Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-21

creaked TO 4 StandStlll before | sped Ange-
lotti. He wore a picture hat with a red
plume, a dark blue tailor-madc suit with
a slightly slit petticoat Visible legs were
just becoming fashionable in the East, but
hadn't permcated the Middle West; hence
the stares that the platform packed with
people directed toward the sideshow per-
former, tiny patent leather pumps, silk
stockings a veil, a parasol white gloves, and
a handbag. AS neat looking a little trick
as you ever gazed at! | didn't gaze long.
Putting my hands to my mouth and aiming
over the heads of the crowd cried as loud
as | could:
hello, Mrs. Barnes!"
She was third in the line to parlor car;
but she turned, and before she could make
the step had her.
"ln the waiting room Just a moment,
dear lady," said | softly. "Therc's plenty
of time, The train will be here ten min
utes"
At my elbow Jack was speaking. par
don me, Mr.. Richman,' he was saying
"If you don't mind I'd like to have a word
with you. I'm interested in street railways
too
The crowd was showing and pushing its
way to the train and we let them paw, Jack
and / each with hand round waist The
waists and their owners came with us. My
job was the easier, and | headed the way
not to the waiting room but to the depot
restaurant which was almost deserted. The
"almost' was eliminated when Jack slued
the pigeontoed Richman into a seat, tossed
the lone waitress silver dollar, and asked
her to disappear behind the newly mani
cured coffee urn Mrs. Barnes was dabbing
a handkerchief to her eyes; but she wasn't
crying. Her kind never does.
I listen, Angelotti, Mrs. Barnes, Slippery
Jane, or whichever of your names you
want to be called" began. "<rhe first time
saw you was on Hammerstein's Roof. You
were doing card tricks and legerdemain.
Mademoiselle Sorbonne was your name.
Remember Arthur Prince and Houdini
were on the same bill. | went with Cen
trail Office detective, who told me lot about
your history. You're slick; but there are
slicker.'
"What do you want of me?' the lady
snapped. Snapped" is the correct word
correctly used
"There are still four minutes to spare be-
fore the RATHER leaves | went on, giving
Jack the high sign to keep quiet. "If you re
good, you both can leave on it. Next | wish
to introduce my friend John Henry Nc
Cam, Jr, whose father is the majority
holder of the Continental Electric Railroad
StOCk. 1 uOn tnlTk ne WOULD ike 10 KNOW
that. his trusted president Mr.. Kendall
Richman, with the aid Of combination
pickpocket, second-story worker, sleight-of-
hand artist, male impersonator, and sword
swallower, pinched two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars of the syndicate's cash.
MIR. Mccain, Jr., is also the star reporter Of
The New York Forum If you don't want
to see trouble arrive in gobs, cough up and
catch your train
Jack, for lack of anything better to do, or
because the spirit of melodrama had grabbed
him, tapped Sans AS against plate of
chocolate cellars. Richman wiped his face
with silk handkerchief and gazed at us for
full minute. give him credit for paying
no attention to the gun.
"Dig, Jane!' he said emphatically.
Angelotti swung on the stool, lifted his
skirts, and dug. He swung back and tossed
twenty-five en-thousand-dollar banknotes
on the lunch counter. Jack ran through
them, scanning the numbers. The train
whistled through the noise outside. Jack
put the wad into one pocket, Sans gun into
the other. Then he fished some telegraph
blanks out of his coat, scrubbed for mo-
ment, and handed the result to me. 1t was
addressed to his father, and stated that the
Continental Railway money had been re-
turned intact.
"You say Harkins thinks this kind of pub
licity will hurt his show
| nodded, and he wired to his city editor