Arizona republican., 1912-04-27
COPYRIGHT. rsrO, BY THx PEARSON rusLsHrc CO

idQ all OlIci lO hiOhc
 An offer?"
 Ransom
 Question and answer came out quite dry and cool
 AS I told you" said Fowler. T wouldn't give a brass farthing for my life now I've lost the game. Un- less-"
 His hands stopped moving about. Luck saw what was in his mind re- flcctcd in his face. and showed a re- yolver muzzle above the desk.
 An said Fowler
 You see my terms" said Luck. Pay or hang"
 Are you a Cosmopolitan?
 No, sir. I'm an honest thief, who wouldn't go back on a mate"
 Evidently a raw hand" said Fow- Ter I'm an old one. I could give you few maxims. but I won't I'm giving you enough as it is
 His right hand playing about, opened a little drawer. and extracted a tiny folded paper with powder in 1t. He emptied the powder rapidly on his tongue, and went on talking. His coolness was superhuman.
 Cure for nerves, that I've had nerves all day. You wouldn't believe that. would you. but I have Shant have 'em again, though. You've got nerve, not nerves Where'd you learn it? You're Colonial. eh?"
 Curse small talk" said Luck.
 "Oh, curse anything you like. Go ing to stay? Because I've got an en- gagement."
 "When?"
 "Withis the next two minutes I ex- pect."
 "Where?"
 Its not polite to ask" replied Fowler.
 knock came at the door Peas wood looked in.
 Post, sir" he announced, laid a flat package on the table, and with drew. The package was shaped like book, wrapped thinly in brown paper. Luck laid finger on it.
 Waiting for the last consignment, were you?" he asked.
 "Ah!" said Fowler. That's greed. that is See where greed leads you. I ought to have cleared with what I'd got directly Fd-said goodbye to him"
 He referred to his victim expres- sionlessly. $
 Great mistake in life," he prosed, "to be too thorough
 A sudden spasm jerked him. He bit into his lower lip. Nerves" he ground out diabolically. Wait min ute" He dropped his head down on his arms a second or two, where it writhed about. Suddenly the writh- ing stopped, and he sat strangely still. Then Johnnie Luck knew what he ought to have known five minutes ago. Ii was not nerves, but the pow. der in the paper from the drawer, and the woodenfaced man had gone 10 fulfill long engagement.
 Luck got up like man in a night. mare, and crept, scarcely daring to breathe, to the back of the desk Suppose Peasfood looked in. He groped for the panel, and after a cen. tury of a minute, found something slide under his fingers. An aperture was revealed, in which lay some dozen or so smallish wash-leather bags. He crammed them into his Gladstone, adding the book-shaped packet. His hands were trembling.
 Now then, little girl." he savagely adiure0 himself. He strengthened up, and opened the door. Little Peas wood, foolish looking, with recedinG chin and weak eyes, was scratching away on high stool.
 "Oh. Ah." said Luck, re-openins the door, to put his head in again, as if in response to some last remark from the figure at the desk, I'll tell him. Thanks awfully, if you can spare him. Thanks, old man See you tomorrow"
 Out he came, finally, shutting the door, and addressed Peaswood.
 T say, MT. Fowler says you'd be good enough to direct me to Adam Street, as it's all in your way home He says tbere's nothing more fol you to do here tonight"
 With anyone less obviously fool the thing might not have worked As 1t was, very joyful at the idea of get ting away twenty minutes early "very pleased, indeed, sir said Peas wood "I'll just put me desk straight tidy up-get me at" g
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