The Delta independent., 1915-12-31

why, that imbecile of boy there
told me the third floor. left. and here
it is"
81 called up, sir. but you did not
hear me, you were in such hurry. l
came on new today"
Jillson smiled. You may go. 1
shan't report you this time" The boy
vanished gladly enough. Now, sup
posing we send for the police?"
| NO" said Miss Mearson deter
minedly. 1T might attract other
thieves. l do not want the police or
the newspapers to know anything
about the affair. The box will be re-
turned when he finds nothing but let
ters in it,
Mr.. Mearson jerked his shoulders;
Jillson scratched his chin; Forbes
sighed.
We'll, then. Forbes-but l beg par
don. Forbes, Miss Mearson and her
father. Forbes. Miss Mearson, is an
old friend of mine, an artist"
Sorry you've had all this incon-
venience,' said Mearson decently. "It
was clever scoundrel. Seemed to
know about our affairs. Lured us
downtown; false telephone CALI
mo harm DONE" replied Jillson,
locking his arm in Forbes. Good
night. Hope the box is returned when
the thief finds there's nothing valu-
able in it,
The girl smiled in detached way.
Now, Jill, old man." said Forbes
on the way up to Jillson's, "a word
Oh n ;e
Did Mearson speak before the boys?"
No. You're safe enough. NUNS
the word if it will ease you. Mighty
good joke on you, though. We've been
waiting for you for an hour Rang
up your studio, your club and your
favorite bar. Crawford's having his
usual run Of luck. Four-card draws
and all that, and he's four hundred
ahead of the game at this minute"
| He's always the DEVILS luck But,
lucky at cards, unlucky at love-"
| oh, punk! There's Wheedon; hap
piest married man in town, and he
wins about five thousand year. Only,
Crawford's luck is uncanny"
Good old Gravity! Who are the
Mearsons? l heard the name before" /"
| Hes q thorough-going clubman."
| Hang 1t. / mean the girl. And all
those museum pieces. -
| "Oh, she's the niece of that ratty
old codger Mearson, the curio-collec-
tor. Left his millions to the girl and
the best Of his collection. As under
stand 1t. she must use the collection
as furniture. He rowed with all the
museums over a big ruby. But don't
set your eye there, my boy. We call
her the Frozen Lady" Jillson flung
open the door. Here he is, boys: got
into the wrong apartment. Koto, bring
the brandy. There's your chair; and
play 'em closet"
| His friends greeted Forbes bolster
ously. They had made sundry wagers
as to what had detained him, and the
consensus of opinion was that he had
seen a pretty face and followed it.;
which was Indignantly denied.
Forbes sat down next to Crawford,
who slapped him on the shoulder. He
liked Crawford the best of all his
friends; Crawford. the kindly, the
loyal, the silent, the scholar who
wrote brochures on ancient hieroglyph.
les. who was rich but who lived like
a sensible lawyers clerk; who was al
ways agreeable and charming. whose
eyes had that calm steady unchanging
gray OF the sea where it nears the
horizon. He fought shy of women;
but he was not one of those mentally
deficient apes who call themselves
woman-haters. He merely avoided
them; why. no one knew. Many were
after him for his money and many
sought him for his own sake, but he
was not to be caught.
Forbes was eager to get him alone
and to recount his extraordinary ad.
venture, for Crawford was an excel.
lent Judge of adventures. being a
great hunter and a famed archeolo.
gist. his past bristling with the most
amazing exploits which the newspaper
writer's had not yet stumbled upon.
He lived alone in a barn of a house
in most Questionable district, sur
rounded by mummies and waited upon
by valet who always looked to
Forbes as II he had stepped out of
one of the cartonnages.
Strange, that the baw-baw man is
generally as empty as a sucked egg,
while the mum chap over there in the
corner is Sindbad the Sailor in an Ill
fitting contraption from Poole's
Though. Crawford's tailor was impec.
cable. More likely Tom and Com
pany OF Yokohama. For Crawford
had a mysterious way OF turning up
in strange places. of sailing without
advising friends. of returning as quiet
ly as though he had been spending
the weekend over in Connecticut.
He was very fond OF the artist,
knowing the real man below the egg.