Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-12

choked with laughter the next. IT seemed
an hour before Blobs came back.
Tie came without haste, struttinE with
new dignity, and paused outside my
prison door
Well. ] guess that will hold them for
a while. he remarked. comfortably. and
proceeded TO turn the KEY. I've got 'er1
fastened up like sardnes In a cam" he
explained working with the lock Gee
whiZ. you'd ought 10 hear EN- When
he got his breath after the shaking I
gave him. he began to splutter. How'd
know? he demanded. sulkily. You
nearly oroke your neck gettin' away the
other time. And I haven't got the old
key. It's lost"
Where's 1t LOST" I demanded. with
another gesture toward his coat collar
Down the elevator shaft" There was
CLEAN OF indignant satisfaction through
his tears OF rage and humiliation.
And so. while he hunted the key In the
debris at the bottom Of the shaft
quieted his prisoners with the assurance
that the lock had slipped and that they.
would be free as lords as soon a. wa
could find the janitor with q pase-key.
Stuart went down finally and discovered
Blobs. with the key in his pocket, telling
the engineer how he had tried to save ma
from arrest and failed. When Stuart
came up he was almost cheerful, but
Blobs did not appear again that day.
Simultaneous with the finding OF ths
key came Hotchkiss, and we went I'm to-
gether. I shook hands with two men
who. with Hotchkiss. made a not very
animated group. The taller one, an oldisll
man, lean and hard, announced his err
rand at once.
"A PfttsburS warrant" inquired, I'M
locking my cigar drawer.
fes. Allegheny county has assumed
jurisdiction. the exact locality where the
crime was committed being in doubt"
He seemed to be the spokesman. The
other. shorter and rotund, kept an ami
able silence. I'VE hope you Will see the
wisdom of waving extradition.' he went
on. 1T will save time"
Tn come. of course" ] agreed. THE
sooner the better. But l want you to
give me an hour here. gentlemen. / think
we can interest YOU. Have cigar?'
The lean man took cigar: the rotund
man took three. putting two In his
pocket.
How about the catch OF that door,"
he inquired. jovially. ANY danger OF it
going off AGAIN. Really. considering
cheerful IIotchkiss. however. was not.
He paced the floor uneasiy, his hands
, under his coat tails. Tile arrival of Nc
knight created a diversion: he carried a
long package and q corkscrew. and shook
hands with the police and opened the bot
tie with single gesture.
IT always want something to cheer
OH these occasions" he said. Where
the water, Blakeley? Everybody ready"
Then i'm French he toasted the two de-
tectives.
ITO your eternal discontinue" he said.
bowling tremendously. MAY you 60
home and never come back. If you take
Monsieur Blakeley with YOU, / hope you
choke.
The lean man nodded. gravely "Prosit,"
he said But the fat one leaned back
and laughed consumedly.
Hotchkss finished mental synopsis
of his position and put down his glass.
Gentlemen he said. pompously, with
In five minutes the man you want will he
here, a murderer caught in a net OF CYL
dence SO fine that mosquito could not
get through
The detectives glanced at each other
solemnly. Had they not I'm their posses
sion sealskin bag containing a wallet
and bit of gold chain. which. by put
ting the crime on me. would leave a gap
big enough for Sullivan himself to crawl
through?
why don't you say your little speech
before Johnson brings the other man.
Lawrence" Mcknight inquired. They
won't believe you. but it will help them
to understand what is coming
You understand, of course" the lean
man put i'm, gravely, that what you say
may be used against you"
"I'Il take the risk l answered inn
patiently.
CTo be continued tomorrow.)