Omaha daily bee., 1914-05-07

ter. This gentleman. for he was a gem
tleman before he became a star reporter
had the honor to belong to my class, and
he sings a beautiful tenor. Naturally he
was popular; he may even have friends
yet Wen tell him all about II, and then
perhaps wen drown him. one crime
more or less matters little TO people of
our dye"
Maclean scowled at me and laughed.
| We'll. It all amounts to this First
nobody has been murdered-as YETI and
frowned at him Secondly, nobody
/ has been kidnapped; lastly, II isn't
story, unless you are on the comic sup
plement. This Mrs. Carucci used to be
Miss Tabor's nurse and when Antonio
beats her up too frequent, she comes up
| here for a vacation. Wen. we were late
going for her because the car broke down
so when we got there, he had just smit-
ten her over the brow and retired to a
well earned slumber. Then the neighbors
got inquisitive, and we ran away "a
escape precisely that Immediate fame
you were planning to give us. That's all.
will only add that branderine revived
this washlady and we can prove t."
| "Oh, fudge" said Maclean. II can't
write anything out of that at all We
had Il before, all but You people. hate
to go back without a story. too"
The front door clicked and heard Mr..
Tabor's voice in the hall.
Wait a minute" l said, with a sudden
inspiration, perhaps l can dig up an
other story for you. But I'll have to see
Mr.. Tabor first"
! found Mr.. Tabor in his study. gloom
ing over a paper What is it?" he asked.
half rising. rs anything the matter?"
II don't know" | said. II opened a
letter of yours by mistake. and It looked
as IL had better bring II to you your
self"
He took the dirty envelope gingerly.
and drew out the enclosure. Across the
top was badly drawn human hand
smudged in with lead pencil. Below this
ran an almost illegible scrawl
III yu don't Civ her back she will be
taken"
What on earth does that mean?' l
asked.
Mr. Tabor knit his white brows 1T
begins to look as though Carucci had been
let out OF Jail for want Of proof against
him. Evidently he is going into the black
hand business l suppose a demand for
money will come next"
But who is 'her-his wite?"
'Of course" he answered quickly.
who else could 1t possibly be2" Then,
more thoughtfully, II don't like that fell
low around, but l hardly see how to get
rid of him. We can't appear in court
against him; and money would only make
him want more"
Mr.. Tabor I said, there's a man
named Maclean in the other room. who
went to college with me. He Is re-
porter"
"A what?"
"A reporter. He found Miss Tabor's
telegram-we were careless not to have
looked for it-and that gave him enough
to work on until he found us. However.
you needn't have any uneasiness about
him. He has promised me not to use the
story"
Good Crosby, very good. Well, what
about him?"
II only thought, sir, that II he would
help me- we might be able TO find Ca
rucci, and scare the life out of him so
that he will keep away. He can't be GER
tain that he hasn't killed his wife, and
we can threaten him with that. If he's
out Of jail, you certainly don't want him
about. And Maclean would help think,
for the story in It, I'm sure that we
could trust him not to bring us in"
Very we'll Suppose that you try your
hand at it, Only you mustn't go to maxi
ing inquiries that will mix us up in the
matter"
IN be careful SIR" l answered.
When l spread the note out before
Mac he shifted and wrinkIed his nose.
"Well?" ! said.
"Nothn'. There amt any black hand
It's all dope. Just signature that any
dago uses like unknown friend"
"You ought to know" said I, but here
we are with this man hanging around.
Take it or leave it. should think there
might be a story in It merely from his
side, now that you can really connect
him with the assault, Anyhow, I'm going
after him."
IAN right" Mac said. I'm with you.
Good afternoon, Miss Tabor"
"Goodby," she called after us; and I
thought that she watched US from the
window.
We pursued a trolley car and settled
down painting OH the rear seat. Maelean
lay back in ineditative silence. his hands
thrust deep into his trousers pockets his
shoulders hunched forward and his hat
on the back of his head, staring before
him where his feet loomed up in the dis
tance. At the inn he suddenly straight
ened himself and slid off the car.
Il thought we were going up to town"
said as / followed.
He glowered hollowly at me above a
cavernous grin. I'VE are. But not in
those flannels or that nice new college
rah-rah shirt. We'd have the whole place
wonderin' what you wanted. and the
mothers shown their little ones how a
real gentleman ought to look
But you're respectable enough"
protested, laughing. Are we both going
to be disguised?"
Disguise nothin You just want 70
cut out the comedy -chorus-man, you see?
Put on jersey, or anyhow a collar that
don't meet in the middle, an old shoes.
Me. look low-life anyway"
I rebelled when he rolled my gray suit
into ball and jumped on II, in the in
terest OF realism. But at last we got
started. On the car, Mac unfolded his
plan OF campaign.
This guinea didn't put the cops on,
because he wanted TO get you himself.
you see? He's out for the money-the
mazume So he beats II up here and
drops Tabor love letter. But, he's Just
oEtN of tha fuQ Won saaS n.