Evening star., 1914-08-16
THE CASE OF A FEMALE PARTY
By SEWELL FORD

"Humph.7 says she sniffin' 4What does he want OF
Josie Vernon? What's his game?'
"Deeds of kindness, thats all, says l.
Mrs. Shaw ndulges in hard throaty cacke
@There amt no such animal says she. "Come now
you're in this with him. He said What's it all
about?'
@NIrs. Shaw" says l. you've heard all got say
the subject. I'm more or less busy too and"
@How impolite!" she breaks in. @And lady too
Heavings! how faint l feel.' With that she sidles
towards my desk chair and slumps into it.
@Very distressin' symptoms says l. @But got 8
quick for attacks like that It's fresh air, taken
outside"
Il sha mt bulge until I've found why you're bounding
mel" says she, grippin' the chair arms.
3So?" says l. @Maybe you didn't notice the size OF
my assistant Swiftly Joe, you ine His speciality
is escortn obstreperous parties downstairs and dumpn
EN- the curb
@You try any strong-arm stuff on and I'll scream
for help" says She all make charge against you
too"
She looked equal to it, and for minute stands there
gain puzzled at her and scratchin' my head.
YOU win," says I. II can't have Swiftly scratched
: up. He's too handsome. 1t amt any secret I'm
keepin' away from you, anyway. All Mr.. Steele wants
to do is to locate Josie Vernon. It's will case and
there may be something in it for her There! That's
the whole story"
ats fishy one" says she.
MAYBE says l. @but I'm givn' you my word on
it. Produce Josie, and you'll see.'
She SquntS at me glanceS around the
cautious twice. and then remarks quiet Every
well. I'll take chance. I'm Josie
"Eh?' says l. "You."
"As the Sergeant, at the Nineteenth, says she
3He out of his precinct because wouldn't give
up enough. Fortune telling, you know. He wanted
twenty month Think of that"
@Never mind the Sarge, says 1. @Did you know Mr.
Gordono"
@Pyramido" says she. Rather. Back in the '9O's,
that was. I was in his offices for awhile"
1,aIS I, @f,a
Would you mind gvin' me sketcn of the AFFAIR.""
Mrs. Shaw shrugs her shoulders under the old cape
aWhy should l care now?' says she. a sprung a
breach of promise suit on him. that's ALL might have
known better. He was hard man. Pyramid Gordon.
What with lawyers and the private detectives he set
after me, glad to get out of the city alive. 1t
two years before dared come back-and rough two
years they too! But you're not raking that up
against me at this late date, are youo"
"Im not" says L. @Any move I make will be for
your good. But Steele's the
I'll have to call him in"
"Call away, then," says she. a
amt afraid of him, either
And by luck catches ]. Bayard at
his hotel and gets him the phone
@Well?' says l. @How about the
fair Josie?7
could hear him groan over the wire
@Hang JOSEF says he. 3See here, Nc
Cabe, I've had deuce of time with
that case. Must have been something
I a wrong with the address, you know"
~ N @How's that?' says l.
" n "Why," says he, at led me to
M. IL smelly, top-foor fiat up in Harlem
y VI and all could find there was this i'm
N, possible person, Mrs. Fletcher Shaw
kASol OF all the sniveling, lying, vicious.
tongued old harridans! Do you know
what she did? Chased me down four
flights of stairs with BROOM just
because l insisted seeing Josie
Vermont"
T