Charlevoix county herald., 1914-06-06
CHAPTER Xxi.
Disconnected Wires.

81 can't afford to be seen on the
street with you, Crewe. You go on,
without me. You just walk straight
into the station-house, where Duneen
has his headquarters, in an hour
from now. You'll find me there.
And I'll have it all fixed with him
before you get there"
Crewe appeared to hesitate.
"All right" he said finally. "No
double plays, mind you"
"No. You win. What's happened
today is wiped off the slate. Say,
you'd better make that two hours
from now. Call it six o'clock. Du-
mems sure to be there then"
"And you want time to chase after
Jess, don't you ?"
MAYBE | do. What of it ?"
Nothing. So-long. Six it is. Got
anything more to say to me?"
mo"
About Branton's wad? ?"
NO"
you're not feeling so dead GER
tain that I've got it, are you ?"
"I'm pretty sure that you haven't.
Sure enough to tell you that if you
have got it, you can keep it. Sure
enough to say that if you can get it
before ! do you can keep it, and that
if get it before you do, you won't
get a smell"
Good. Then it's an even play
between us for the eighty-one-five
and no favors, and no divvy?"
"Just that"
"So-long, Shaughnessy. I'd advise
YOU not to kill that artist"
Shaughnessy lost no time getting
into his outer clothing. He gaZed
ruefully at his Quilted billy and stuff
ed the shell of it into one of his peck
cts. Then he restored the cartridges
TO his gun and was Fastening toward
the door when his glance fell upon
a small parcel that Jess had brought
into the room with her, had laid
upon the table, and had apparently
forgotten when she went out.
He tore the paper wrapping away
and disclosed a small pasteboard box.
Inside the box, neatly packed, were
four squares of wax, and upon each
SQUARE the impression of key was
perfectly outlined Experience told
him that they represented both sides
of two Yale keys.
"I've got time enough" he said
aloud, replying to his thought. He
knew that Jess's threat to send up
the first cop she met had been an
empty one. He was also quite GER
tain that she would not return to the
fat till after seven that night, when
she knew he would report at head
quarters for duty.
He ran down the stairs to the
street, carrying the box with him.
A basement locksmith in First Ave-
nue. greeted him by name few min
utes later.
GLOW Quick can you make those
two keys for me-for a five-spot 2"
he demanded, exposing the squares
Of wax. "I've got to prove a case
and ! ought to have them now"
1.-TWO or three hours, maybe" the
locksmitL replied, inspecting the i'm
pressiOns.
I'll give you an hour and half
and TO more, and you get five Tor
the job. II you fail me or mar that
wax so that anybody's know it's been
used, I'll break you IN two when
come book.
Shaughnessy went out again. Thir-
ty minutes later he pressed the but
ton beside Moreaux's studio door.
There was no answer, md he held
his thumb against it for several no
ments. Then he descended in the
elevator and sought telephone. He
recalled the number a Jess had pro-
nounced il at the fiat. He got re-
ply at once.
"Hello" he said. "This is Shaugh-
messy. Are you Moreaux? II you
are, why didn't you answer your
door-bell just now, when ! rang it 2"
Because it didn't ring. II is dis
connected. ! 1on't wish to be dis
turbed," came the reply and Shaugh-
messy was sure that he recognized
the artists voice.