The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-12-28

nifty, from the doorway. Women
coming and going here. women whose
| shoes l am not fit mean. women
who are not fit to touch my shoes
coming here as insOlent as you please.
and asking for you"
| Good heavens" I exclaimed What
did you tell them-her, whichever IL
was?"
| Told her you were sick In a hos.
pital and wouldn't be out for a year."
she said triumphantly. And when
she said she thought shed come in
and wait for you. ! slammed the door
| on her"
What time was she here?"
Late last night. And she had a
light-haired man across the street II
she thought didn't see him she don't
know me-" Then she closed the door
and left me to my bath and my re.
Elections.
At five minutes before eight I was
at the Incubator where found Hotch.
kiss and Mcknight. They were bend.
ing over a table. on which lay Nc.
Knights total armament-a pair of
pistols. an elephant gun and an old
cavalry saber.
Draw up chair and help yourself
! to pie" he said. pointing to the
| arsenal. This is for the benefit Of
our friend Hotchkiss here. who says
he is small and fond of life"
HOtchkiss. who had been trying to
get the wrong end of a cartridge into
the barrel of one of the revolvers.
Strengthened himself and mopped his
face.
We have desperate people to han
die. he said pompously. land We may
need desperate means"
'Hotchkiss is like the small boy
whose one ambition was to have peO
pie grow ashen and tremble at the
mention Of his name." Mcknight jibed.
, But they were serious enough. both
| OF them. under it all. and when they
! had told me what they planned. was
| serious, too.
You're compromising 4 felony"
demonstrated. when they had explain.
| ed. I'm not eager to be locked
away. but, by JOve. to offer her the
stolen notes In exchange for Sulli-
| van.
We haven't got either of them. you
know. Mcknight demonstrated. and
We won't have, if We don't start Come
along. Ffdo." to Hotchkiss
The plan vas simplicity itself. Ac.
cording to HOtchkiss, Sullivan was to
, meet bronson at Mrs. COnway's apart.
ment at $3.50 that night with the notes.
He was to be paid there and the pa
pers destroyed. But just before that
interesting finale" Mcknight ended.
we will walk in. take the notes, grab
Sullivan. and give the police q jolt
that will put them out of the count
suppose not one of us. Slowing
around corners in the machine that
night. had the faintest doubt that We
! were IN the right track. or that Fate.
scurvy enough before. was playing
into our hands at last Little Hotch-
kiss was In a state Of fever; he 81
| ternately twitched and examined the
! re, Oliver. and a fear that the two mo
men;s might be- synchrOnOus kept me
uneasy He produced and dilated ON
the scrap of pillow slip from the
wreck, and showed me the stiletto.
with its point in cotton batting for
safekeeping. And in the intervals
he implOred Richey no, to make such
! fine calculations at the corners
We were all grave enough and very
quiet. however. when We reached the
large building where Mrs. Conway
had her apartment Mcknight leiS
the power on, in case We might want
TO make a quick getaway. and Hotch,
kiss gave a final look at the revolver.
I had NO weapon. Somehow II all
seemed melOdramatic to the verge
of farce. In the doorway Hotchkiss
was a half dozen feet ahead: Richey
fell back beside me. He dropped his
affectation Of gayety. and thought he
looked tired. Same old Sam. ] sup
pose?' he asked.
Same. only more Of him
Il suppose Alison was there? How
Is she?" he inquired irrelevantly.
VERY well. r did not see her this
morning" HOtchkiss was waiting near
the elevator. Mcknight put his hand on
my arm Now. look here. old man.
he said. I've got two arms and a re-
volver. and you've got one arm and
a splint. If Hotchkiss is right. and
there is a row. you crawl under a
table
The deuce Will" declared scorn-
fully.
ITO RE CONTINUED
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