Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-11

noon. Also. l had wired to Alison, ask
ing her if she would carry out the con
tract she had made. The detective saw
me home and left me there.
Mrs. klopton received me with dignifiet
reserve. The very tone in which she
asked me when | would dine told me tha
something was wrong.
.'Now-what is it. Mrs. klopton?'' l de
manded. finally, when she had informed
me, in patient and long-suffering tone
that she felt worn out and thought she
needed rest.
When / lived with Mr.. Justice
ing basket in her hands. lit was an or
derby. well conducted household. fol
can ask any of the neighbors. Meal:
were cooked and. what's more. they were
eaten; there Was none of this 'heie-one
day-apd- gone-the-neXt' business"
Nonsense. I observed. You're tired
that's all. Mrs. Klop;on. And wis!
you would go out: want to bathe.'
That's not ALL Size said. with dig
nifty. from the doorway. Women com
am not fit mean women viii" are moi
1t to touch nay shoes-coming here. as i'll
solent you please. and asking for YOU.
Good heavens l exclaimed. What
did YOU tell them-!ier. whichever i
wasp
Told her you were sick in a lospita
and wouldn't be out for year.' SHE said
tr.umphantly. And when she said she
thought shed come in and wait for yot
slammed the door on her.
What time was she here?
Late last night. And she had light
haired man across the street. II sh.
thought | didn't see him. she don't know
me. Then she closed the door and left
mo to my bath and my reflections.
At five minutes before s | was at the
Incubator. where | found Hotchkiss and
Mcknight. They were bending over d
table, on which lay Mcknight tota
armament pair of pistols, an elephant
gun and an old cavalry saber.
Draw up chair and help yourself tC
pie, he said, pointing to the arsenal
This is for the benefit of our friend
Hotchkiss here, who says he is a sinai
man and fond of life"
Hotchkiss. who had been trying to gel
the wrong end of a cartridge into the
barrel of one of the revolvers. straight
ened himself and mopped his face.
I'VE have desperate people to handle
he said, pompously. land We may need
desperate Means
"Hotchkiss is like the small boy whose
one ambition was to have people grow
asilen and tremble at the mention of his
name Mcknight jibed. But they Were
serious enough, both of them, under II
all and when they had told me what
they planned was serious too.
you're compromising felony.
demonstrated when they had explained
I'm not eager to be locked away. but
BY Joye. to offer her the stolen notes III
i-exchange for Sullivan.
we haven't got either of them. yo,
know. Mcknight demonstrated. anG
won't have if we don't start. Come
along Fido, to Hotchkiss.
The plan was simplicity itself. Accord
ing to Hotchkiss, Sullivan was To meet
Bronson at Mrs. Conway's apartment a
so that night, with the notes. He was
to be paid there and the papers destroyed
But Just before that interesting finale.
Mcknight ended, I'VE will walk in take
the notes. grab Sullivan and give the
police 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 on the
right track. or that fate. scurvy enough
before. was playing into our hands al
last. Little Hotchkiss was in state OF
fever; he alternately twitched and eN-
amned the revolver. and a fear that the
two movements might be synchronous
kept me uneasy. He produced and di-
lated on the scrap of pillow slip from the
wreck and showed me the stiletto. with
its point i'm cotton batting for safekeep-
ing And in the intervals he inplored
Richey not to make such line calcua-
tions at the corners.
We were all grave enough and very
ouiet However, when we reached the
large building where Mrs. Conway mad
her apartment. Mcknight left the power
on in case We might want to make y
quick getaway. and Hotchkiss gave q
final look at the revolver l had no
weapon Somehow ii all seemed me!o-
dramatic to the verge Of farce In tho
doorway Hotchkiss was a half dozen feet