Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-06-03
CHAPTER v.


but Pierre Desterle and several of the
older and more courageous bachelors
who had lived In the house for years.
Betty and her cohort numbered sew
en-. Besides Larry Morris, long and
lumbery. there was the gentle eyed
young Philip Hartley. Hank Smith, tall
and tremendously framed. Sothern, fat,
blonde and phlegmatic: Frankel, a lit
tie Jew. who was automobile editor OF
the Times" and Tim Murphy, car
toonist, great hulk of an Irishman.
The Directory Hotel, one Of the
most exclusive in the town. was only
two blocks from LeRoy's.
Now E24 is my ROOM" whispered
Betty. You let me go up first Don't
let the clerk in on this even. till we
hnd out what's what"
Five minutes later the sextette were
pulled inside the door of room E24 by
such an excited Betty Delaney as the
inquirer office had never seen.
Look" she instructed. BE care
full but look right across
The span of the court did not exceed
eighteen feet. Betty's side of the great
building was all black and quiet. Not
a light glimpsed in any room. The
room directly across the court whose
windows complimented hers had the
shades thrown high, the windows open
ed wide and was ablaze with light.
There were two occupants in the
room, man and woman, seated side
by side at a table covered with writ
ing paraphernalia. The man was pow
erfully built, regular OF feature and
very dark, with peculiarly white and
nervous hands. The woman wore a
tailored suit of dark cloth and even at
that distance her remarkable resem-
blance to the woman they had last
seen lying in the morgue was unmis-
taxable. There was the same soft con-
tour Of chin. the same rust-brown
hair, and clear ivory pallor of the skin.
The slight yet perfect modelings of
her figure, the slender -palmed
hand. the curve of the forehead, were
as like as Is stamped from the same
die.
AS they watched, breathless, stupe-
Ned from surprise, the man drew a
wallet from his pocket and pulled
from 1t several papers. He ran rapid
ly through them and Withdrawing two
from the packet handed them to his
companion. She reached across to re-
ceive them when a sudden gust Of
wind bellied the curtains into sails and
sent them futtering into the room and
out again. The force of the breeze
caught the papers and they were car
ried out into the court where they
swirled, eddied and ducked, finally
alighting on the fire escape that jutted
not five feet from Betty's window.
The man who had run TO the win
dow, watched with eager eyes to see
where the papers fell. Then he clutch
ed his hat from the sofa and rushed
from the ROOM The woman shrugged
her shoulders and sat down again at
the table. They saw her pull out the
pins from her copper hair and let 1t fall
in glory over her shoulders. Then she
walked into the adjoining room as If
the recovery of the lost documents was
matter OF perfect Indifference.
Hank" nudged Sothern, you're the
longest. Climb out and get those pa
pers."
Larry isn't as long and he's less
awkward" commented Frankel.
And you're worth less than the
rest OF US; try 1t yourself. Frankel."
flashed Hank.
Betty Lancey," asked Larry, why
aren't you fragile and willowy instead
Of a Juno? Then we'd make rope
of the bed clothes here for a guide
and send you over"
Philip Hartley was already out of
the window. While the others held
caucus he had pulled the blanket from
the bed, torn 1t In half and tied a slip
knot firmly around his left leg.
go easy. boys" he suggested.
~Thatll make a fair safety"
Clambering out on the ledge he
steadied himself by the top Of the sash
and worked slowly round to the farther
end of the sill. From there he inched
his way along ridge in the wall till
he could Just touch the fire escape. The
letters were white against the iron and
Just the fraction of an inch out OF
reach. Betty Lancey saw the Difficult
ty.
Pass him this hat-pin," she said.
'He can fish them over with that"
Slowly, very slowly, Hartley moved
the precious papers over the narrow
iron shelf, impaling them on the hat
pin point. Then with cramped fingers
he put them into his inner pocket and
began the return crawl. He was bare
ly within Betty's room again when
they heard loud rapping at the next
door. After a short walt woman's
voice answered shrilly,
What do you want?'
The calmly suave tones o. we'll
ordered hotel employe replied, sorry
to disturb you. madam, but the gem
tleman just above you mas dropped by
accident some very important panern'