Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-12-11
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Third Degree.

While | was talking to the Asso-
ciated Press offce?"
How can tell. sir?" she asked with
/ smiling helplessness. You know
we're not allowed to listen TO CONVEX
sations over the wire.
But you connected me when l
called up 400 Main just now?
"Oh. yes. sir"
HIN! You remember that. do you?
Well. that is the number OF the Asso-
ciated Press office. I called up Jen-
nings, the manager. l talked with him
a minute Then he wanted to speak
with Mr.. Blake"
Yes. sir?" asked Wanda. who had
been following his recital with the
| wide-eyed delighted interest Of child
listening to wondrous fairy tale.
M. Blake took the telephone In
strument from my hands" pursued
Mark, unheeding, "and spoke into it."
Wanda turned slowly and gazed up
on Blake in pleased amazement that
he could have performed so sensation
al feat as Mark had just described.
Then she looked back at Mark as
though unwilling to miss single word
of such an enthralling narrative.
But" continued Mark, when he
tried to speak to Jennings he found
the connection had suddenly been
severed"
"Oh!"
There was a world of sympathetic
raorat In har oycIa atiOn
He was told" said Mark slowly
che was told-by you, Miss Kelly
that the line was out of order.P
"Oh, yes!" she cried brightly. "And
that must have been why the connec-
ton was cut off, What shame! Just
when he wanted to talk, too"
81 suppose" said Mark carelessly,
''if the line had got out of order, the
managers office would know of 1t by
this timer"
ooh, yes"
Very good" reaching for the instru'
ment. "I'll call up the manager and
ask about It,"
"Oh, mol" she exclaimed. momen-
tarily off guard. "It's-it's probably
all right again by now.
VERY likely" was Marks dry as
sent. Then you don't want me to call
up the manager"
Don't bother to do that" she fal-
tered In confusion. Il might pos
sibly have knocked out the plug-by
accident"
And you might possibly have done
it on purpose" retorted Mark.
III" she asked, astcunded. Why
should l do such a foolish thing as
that?"
That's what we're going to find out.
II it had been an accident, you would
have showed the plug back into place,
Immediately, when we told you. Isn't
that true?"
81 s'pose So" she admitted sulkily.
Then, Miss Kelly, we are forced to
believe that you deliberately refused to
transmit our message"
you can believe anything you want
to-" she returned spitefully. Il don't
care what you believed"
The line Of questioning had thrown
her off her carefully prepared line of
defense Angry. confused, she tossed
aside her useless weapons and was
for the instant merely worried and
much badgered little girl.
rs it not true" repeated Robertson
in measured query, that you DELHI
erately refused to transmit our mes
sage just now?'
CD Oh q
butted IN. And now l guess I've got
to take my medicine"
And" asked Mark, do you happen
to realize what that medicine is?"
"Oh, know, all right. I'll lose my
job"
Exactly. And you don't want to
lose your job do you, Miss Kelly?"
NO, don't. l need the money"
81 see. Quite so. You need the
money. Miss Kelly, Mr.. Blake has Of
fered you a great deal OF money for
certain bit of information, hasn't he?"
Yes. Butch, what's the use? You
can get me fired. But l guess l can
find another job"
st may not be necessary" suggest
ed Mark. Miss Kelly, we don't want
to harm your prospects in any way.
We wish merely to show you that 1t is
to your interest to work for us. Mr..
Blake has told you how necessary 1t is
for us to gain the information that you
alone can give us. He will pay you
we'll. We have asked you to come up
here tonight to find out whether you
will not accept this offer"
WELL" she inquired in weary pa
tience, what Is 1t you want me to tell
you?"
I'VE want you." replied Mark, ito
tell us a number called up by Mr..
Standish early this evening"
He paused for her answer. The 9th
ers leaned forward
Wanda alone was unconcerned. She
was twisting the little bracelet on her
wrist and eying it with new and hap
PLY absorbed interest from a dozen
successive points OF view.
Miss Kelly" demanded Mark, will
you tell us that number or will you
not?"
why" answered Wanda with a