The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-05-26

: - SnAAAA6 oSAos6h1 49, -
Don't drive me too far. Pick the
phone up with one hand and hold
the other over your head"
Arendsen's dull eyes had dilated
slightly, and his teeth showed.
snarling, through his beard, but
otherwise he had not moved. Now
he slowly unclasped his hands, dis
posed of them as ordered, and
once more spoke into the mouth
piee.
"Wulf!" he said quietly. "Wulf!
oh, yes. Is that you, Oscar? Run
upstairs and tell Wulf to give the
cop a half a dollar and send him
away"
The steps outside had almost
reached the door, and Seager was
in agony. Arendsen. watching him
could not repress a sardonic grin
ITS locked" the latter whisper
ed. Don't fire."
Il will, SO help me God, If II
isn't" Seager replied.
Someone knocked. He laid a fin.
ger on his lips in signal that the
other should keep silence, and thus
they waited. The handle turned,
and there was almost pressure on
the trigger to slip it's spring. Arend-
sens life hung on a slender thread
until there came a renewed clatter
on the stairway, the footsteps re-
treated in that direction, and they
could hear the policeman grumbling
peevishly over his bootless errand.
The two men in the small square
room drew deep breaths Of relief.
That minute had been pregnant
with grave possibilities for both,
but they recovered from its inf1u-
ence with an ease which proved
that they were we'll used to facing
chances of that sort.
Draw your chair back, clear OF
the DESK" Seager commanded
briskly, "and don't get grabbing
for any gun. I have the drop on
you, and I'll keep 1t until we've
adjusted this unpleasantness-al-
though l wish you hadn't forced
me to employ harsh measures"
you're bold" commented Arend-
sen as he complied.
"Oh, yes, you're bold. If you
were also honest to your friends
l could have done good things with
you and for you. / can make use
OF bold men in my business-but
only II they're also honest"
"We'll quit that line of talk now"
said Seager sourly. While he was
master OF the situation he would be
treated with respect. He knew, of
course, that all he had gained was
a respite, but felt quite confident
that he could turn that into free
pardon.
"We'll quit that line of talk and
get on to business. II you hadn't
wasted so much time we might be
half way through with 1t by now.
I've got proposition to put before
you which beats the gun-running
business by more blocks than there
are in Manhattan. You've got to
hear it whether you want to or not,
and you may just as well listen
willingly. l wouldn't have come
here at all IL hadn't been certain
sure that it's sound"
"I'll listen" assented his victim,
but tell me first-What did you do
with the money they paid you for
those cartridges you took to st.
Thomas for me?"
II lost it on the way back, In
New Orleans" Seager answered
rather shamefacedly.
At cards?'
"Cards-and dice-and the rest.
The cursedest run of luck!"
Eight thousand dollars OF my
good money! And two years ago.
l could have turned 1t into eighty
by now. You must pay me those
eighty thousand dollars you owe
me-"
"All right, all right. That's a
mere trifle, tell you, to what we're
going to make out of this. I'm or
the square with you, Arendsen. II
you'd only listen to me. You lose
a lot through being impatient"
I'm not impatient" asserted
Arendsen. I'm really a very pa
tient man. Go on. I'm listening"
(To be continued)