tell whether his
object would be mere blackmail, or
robbery of the cipher, or assassination.
Perhaps he found the insensible man
in the patio and was tempted by the
| grisly opportunity; victim and weapon
both absolutely to his hand; for it
was established that the dagger had
been shown Tracy by Mercer as a
curio, and left ON the stone bench.
Perhaps he had not found the dag
| ger, but had his own mean to make
an end of his enemy and his own ter
ror. Birdsall believed that he had ac-
completes, or at least n accomplish,
with him. He conceived that they
had lain in ambush watching until
they saw Kito go away. Then an
entry had been made. "Most like"
| Birdsall concluded, "he jest flung that
dagger away for y~ou>folks to find and
suspect the domestics, say Kito, cause
he was away" But this was not all
that Birdsall had to report. He had
traced Atkins to the haunts of certain
unsavory Italians; he had struck the
trail, in fine. To be sure, 1t ran unde :
ground and was lost in the brick
walled and slimy-timbered cellars of
| Chinatown which harbored every sin
and crime known to civilization or to
savagery. What matter? By grace of
his aunt's powerful friend they could
track the wolves even through those
noisome burrows.
Eyes" sighed the colonel, stretching
out his arms, with a resonant breath
Of relief, we're out of the maze; all
we have to do now is to keep from be-
ing killed. Which isn't such a plain
proposition in Frisco as in Massa-
chusetts! But / reckon we can tackle
it! And then-thena my darling, /
shall dare be happy!"
He found himself leaning on his
windowsill and staring like a boy on
the landscape, lost in the lovely hal
lucinations of moonlight. 1t was no
scene that he knew, it was a vision Of
old Spain; and by and by from yonder
turret the princess, with yiolets in her
loosened hair and her soft cheek like
satin and snow, would lean and look.
4 81 te meuvs = lastima mi eterno pa
decor,
Como te amo. amame bellissima mujer.
NAh, no, little girl" he muttered
with a shake Of the head, Il like It
better to have you a plain, American