Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-12-03
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Third Deg se.


Miss Kelly" began Mark. after a
full minute OF silence that bit into
Wanda's very nerves, you say you
we're at the switchboard downstairs
a few moments ago?"
Yes. sir"
while | was talking to the Asso-
ciated Press Officer"
How can tell slr?" she asked with
smiling helplessness. you know
we're not allowed to listen to CONVEX.
sations over the wire
But you connected me when /
called up 44OO Main just now?"
"Oh, yes, sir"
"Hml You remember that, do you?
Well, that is the number Of the Asso-
ciated Press office. / called up Jen-
nings, the manager. talked with him
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 a child
listening to a 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 sensations
al feat as Mark had just described
Then she looked back at Mark as
though unwilling to miss a single word
of such an enthralling narrative.
But" continued Mark, when he
tried 20 speak to Jennings he found
the connection had suddenly been
severed"
obi"
There was world of sympathetic
regret in her exclamation.
He was told" said Mark slowly
me was told-by you, Miss Kelly
that the line was out of order"
"Ot, yes!" she cried brightly. "AnC
th& pust have been why the connec
ton was cut off. What a shame! JUS
when he wanted to talk, tool"
Il suppose" said Mark carelessly
IF the line had got out of order, th'
managers office would know of 1t b.
this timer"
"Oh, yes"
Very good" reaching for the instru
ment. 'Tll call up the manager ant
ask about it."
"Oh, mol" she exclaimed, momen
tarily off guard "It's-it's probabl,
all right again by now"
Very likely" was Marks dry as
sent Then you don't want me to cal
up the manager%
Don't bother to do that" she fal
tered in confusion. Il might pos
sibly have knocked out the plug-b
accident -
And you might possibly have don
1t ON purpose" retorted Mark.
az" she asked, astounded ''Wh
that?"
That's what we're going to find ou
If it had been an accident, you woul
have showed the plug back into place
Immediately, when we told you. Ism
that true?"
81 s'pose So" she admitted sulkily.
Then, Miss Kelly, we are forced t
believe that you deliberately refused t
transmit our message"
You can believe anything you war
to-" she returned spitefully. 81 don
care what you believed"
The line of questioning had throw
her off her carefully prepared line {
defense. Angry, confused she tosse
aside her useless weapons and wa
for the instant merely a worried an
much badgered little girl.
| rs it not true" repeated Robertso
} in measured query, that you deli
} erately refused to transmit our me
! sage just now?"
r 81 s'pose So" she vouchsafed.
2 butted in. And now | guess I've &
to take my medicine"
=. And" asked Mark, "do you happe
, to realize what that medicine is?"
/ "Oh, know, all right. I'll lose n
job"
Exactly, And you don't want
e lose your job, do you, Miss Kelly?'
e "No, l don't. l need the money.
81 see. Quite so. You need IL
S money. Miss Kelly, Mr.. Blake has c