The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-03-10
CHAPTER VII.

so excitedly seeking the papers that
had blown out of the window and a
couple of bell boys
We'll go right down through the
bar, it's the quickest" they overheard
the clerk say az the couple passed to
await the elevator. The two newspa-
per men ran down to the next floor.
caught the car at the second landing
and rode to the first floor with the
| clerk and his plainly excited compan
ion.
The bar was closed and while one
| clerk procured the keys for entrance
Frankel covertly watched the man.
and Sothern nonchalantly strolled over
| to the clerk behind the desk.
Who is that man?" he queried. Il
don't mean the little Jew. but the dark.
handsome fellow there? He has such
beautiful wife, looks like woman
: knew in Paris once"
"So?" asked the clerk. They have
been here at frequent intervals this
last year or two. Don't know much
about them. except that his name is
Harcourt-Harold Harcourt-and they
always register from India. They've
got cash 10 burn"
What's the matter with him now?"
| questioned Sothern. The clerk laugh
| ed.
"Oh. I don't know" he answered.
He came bustling down here awhile
ago shouting about some documents
that had blown out of his window and
| lit on the fire escape opposite. He
wanted somebody to go up and help
him get out on the fire escape. Tore
around as If he was afire."
He was crazy. too" supplemented
one of the bell boys. "Old lady in E22
where he went to get out OF the win
dow wouldn't unlock the door 10 let us
at the fire escape. Don't blame her,
but her hubby made her come to the
scratch and let us in, and she was the
tickledest when the papers were gone.
Theys going down in the court now, to
hunt them up"
Frankel by now had joined the
clerk at the door of the bar and was
enjoying that functionary's attempts
to make the key yie;d in the lock.
What's On?" he asked carelessly, "a
riot or a raid?"
Nothing at all. sir, private BUSH
ness. private business only" interrupt
| ed Harcourt. with the air of giving
Frankel his congo.
Frankel, however refused to accent
| such a gratuity and followed the two
men. and the several bell boys, one
with pocket light and the others
with various boxes OF matches through
the darkened barroom. The glasses
and mirrors and decanters cleaned
duly in the half-light and the tiled
floors were slippery with recent scrub
bling. The door that opened upon the
court was heavily chained. barred and
bolted. but it swung wide at last and
Harcourt clutching the pocket light
from the grasp of its bearer flared ii
into every corner and crevice of the
clean cemented rectangle.
Nothing here, sir. nothing here"
commented the clerk. What was the
nature Of the papers, If you please?"
Haroourt's face was livid. He rum
pied his thick hair nervously with his
long white fingers. oblivious of all his
surroundings. At the third repetition
of the Interrogation he reused from
his stupor and remarked:
a picture OF my wife, a very valu-
able handmade print, one 1 prize for
its associations as much as for its in
trinsic worth, and some extremely i'm
portant passports. l would not have
lost them for half million dollars"
The bell boys pol1ed around in a de-
sultory fashion into imaginary crew
ices that did not exist. The clerk led
| the way back to the Office and Har-
court absently met the claims of the
buttons upon bis pockets.
Excuse me, Mr.. Harcourt," said a
boy at his elbow, but guess you'd
better hurry back upstairs to your
wife. She just sent call down that
a strange young woman had run in
there and said she was sick. and that
we'd better send someone up to take
care of her"
| Harcourt thanked the boy and mao de
for the elevator with all speed. Soth-
ern ard Frankel instinctlvely flashed
to each other with their eyes the one
word:
Betty"
Think I'll go up and see II Betty
needs any help" suggested Sotherr;
you'd better stay down here. Frankel.
and see what you can skirmish up"
Sothern made his way back to the
e. floor cautiously. He went to Bet
VS. room and knocked on the door. 1t
lew quietly ajar and he was greeted
with a chorus Of
Whatd you get, Betty?"
"'Tisn't Betty" grinned Sothern;
| isn't she here?"
| NO. haven't seen anything OF her
since you left but her shoes. that she's
kicked off there" said Hank Smith.
| she must have found a vein." add
ed Larry Morris
Most likely a vein found her." add
ed Sothern. narrating the experiences
| of below stairs. Lets walk around
| that way and sec"
| At the bend In the corridor Larry's
feet entansled themselves in something
g. He stopped and picked ii up,
gingerly spread IT out to the light.
was a woman's shirtwaist of white
I men with little blue stripe. and the
monogram "B. L." heavily embroidered
on the sleeve.
Betty Lancey's waist" cried Soth-
ern. Where is Betty?"
| I'm going to find out" retorted Lar
ry. Together they all strobe in to Har-
| courts door. 1t was open ana from
within sounded the angered tones of a
woman's decidedly nasal voice.
Are you sure you wasn't dreaming"
came the words. what could have be-
como OF the girl? If she was here.
did she get away so quick? Espe-
If size was sick."
ne wasn't sick" replied Harcourt
must have been thief, trying TO
ifpose herself on my wifes confidence.
Well. as she's gone now. my good
woman. you can 90. tool There's moth
ins here for you to do"
No" burst in Larry. whose worry
over Betty was now at fever heat
hut there's something here for you to
do That girl is friend of mine, and
if there's any harm come TO her, you'll
suffer for it. Here is her shirtwaist-
it's been torn off her body-do you see
I, that-and where's she? Look at that
| blood, She started out half IN hour
40 to come over here and speak to
| wife. and she hasn't been seen