Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-10-29

with his warning or send her a letter |
He's got too much sense for that. And |
telegram would be too risky. SO
nothing's left but the phone He'll
call her up. You'll get the number !
And then it1l be a cinoh for your men
TO find the Woman's name In no time.
and all about her. The full story
names and all-can be circulated on
the floor as soon as the house sits. to-
night And good'by then TO Mr..
standish"
SAY" drawled Blake in genuine adj
miration. You've sure got brain.
Wen have TO get you In the secret
service. Or, If you want a Job in my
ONCE at double what you're getting
here-but we can talk about all that
afterward. Will
You're sure the number will give
you the clue to the Woman?"
Absolutely"
And don't you think one little hun
dred dollars is a pretty cheap price
to pay for Information that will bring
you milllons?"
Sheer innocence had reached its
towering acme-the summit whereon
rests pure wisdom. Blake regarded
the girl from under his bushy brows.
"Well?" he demanded, IF whole
hundred dollars has shrunk so quick
ly into a little hundred dollars what
price strikes YOU as falr?"
Let's see!" pondered innocence'S
fair apostle. how about ten thousand
dollars?"
Ten thousand dollars!" repeated
Blake. Rot! Ten thousand dollars
for-for one measly telephone num-
bert"
mol" contradicted Wanda, and her
voice and face we're like chilled steel.
for a victory that saves your leader
ship OF the machine, that puts your
son-in-law in the speakers chair, that
smashes your enemy and that means
millions OF dollars to you! That's
what the telephone number means TO
| you, Mr. Blake. That and a mans
career-a woman's shame-a girls
self-respect Throw all that into the
balance and the price won't look so
/ fancy"
MY dear young lady," counseled
/ Blake with his most fatherly air, be
lieve me when | warn you that there
is such a thing as being just trife
too ambitious. Still, there's no time to
argue. Standish ought to be here by
now Shall we say a thousand dol
lars?"
"I-P'll have to think it over" said
Wanda confusedly. And, anyway,
she added, there's no use making a
price till I've got what you want, is
there? Besides" with an easy lapse
into sweet innocence, "Mr. Standish
seems to be such a nice man. It's a
pity to"
"Oh, he's a nice man." laughed
Blake "Hell's full of nice men, But
there's no time, now, to haggle about
prices. You get that number for me-
and you won't lose by 1t. And every
word you can oyerhear is worth a
three-carat diamond. Steady there!
He's coming"
Standish came toward the switch.
board, from the dining-room whittier
a page had at last tracked him. He
saw a most unrufled telephone girl
absorbed in a novel Jim Blake was
leaning negligently against the switch
board rail, looking with dreamy half
shut eyes along the nearly deserted
corridor. Standish hurried across t
Wanda.
Some one wants me on the phone?'
he asked.
NO." drawled Blake, before tbs
girl could reply Some one wants
you over there in the amen corner fol
a minute or two, if you can spare the
time. l took the liberty of sending
that message about your being wanted
on the phone, BECAUSE" leading thu
way to the amen corner, 81 have mat
ter of private business to talk owe
with you"
Private business?" echoed the puz
zled Standish, instinctively following
Blake to the corner. Private busi
ness? Between you and me?"
Blake looked at him with gentl
pity, then shook his head.
my boy" said he, "the game is VI
The whole show is over We've foun
out all about that pretty little affai
Of five years ago"
10 L.
moved. please explain. My time /
limited"
III you're referring to your time i
politics, it is. 1t ends tonight There
There! Don't get huffy. You've &c
nerve all right. l grant you thai
! What affair, hey? Why, the affai
with the Woman whom you registere
as your wife, under the name c
t Fowler, at a country hotel up in Ne,
York state. That's all Hardly wort
6 mentioning, hey?"
|. AS he had talked, Blake had le
=" his gaze wander over the ceiling, tn
g walls-anywher except at Matthe,
o Standish. Yet he had missed not on
detail of the younger mans EXPIRE
r sion. There was nothing, however,
D. be read in that expression. Standish
g heavy face was mask-like, blank, saw
G. for faint tinge of polite bewilde
ment
Il But Blake was far too wise reade
n of men to go by the sign in face. n
e let his mildly wandering glance shift
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