South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-28


thing from the floor while five
- strangers peered into every alb
surd nook and corner Of tIe two rooms
and bath which comprised the Widow
O'Keefe's top floor suit The object
was a small snapshot Of June.
The deserted husband OF pretty June
Warner was at the hall door with his
hand reached out for the knob. and in
another instant Ned Warner and june
would have been face 70 face, In that
instant the Widow O'Keefe whipped
the snapshot under her apron, and the
very swiftness Of the motion struck
into the corner OF Ned Warmers rest
less eyes. He turned. and ne and Tie
father OF June glanced at each other.
There was something suspicious in the
bent and warped and withered Widow
OBeefe and her tail sip Of a son. Ned
came abruptly from the door and re-
newed his search. At that very mo-
ment June, just outside, had paused
on the third step from the bottom to
retie the bow upon her saucy little slip
per and to give it a vigorous pat to
make it behave and stay in place.
Slim young Sammy O'Keefe walked
70 the window, whistling, and glanced
out with an air Of great Indifference
ON the other side Of the street stood
officer Toole. and his eyes roved .anx-
iOusly from window 10 window OF the
narrow, dingy slice OF q house whic1
was the Widow O'Keefe's. At sight or
sammy Officer ToOle pointed energet
jcaIIy toward the door. He waved both
arms and pointed toward the doorway.
Sammy then slipped quietly out o.
che room.
June The Hstless Sammy used the
next quickest method to wireless.
With one nOiseless spring he straddled
the banister rail. whizzed around the
curve and down to June who WIS
halfway up the stairs, Jumped off With
a fOOtstep as light as feather. grab
bed the astOunded girl by the wrist
and dragged her down the steps at the
risk Of both their necks. Sammy shOv-
ed June into the second floor hail
closet Sammy locked the door and
stuck the key I'm his pocket and set
the springs I'm his thin legs 20 work
and was sitting lazily on the top step.
bored and whistlng softly. when Ned
Warner and Mr. and Mrs John Moore
and Bobby and Iris Blethering came
out. Bobby extremely detected and Iris
explaining vOlubly that IL was all 4
mistake. June couldn't possibly have
been here. But she must have been.
after all, because Still. how could
IL be-
June in the dark closet. shut of from
all light and sound, stood bewildered,
her eyes distended in the darkness,
while Ned stood not two feet away
from her. He had paused before that
very door as II some delicate mag
netism had caught and held him there.
No trace OF her anywhere; no trace Of
Marie. the FreuCh-Canadian maid with
the high cheek bones; no trace Of the
mysterious black Yandyked man. whom
none OF them had cared 90 mention &c
the Widow O'Keefe Gilbert Blye. Ned
clinched his fists. and his brow grew
black a. his mind filled with tine image
or that dark. handsome face With its
glowing eyes and suave smile. That
image had never been absent from
Ned-s mind since the disappearance or
his beautiful bride a thousand tIees
That succes,ica nf incidents laI dssh-
"a upon his memo. with vivid clear
ness-June asleep In Tie Pullman u-.w-
tur room ON their honeymoon triu.
while te. up forward happily smoked,
The finding hcr gone after t.e t...a