Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-01-22
COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY JOHN FLEMi q WILSON

tinned hcsitatingly. "Do you know Mr.
Darnell very we'll"
There was that in the mans tone
that made John pause before answer
ing. He glanced at the cool, impas'
sive face and caught the CLINT Of the
steady eyes. He took a sudden resolu
ton. "
II believe you're really interested In
this matter" Dorr said briefly. "Sup.
pose We talk this over before hunting
the taxi chauffeur"
II was merely curious, that's ALL"
was the noncommittal murmur.
THAT girl is not her daughter" John
continued. II have reason to believe
&aat it is Miss Ruth Gallon. the heir
ess to the Master Key mine. whom she
Is abducting." His passion blaAed
forth in spite Of bis self restraint. ~
must find her and save her"
might I ask what relation you are
to the young lady"' asked the detec.
tive mildly. % .. '.. Al
John stared at him and then realized
the oddly Of his actions and words.
He briefly explained his position at the
mine and bis wardship of the heiress.
He also went into detail as to what he
suspected Wilkerson Of. describing him
carefully. -.
HE was one Of them. sure enough"
agreed the detective. But young heir
esses amt being kidnapped days like
these out Of hotels like this" ~
II may. be mistaken. John assented
YEARLY. ."All l know Of Mrs. Darnell
is from occasional words dropped by
Wilkerson. But ! suppose We might
get a clew as to where they went any
way" H.. s.~s
After some search Of the long line of
taxis they came to one which the de-
tectiye. identified as the one Mrs. OAR
nell had taken the night before.
Driver, take US where you did those
fares who were in such a hurry last
night" the detective ordered.
The chauffeur shook his head. You
can search me for the address" he re-
turned. There wasn't any" ~
The driver leaned out from his seat
and went on earnestly: "You know
how they jumped in and we rolled OF.
Well, 1t seemed 1t was a Ease: Of life
and death. according to the woman.
and ! stepped o. the machine and
FASTENED some toward the North Pa
cifc hospital. But when we got into
Chinatown one Of the men hailed. me
and told me to drive just as he said.
BE got out here in front with me. and
when we reached q certain spot they
all beat it." H.: -. !. 80, -.
"Can you take us to that spot"
II, was just wondering to myself
whether I could find It," was the re.
Spouse, But Ill try"
He threw In his clutch and the car
left the line and started up the hill
toward California. street. John Dorr
leaned back against the cushions with
a strange sense of at last being on his
way toward his goal. He barely heard
his companiQn's murmur, Evidently
they took her into the lower part Of
Chinatown" =. g..
We usually credit the oriental with
little or no Imagination, pointing to
his art. his clothes and his language as
evidences. As the fact runs, even the
Chinese coolie. uses the faculty of
Imagination more frequently than his
white brother on an equal social plane.
Sing Wah, or Wah Sing, as he was
indiferently called, was ,outwardly a
stolid. dull eyed Chinese Of uncertain
middle age. His picture-it was in the
gallery Of every secret service Office
from Singapore to ;Philadelphia-was
not less changelesa Of expression, nor
more teciturn than he. Yet in, spite Of
bis somber clothes and general air OF
blank stupidity, Sing Wah was a man
OF mark, a man with a history treplete
with adventure and. not too, seldom
with crime. "
If the ordinary criminal could have
an office or a store he would quadruple
his profits. But the common run of
~rascals: must steal and fly. Their post
office address is a pigment. They are
not. at. home when opportunity knocks.
Sing Wah knew this. and 1t was his
boast that for thirty years any one
who wanted him., either day Of. night.
could find him.
so be sat at the back of bis little
store night after night, blinking
through the wooden screen at the Va
rious customers who came in to trade
or barter. And year after year they
came to his door, the pirate and tie
thief, the smuggler and the robher, and
lie took his toll OF them and passed
them on. Whittier? Sing Wah never
told. And because he did not tell they
came back With greater loot and rich
er booty. and he again passed them
through his store to vanish utterly
from the shaunts Of men and the pur-
view Of the police. unz VI
Among the many hundreds who had
availed themselves Of Sing Wah's aid
was Wilkerson, who, during dark pc.
RODS Of his career. had several times
run athwart the barriers of the. law
and been compelled to seek. refuge
where he could.
Harry Wilkerson was not a fool. In
some ways he was brilliantly endowed.
He recognized; Sing Wah's superiority
to all others in tho great game Of ont.