Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-06-29

- 49, ~" NhNI LIZ
cashier was very busy. She deter
mined to leave him for the present.
AS Valentine dismissed the boy she
announced that if the press of bust
ness would not continue all day she
would return. Valentine assured her
that in a half hour he would be at
leisure and that he would sacrifice
everything else in order to talk to her.
She started toward the door, assuring
him that she would return. As she
opened the door she turned and cast
a smile in the direction of the assist.
ant cashier.
But Valentine did not notice it. He
did not see it. His eyes were glued to
the slip of yellow paper that he held
in his hand. The girl saw that as he
read the telegram an expression of
tenseness, of u%nsubdued excitement.
crept across his face. Wonderingly
she softly closed the door. A few
steps carried her before Valentine.
who looked up in surprise, thinking
she had gone.
10 il"iial lClCSldU1. sue
gasped. ITS bad new for you-very
bad" she went on. II must know"
Valentine, undergoing a pronounced
shock owing to the contents of the
message which he held in his hand,
was almost completely unstrung by
the interruption Of the girl he loved.
Was it not fate that prompted her to
appear before him at the very moment
when
ooh. it Is nothing" he said weakly.
"Merely a little business tangle-that
is ALL"
He stepped out from behind his
desk, crumpling the fateful telegram
in his hand, and gently led the girl to
the door. "Remember," he said, 81
have an engagement with you in a
half hour"
81 will remember"
Unconvinced, mystifed and thor
oughly agitated by his nervous man.
ner, Rose Lane went out Of the office
Valentine, smiling as best he could
under the circumstances, closed the
door behind her. He crossed to her
chair, sank into it and fattened the
wrinkled telegram before him. Again
he read it from end to end:
Look out" he read. "Doyle will be
in town this afternoon at 4 to see you
about an important matter"
The assistant cashier dropped his
chin into his palm and stared vacant
ly at the opposite wall.
Doyle" he muttered George
Doyle. He said he'd get me if it took
ten years-a lifetime. Well, perhaps
he can; then, again, perhaps he can.
not. At any rate, he can probably ruiz
my career. my hopes, my standing here
where | have friends who believe in
me-"
Valentine leaned back meditatively
in his chair. The fatal telegram drop.
ped unheeded to the floor. His mouth
set determinedly. A new fire blazed
In his eyes, the fire that had consumed
him and had spurred him on when in
the days and nights Of the past he had
ventured forth on a desperate enter
prise.
He would give George Doyle u race
that he would. He would match his
wit against that of the skilled sleuth
He already had laid the basis for what
now must be his course of procedure
and he believed that it would with
stand even the cunning and force Of
George Doyle. At any rate, he could
try.
Valentine leaned forward and press
ed a button. A clerk entered. The as
sistant cashier hesitated a moment
then spoke quickly.
"Tell the Waterman to come here
he directed.
The clerk nodded and went out II
search of Red F~lanagan-yes, Red
none other than the one time accom-!
plice of Jimmy Valentine, whom The
latter, true to his word, had taker
with him in his attempt to ego II
straight"
Flanagan must be told Of the com
ing of Doyle. who was his sworn enc
my also. In addition, Red would have
to assist the assistant cashier, now
known as Mr.. Randall, in the name
yer which the latter was about to ex
ecute.
Then there was Avery-old Bill
Avery. From the day that Valentine
had sent him away from the hotel il
Albany Avery had been making heroic
efforts to live ION the square,"
The three years that had elapsed
since No. 1899 had advanced Avery
long a "yeggman" of the most desper
ate type, the price Of a railroad ticket
had made a revolutionary transforma
ton in him. Today he was married
had a growing business and had per
formed for Valentine a service that
was to render the vengeful efforts OF
George Doyle much more difficult and
somewhat less effective than the de.
tective would relish should he ever
learn the truth.
Avery had been in communication
with Valentine on various occasions in
a secret manner. So carefully conceal