The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-12-23

ordrrly. wellconducted household. You
an ask any of the neighbors. Meals
were cooked and, what's more. they
we're eaten; there was none Of this
here n day and gone the next bUst
ness"
Nonsense" l observed. You're
tired, that's all. Mrs. Klopton. And
I wish you would go out; i want to
battle"
That's not ALL" she said with dig
My, from the doorway. Women
coming and going here. women whose
shoes | am not fiji mean, women
who are not fit to touch my shoes
coming here as insolent as you please,
and asking for you"
Good Leavens!"I exclaimed. What
did you tell them-her, whichever it
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 she'd come in
and wait for you, l slammed the door
on her"
"udL time was she mere
Late last night. And she had a
~ght-haired man across the street. II
she thought l didn't see him she don't
know me" Then she closed the door
and left me to my bath and my re-
lections.
At five minutes before eight l 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 a 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 n of the revolvers,
Strengthened himself and mopped his
face.
We have desperate people to ham
die" he said pompously, and we may
need desperate means"
"Hotchkiss is like the small boy
whose n 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, l was
serious, too.
You're compounding a felony" l
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!"
I'VE 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 was simplicity itself. Ac.
cording to Hotchkiss, Sullivan was TO
meet Bronson at Mrs. Conway's apart
ment at $3.50 that night with the totes
He was to be paid there and the pa
pers destroyed. But just before that
interesting finale" Mcknight ended,
I'VE will walk in, take M notes, grab
Sullivan, and give the police a 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, vas playing
into our hands at last. Little Hotch-
kiss was in a state of fever; he al
ternately twitched and examined the
revolver, and a fear that the two mo
ments 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 not 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 left
the power on, in case we might want
to make a quick getaway, and Hotch
kiss gave a final look at the revolver
| had no weapon. Somehow it al
seemed melodramatic to the verge
OF farce. In the doorway Eotchkiss
was a half dozen feet ahead; Richey
fell back beside me. He dropped his
affectation Of gayety. and l thought he
looked tired. Same old Sam. / sup
poser" he asked.
Same, only more OF him..
! Il suppose Alison was there? How
is she?" he inquired ~irrelevantly.
: Very well. i did not see her THU
morning" Hotchkiss was waiting neal
the elevator. Mcknight put his hand OF
my arm. Now, look here. old man,
he said. I've got two arms and a re
| volver. and you've got n aim and
a splint II Hotchkiss Is right, ans
there is a row., you crawl under /;
table"
"The deuce I wil!" l declared scorn
! fully.
} (To BE coNTINUED)