The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-27
HOLLOW OF f HER HAND
BY GEORGE BARR McUTCHEoN.
BY GEORGE BARR M'cuTCHEoN
do you mean to say

Let's not talk about It. Brandon. 1t
. is too silly"
They foil to discussing their plans
FOR the immediate future, although tho
minds or both were at work with some
thing else.
Now that have served my purpose.
j suppose you will not caro- TO SEQ 90
much OF me-" she said. az no prepared
TO take leave OF her.
Served your purpose, What do vo,,
tncan?"
II should have put it differently.
You have been most assiduous in your
efforts to force the secret from me :,
has been accomplished. Now do YOU
undcrstandT'
That isn't fair, Sara" ho protested
IF youll let mo come to sec you. in
spite OF what tho gossips and Nj
Redmond Wrandall predict, you may
DO euro / vii! he as much In evidence
as ever. suppose have been a bit
OF nuisance. hanging on an have
admire your perseverance,. Moro
: than that, admire your courage IL;
accepting tho situation as you have
I only hope you may win her over To
your way OF thinking. Brandon.
/ Good by"
81 shall go up to town tomorrow.
/ kit and bag. When shall zee your
/ We have q great deal left to tall,
about before sail"
Come when YOU like"
You really want me 10 conner
"Certainly"
lie studied her pale. tired face for
moment, and then shook his head
You must take caro- OF yourself" ne
said. You are unstrung &c, good
! rest and-aud forget certain things
II YOU can Everything viii como on.
! all right in tho ond'
III depends on what onc 1. willing
/ TO accept hs the end" she raid
Tho next morning she received an
expected visitor At her apartment Elk
recting him, she made desperate eff
/ fort 10 appear IS strong aud uncou-
cerned as She had been OF the occasion
OF former meeting There was IL
Tic In her appearance to suggest worry
+ Illness or alarm when she entered tho
rather unsettled little library and con
frontej the redoubtable Mr smith
The detective had dropped her limo
earlier in the week asking for an audi
encc ut the earliest possible moment
You are worried, madam" he said.
after nc had carefully closed tie door
leading to the hail and so am /"
What DO YOU want now?" she de-
4 .mandcd You hav" received your
money There IS nothing else tha,
We
"BeE pardon. Mrs. wrandan. bu,
there IS something clso I'm not after
I more money as you may suspect Tho
( size OF the matter is. I'm here to put
( YOU wisc TO what's going on without
your Knowing anything about IT, Right
OF wrong, I'm stu interested in this
case OF yours Understand me-
/ haven't lifted finger since that day
I In the country I've cult cold, jus:
! as ! said would The trouhl" is. other
people are still nosinR around"
I what YOU are here for"
Smith followed hc- example and sat
down, drawing q chair quite close TO
hers. He lowered his voice.
i We'll, I'VE got next 20 something /
think YOU ought to know. Maybe old
man Wrandall Is back OF Il. but I don't
think he il. You see, so FAR ca out
siders arc concerned. that reward still
stands y murders murder and that's
all there Il TO It There arc men I'm
this business Who are going to hunt
for that womnn until they get her.
Sec what ] mcan?"
please go on. l suppose some ono
else suspects mo. and may have TO be
bought OF" she said go sieniecantlv
that he turned Il bright red
Now don't think that OF me. Mrs
Wrandal ] am not IN on this, swear.
! You paid me OF your own free viii
/ and / laid down on the job don't
I deny that expected you to do It. Tn
not what you'd call model OF virtuo
and integrity. served time IN the pen
/ a good many years ago They say Il
, takes a thief TO catch n thief Thatn
not true. a detective has TO be dead
honest or the thief catches him.
I think most OF the men in my business
arc honest They have TO be You
( may not agree with me but thought
was doing the square thing by you
Ice
was honest in believing 1t was the
I right one. 7 thought you'd pay me to
drop tho matter. I'm now dead sure
was wrong In suspccting you for
/ minute. I'm no fool. L"
| sara interrupted him.
| viii you be good enough to como 10
| the point, Mr.. smith, she said coldly
Well" he said leaning forward and
/ Speaking very deliberately. Tive come
/ hero to tell you that the police haven't
J quit on tho job They're about TO mako
/ a worse mistake than I made"
! She felt herself turn pale. II re
! quired a great effort of the will to
suppress the start that might havo
/ betrayed her TO the keen eyed observer
That would he impossible, Mr..
! smith" she said. shaking her head and
smiling.
They're been watching that Ashley
| girl you sent out West just after the
/ --er-thing happened. The show-girl
| you'll remember"
/ He must have observed the swift
/ look of relief that leaped into her eyes
What arrant stupidity" she cried
unable to choose her words. why
! that unhappy girl is dying II slow and
! awful death. Surely they can't bo
! bounding her now Her innocence
! was clearly established at the time
/ That is why I felt it TO he my duty
! to help her. She went out 10 her old
home. TO die or to get we'll. They must
, be fools"
I'm just telling you. Mrs, Wrandan
! that's all. Maybe you can call 'em
| off. If you know for Il certainty that
| she's innocent" There was something
| accusing in his manner
. She became very cautious My opin-
! ion was formed upon tho girls story
and by what the police said after In.
| Vcstigating ii thoroughly"
Its n way the police have. madam
They were not satisfied at tho time
! They simply gave her the rope. that's
all. All this time they've had men
watching her day by day. out there In
! Montana. They say they've got new
| c,iIapco n LOT nf II