Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-04-02

lions he asked when Tom had finished
These interrogations we're aimed sole
ly at aiding Tom to remember the mo-
torboat's occupants; but excepting the
suggestions servant and the sandy
complexioned man-now Identified as
John Callis-Tom's description was
exceedingly vague.
Before leaving, Mr.. Flint said to Van
vechten:
Il am liable to be looking you up al
most any minute of the day or night,
I expect to be pretty busy, but It is i'm.
possible to foretell precisely in what
way my efforts will be directed. May
| count on you spending as much OF
your time here as you CAM"
The young man nodded. IF am
not here | shall leave word SO you
may know where to find me-"
Tom, after the detective was gone,
reverted to topic which he had
preached earlier In the day.
Are you going to use the motor for
a while. Rudy? want to take a run
down to Maiden Lane If you're not"
The other reused sufficiently from
his puzzling reflections to give the
speaker a questioning look. Maiden
Lane?" he repeated.
Tom amplIned
Chap down there-wealthy dia-
mond importer-was wanting q skip
per for his steam yacht. Brownlow's
his name-met him at the Payne
French's last week He was asking
me about 1t; suppose he heard that l
was interested in yachting. have a
masters certificate, you know; that's
one job can hold down"
Tom was moody, and for the time
being Van Vechten laid aside his own
perplexities.
so" he said, you are still deter.
mined to go to work."
Tom nodded. Most Of the time you
chaps were talking / was thinking the
whole thing over. It's really not like
ly shall ever meet that girl, Rudy;
it's too deuced improbable to hope
such thing. Just the same, mean
to get busy. want to get away.
want to feel that am doing something
worth while. can run old Brown
lows yacht Just as well as anybody
might recommend, IL not better, and
I'm going after the berth myself. Can
| refer him to your"
Certainly" said Van Vechten.
Take the car for as long as you want
1t; II / have to go anywhere I'll use q
taxi. Send Mr.. Brownlow to me II he
wants any recommendations Of your
qualifications m hapdla q Yacht otaa ~,
or sail. And you would be safe in men
tioning Fred Carteret, too. Good luck,
Tom"
And Mr.. Tom Phinney departed to
call on the wealthy diamond importer.
Left thus to himself, Van Vechten
took from his pocket the key which
Mr. Flint had given him, and sat con-
templating 1t for some minutes. By
and by he returned 1t to his pocket,
then pushing back his chair, rose and
fell to pacing to and fro the width Of
the lounging-room. AS he passed each
of the big plate glass windows-they
were screened, however, at this sea.
son-he would glance across the street
at the silent house. At last he halted
and, hands In pockets, stood staring at
the dingy facade, his mien pensive.
why not?" his thoughts presently
crystallized. Now is as good as any
time. It's too late In the day to under
take anything else; besides, there is
nothing to do but walt. Lord-wait!
1t would be relief to have the uni.
verse come tumbling around ones
ears. After Flint's yarn, 1t will be in.
teresting to have squirt inside.
Queer. queer"
Now perhaps he forgot his promise
to Flint to leave word respecting his
movements, or else he did not consid-
er brief absence merely across the
street OF sufficient CONSEQUENCE TO be
mentioned; however that may be, he
left the club without a word to any
body.
A minute or two later he stood In
the indescribably Uttered and filthy
backyard of Number 1913. In truth,
the place was no more than a small
brick-paved court. 1t was walled all
about, and short flight of stone steps
leading downward to basement door
bore the only evidence OF recent use.
Here, patiently, was the door to which
the key belonged.
He unhesitatingly went down the
half-dozen or so steps, and when he
stopped to insert the key in the lock
received the initial surprise of his ad,
venture.
Before he succeeded in getting tho
key into the keyhole, the door swung
open at his touch. Besides being un.
locked, the latch was not even caught
CTo BE CONTINUED