The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1911-03-23

ceo ASK any OF the neighbour. Meals
we're cooked and. what's more. they
were eaten: there vas noao Of this
here one day and gone the next bust
nesa."
Nonsense" observed. You're
tired. that's all. Mrs. Klopton. And
! wish you would 60 out: want to
bsths."
That's not ALL" she said with dig
nifty. from the doorway. Women
coming and going here. women whose
shoes l am not dt-I mean. women
who are not fit to touch my shoes
coming here as insolent a. you please.
and asking for you"
Good heavens!" exclaimed. What
did you tell them-her, whichever IL
was"
Told her you were sick In . hos
pftal and wouldn't be out for . year!"
she said triumphantly And when
she said she thought she'd come In
and wait for you, I slammed the door
on her"
what time was she here?"
Late last night. And she had =
light-haired man across the street II
she thought didn't see him she don't
know me-" Then she closed the door
and left me to my bath and my re-
nections.
At five minutes before eight I was
| at the Incubator, where found Hotch-
kiss and Mcknight. They were bend
ing over 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 beneft 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 one of the revolvers,
Strengthened himself and mopped his
face.
I'VE have desperate people to han.
dle." he said pompously. "and we may
need desperate means"
"Hotchkiss is like the small boy
whose one 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 1t all, and when they
had told me what they planned, l was
serious. too.
You're compounding a felony"
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. Fido," 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 notes.
He was to be paid there and the pa
pers destroyed. But Just before that
interesting finale" Mcknight ended,
we will walk in, take the notes, grab
Sullivan, and give the police jolt
that will put them out of the count"
l 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, was playing
into our hands at last. Little Hotch-
kiss was in 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.
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 quick getaway, and Hotch-
kiss gave final look at the revolver.
had NO weapon. Somehow 1t all
seemed melodramatic to the verge
Of farce. In the doorway Hotchkiss
was q half dozen feet ahead; Richey
fell back beside me. He dropped his
affectation of gayety, and thought he
looked tired. Same old Sam, sup.
pose?" he asked
Same. only more Of him"
Il suppose Alison was there? How
is she?" he inquired irrelevantly.
Very we'll. did not see her this
morning" Hotchkiss was waiting near
the elevator. Mcknight put his hand on
my arm. Now. look here, old man."
he said, I've got two arms and re-
volver. and you've got one arm and
splint II Hotchkiss is right. and
there Is . row. you crawl under
table"
The deuce will!" | declared scorn.
fully.
(TO BE CONTINUEDJ
Proof Of Devotion,