The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-04-15

| Whats the row. Nary" growled q
sleepy masculine voice. The woman
on the inside and the clerk on the out
side began a simultaneous explanation.
In the middle of 1t all the sleepy voice
gave a return growl and ordered:
| unlock that door. Mary. and get
back into bed"
There was the grating Of the bolt.
the lifting Of a window. and then a
cry of horror.
They are gone! They're not here!
Somebody has stolen them. I know
they lit here. l was so careful to
| watch"
Nobody in the hotel got them NO
body round here's got a light" an
nounced the clerk.
Glad they're gone," sounded the
voice known only to the watchers as
Mary" Who in the name Of sense
would frOlic round on fire escape at
half past three in the morning picking
up papers? Now, Mr.. Clerk, take your
man, and go away with him, please.
Probably he'll find what he wants in
| the court"
"Frankel, you follow them," suggest
ed Harry Norris. Frankel, waiting till
| he heard the door close. slipped down
the hall after the two men, Sothern
with him.
Betty pulled down the shade. closed
| and locked the window. Then she
| locked the door, looked under the bed
| tried the handles of the doors to the
adjoining rooms and spoke breat hless-
| ly.
Nov, Hartley"
AS If to guard him from unseen at
tack, the boys clustered round him. He
| drew forth the papers. One was an
unmounted photograph that might
have been that of Cerisse Wayne or Of
| the woman in the room across the
court. The other was a letter in the
| identical writing that the envelopes
found in Cerisse Waynes room had
| borne, and was dated only week pre-
vious
MY Dear Cerisse-Check goes by
to-night's mail Hope you will find it
sufficient. Be very careful Think we
are being watched. slight mistake
would spoil all. and the struggle Of
years go for naught. Life for me
would be death itself. H."
1
| woman and chat with her while the
man is gone" said Betty, rumpling up
her soft brown hair, dull and satiny
as a pecan shell. She threw off her
collar and belt, and pulled her shirt
waist out from beneath her skirt
Then she kicked off her shoes, and in
this simulated negligee ran softly over
the velvet-sodded hall and around
through the corridor.
| Let me see," she calculated. Il am
the one, two, three, yes, I'm the eighth
door. That would make those doors
eight and nine from the corner on this
side"
Betty told off the doors with care
Sure that she was unohserved, she
raped distinctly several times There
was no response, SO she knocked vigor-
ously. This time the door flew wide
with such celebrity that Betty paled in
earnest.
"Oh, pardon mel" she faltered. But
I was alone and sick. and l saw your
| light and thought maybe you could
help me. Have you any ammonia
I am so faint might send down.
stairs, but 1 am so unused to hotels,
you know"
| The young women rather stfff1y mo-
| toned to Betty to enter. Her thick
hair was in two long braids; she had
changed her tailored suit for cling
| ing negligee of oriental patterned stuff
and a girdle of mammoth diamonds
held it close at the waist. Betty had
| never seen such grace in woman be-
| fore and her eyes were the most won
derful the girl had ever gazed upon
They shone so brightly that their color
was indistinguishable. They were
| twin wells of unfathomable brilliancy
softness and power.
| The woman stepped into the bed
room beyond. and Betty. from her seat
on the couch. heard her call to the
| clerk
I This Is E44," phoned the double Of
Mrs. Wayne. Kindly send your house,
keeper here. A young girl, evidently
a guest Of the house, has become i'll.
| and appealed to me for aid. I cannot
have her in my suite. She seems
afraid to stop alone, so will you send
woman to look after her"
Betty hurried to the door. stealthily
opened it and skulked down the hall.
| AS she rOunOeQ the COTIleT SOulotuluS
soft was thrown over her head. and
fastened tightly around her neck. She
felt the impact Of a great furry body
close to hers.
And then Betty Lancey knew MOTH
ing more. She lay In dead faint.
CHAPTER VI.
Up at the Desterle house Johnny
Johnson was alternately pulling his
front hair and pinching his palms to
keep awake. Johnny, with his usual
audacity, had ensconced himself for
the night in the death chamber. Two
Associated Press men were with him;
two reporters from others papers and
three detectives. The Associated
Press Men wanted to smoke. but john
ny rebelled against either illumination
or smoking.
IF there's anybody comm back
here" he commended. III he or she
smells smoke or sees lights. there'll be
no COMM"
: /