Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-25

The detective folded up his case and re-
placed it in his pocket
| NO" he said, I'VE haven't any photo
graphs of your lady friend there nor of
her sister And yet, it may not be SO
far Off"
IF you are trying to fasten anything
upon those ladies'" Tavernake began,
| threateningly.
The detective laughed and patted him
on the shoulder.
1T isn't my business to try and fasten
things upon any one" he interrupted.
'At the same time, you seem to be a
! friend of Mrs. Wenham Gardner, and it is
! just as we'll that some one should warn
her"
Warn her of what?" Tavernake asked.
The detective looked at his cigar medi-
tatively
Make her understand that there Is
trouble ahead" he replied.
Tavernake slipped his whiskey and soda
and lit a cigarette. Then he turned in his
chair and looked thoughtfully at his COM
panion Pritchard was a striking-looking
man. with hard, clean-cut features-a man
of determination.
"Mr. Pritchard, 1 am a clerk in an
estate office My people were work-people
and l am trying to better myself In the
world | haven't learned how to beat
about a subject, but have learned little
of the world, and l know that people
such as you are not In the habit of
doing things without a reason. Why the
devil have you brought me in here to talk
about Mrs. Gardner and her sister? If
you've anything to say, why don't you
go TO Mrs. Gardner herself and say IT.?
Why do you come and talk to strangers
about their affairs? l am here listening
to you. but l tell you straight l don't
like IT,"
Pritchard nodded,
Say, l am not sure that l don't like
that sort of talk" he declared. 81 know
all about you, young man. You're in
Bowling & Spence's office and you've got
to quit You've got an estate you want
financing. Miss Beatrice Franklin was
living under your roof-as your sister, I
understand-until yesterday. and Mrs.
Gardner for some reason of her own.
seems TO be doing her best TO add you
TO the list of her admirers / am not
sure what 1t all means, but could make
pretty good guess. Here's my point,
though. You're right. l didn't bring you
here for your health. brought you here
because you can do me a service and
yourself one at the same time and you'll
be doing no one any harm. nobody YOU
care about, anyway l have no grudge
against Miss Beatrice. I'd just as soon
she kept out Of the trouble that's COM
ing"
What is this service?" Tavernake
asked.
Prltchard for the moment evaded the
point
Il dare say you can understand, Mr..
Tavernake." he said that IN my pro-
fesslon one has to sometimes go a long
way round to get a man or a woman Just
where you want them. Now we merely
glanced at that table as we came in. and
can tell you this for gospel truth
there isn't one OF that crowd that
couldn't. II l liked, haul back 10 New
York on some charge or another. You
wonder why / don't do II. I'll tell you.
It's because ! am waiting-waitlng until
can bring home something more serious,
something that will keep them out OF the
way for Just as long as possible Do
you follow me, Mr. TavernakeT'
Il suppose / do TaVernake answered,
eoubtfully you are only talking OF the
men. OF eourse?"
Pritchard smiled
MY young friend" he agreed II am
only talking Of the men. At the same
time. l guess I'm not betraying any con
ndenee, or telling you anything that Mrs.
Wenham Gardler doesn't know herself.
when ! sey thft she's doing her best 10
qualify for q Flmllar position
4cn mean mas shs q doing aomelhInr
azzinFt ne iFt 4aFerpaka Qxclafmed,