Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-13

! the door. fdgeted. jerked II open an
/ with a mufiied Pardon disappeared
| presumably in search or ShaynOn.
| Four minutes passed by the clock: n,
sign OF the manager. Shaynon or Mrs
| Strone.
story" the detective suggested a
length.
PLANT" retorted p. sybarite a,
tersely.
''Salted your
'In the elevator. OF course"
lit come to me that was the way OF
Il when he sprung that bunk stuff
about you coarsely loading said loot
into your coat tail" admitted the de
tective. THAT didn't sound sensible.
even II you did have a skirt to fuss
into a cab. That was one swell piece
of goods you bundled into No. 23o."
"whatY' cried p. Sybarite
The detective started.
Wasn't that the number OF the
lady's cab--two-thirtyT
Good Godr" calculated p. Sybarite.
jumping up.
What's hit you 2" said the detective
His words were addressed to his own
conscience and TO the horizontal folds
Of the Inverness that streamed from
the shoulders of p. Sybarite as be bolt
ed unhindered through the Fifth ave
nue. entrance. The little man was ex-
claiming:
-DoltI Blockhead, Imbecile. Idiot.
Spmskulll Asst Simpleton, LOOM
The chill air OF early morning wiped
a.. n.nr
he fed like n mailman down Fifth ave
nue..
Deliberately had he permitted him
self TO be duped, cfrcunvented, over
reached.
Why had he never for an instant
dreamed that the words "two-thfrty''
could indicate anything but the hour OF
some otherwise undesignated appoint
ment? OF course Il had signifed the
number OF A1arian's carriage check.
.23O."
II he had ere this entertained any
doubts whatever OF the ugly grounds
for his fears. they were now resolved,
by recognition OF Bayard's clumsy
ruse. to keep him both out OF the cab
and out OF the way while November
famous commission.
And all that was now ten-fifteen-
twenty minutes old. Marian's car was
gone. and If 1t had not reached the
Plaza the girl was lost, irrev ocably lost.
On the way to the Bizarre from
Peter Kenny's rooms. some freak of a
mind specifically preoccupied had
caused him to remark, on the south
side of Forty-third street, Immediately
east of Sixth avenue, n long rank OF
or these. one building boosted the |
blazing electric announcement, "An
Night Garage"
Into this last P. Sybarite pelted at |
the top of his. speed and pulled up |
putting. to stare nervously round a
place gloomy. cavernous and pungent |
with fragrance OF oil, rubber and gaso-
line. Out of the shadows behind him, |
came a voice. drawing:
You certainly do take on like you'd
lost power of trouble"
''Taxir' the little man painted vo
The other yawned and stretched
1T can't be DONE" he admitted fairly
They amt no such animal on the
premises"
With a gesture p. Sybarite singled
tut the nearest car.
Whats that?' he demanded an.
,rily.
Ten dollars an hour
liz take it,
''But you asked for n taxi" gram.
lied the man. rising to press button
a bell shrilled somewhere
n the dark backward of the establish
1ent. "Deposit?' he suggested. turn
ng back.
z. Sybarite disbursed golden
ouble eagle. and TO the operator who.
oused by the bell. presently drifted
ut OF the shadows. gaping and rub
ing his eyes, he promised a liberal
ip for haste.
In two minutes he was rolling out OF
ne garage ensconced in the body OF "a
ixurious and high powered touring
iachine which he strongly suspected
, be somebody's private car lawlessly
armed out while its owner slept.
Self conscious and i'll at ease. he pre-
anted himself to the amused inspec-
on of the night force in the office OF
lie Plaza. made his halting inquiry
nd received the discounted assurance
lat Miss Blessington. although
lown and valued patron OF the house.
as not then its guest. He turned
way. sobered. baf1ed, outwitted and
iserably at loss to guess what next
do.
Gloomily ne paused with a hand on
e open door OF his car. thoughts'pro-
undly disturbed and unsettled, for so
ne that the operator grew restless.
where next sir?" he asked
Wait" said p. Sybarite in a man
II OF abstraction that did him no in
stice.
CHAPTER XIII.