Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-20
CHAPTER XIII-Continued.

S1AAAA
AS he turned away. smiling. he found
Bernie Dreux comfortably ensconced in
an office chair md regarding him be-
nignly
Hello, Bernie. didn't hear You come
in
Wasn't that Myra Nell talking?" in
quired the little man.
Yes"
You called her 'Avenger. What has
she been up to now"
Blake handed him the red hand letter.
To his surprise Bernie burst out, angrily:
How dare she?'
WHAT
cts most unladylike-begging a gentle
man for gifts. I'll see that she apollo
gizes.'
If YOU do I'll punch your head. She
couldn't do anything unladylike If she
tried
II don't approve
"NonSense"
"Tll see that she gets her chocolate"
'Oh, I've sent 'em-a deadly consign-
ment-enOugh to destroy both of You.
And I've left standing order for five
pounds a week.
But that letter-it's blackmail.' Bernie
groaned. "She holds me up in the same
way whenever she feels like it. She's
getting suspicious Of me lately and l
daren't tell her I'm detective. The
other day she set Remus, our gardener.
on my trail and he Swallowed me all over
town. Felicite' thinks there's something
wrong. too. and she's taken to following
me- Between her and Remus l haven't
a moments privacy
It's tough for detective to be logged
by his gardener and his sweetheart"
Norvin sympathized. He began to run
through his mail, while his visitor talked
on in his amusing, irrelevant fashion.
I'm rather offended that I wasn't
named on that committee of fifty"
Bernie confessed after time. You
know how the chief relied on me?'
Exactly
"Well, I'm full of Italian mysteries
now. What l haven't discovered by my
own Investigations. Vittoria Fabrizi has
told me. For instance. know what be-
came of the boy. Gino Cressi.''
You do?" Blake looked up curiously
from letter he had been eagerly perus-
ing.
Hes in Mobile
Are you sure?''
Certainly
Il think you're wrong
why am 1 wrong?''
Read this. Ny mail is full of anony-
nous communications He passed oyer
the letter in his hand and Mr.. Dreux
read as follows:
The Cressi boy is hidden at a3ls st.
Phillip street. Go personally and i'm Sc
cret. for there are spies among the
police. ONE WHO KNOWS
Good Lord! Do you believe it,
II shall know in an hour. In reality
he had no doubt that his informant told
the truth. On the contrary, he found
that he had been waiting, subconsciously,
for a hint from this mysterious but re-
liable source. and now that it had come
he felt confident and elated. "A leak in
the department would explain the mad
dening series Of checkmates up to date
After a moments hesitation he con-
tinued:
eff Gino Cressi proves to be the boy
/ saw that night, we will put the rope
around his fathers and his uncle's necks,
for he is little more than child and
they evidently knew he would confess IL
accused: otherwise they wouldn't have
been SO careful to hide him." He rose
and. cycling Dreux intently. inquired.
"will you go along and help me take
him.
Bernie fell into sudden panic of ex-
element. His face paled. he blinked
with incredible rapidity, his lips twitched
and he clasped his thin. bloodless hands
nervously.
"Why are you really = going - and
alone?''
Norvin nodded. If they have spies
among our own men the least indiscre-
ZION may give the diaTIfl. EeSlueS, there
is no time to lose: it would be madness
to go there after dark. Will you Gomez
"You-b-b-bet.'' Mr.. Dreux suffered.
After a painful effort to control himself.
he inquired. with rolling eyes. "S-say.
Norvin, will there be any fighting-any
d-d-danger?'
Blake's own imagination had already
presented that aspect Of the matter all
too wildly.
Eyes, there may be danger he con-
ffessed. We may have to take the boy
by force" His nerves began to dance
and culver. as always before every new
adventure. Perhaps. after all. you'd
better not go. Understand how you
feel
The little man burst out in forceful
Pudding, 1 want to fight. D-don't
you see?"
mo. don't"
i've never been in a row. I've never
done anything brave or desperate, like
like You. I'm aching for trouble 1 go
looking for it every night"
Really Blake looked his incredu-
lily.
"Sure thing! Last night I insulted a
perfectly nice gentleman just to provoke
and, ordinarily, / hesitate to accost
strangers. but I felt as if I'd have hys-
terics if l couldn't lick somebody: SO 1
walked up to this person and told him
MS necktle Was III Totteu tdste
What did he say?'
HE offered to go home and change it.
I was so chagrined that I-cursed him.
fearfully.''
'Bernie,"
DreuX nodded with an expression of the
keenest satisfaction. u could have cried.
called him a worm. bug. boil
weevil; but he said he had family and
didn't intend to be shot up by some we'll
dressed desperado."
Il suppose it's the blood of your an
cestors."
81 suppose it is. Now. let's go get this
dago boy. I'm loaded for grizzlies. and
If the Malta cuts in I'll croak somebody"
He drew a huge, rusty military revolver
from somewhere inside his clothes and
fiourished it SO recklessly that his COM
panion recoiled
Together the two set out for st. Philip
street. Blake. whose reputation for
bravery had become proverbial, went re-
luctantly. preyed upon by misgivings:
Dreux, the decadent. overbred dandy,
went gladly, as if thirsting for the fray.