The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-11-12

with it all? Why should he interview
the Waltons and advise them 10 stay
in New York when had told him the
only thing they could do was to go
back home and forget Jim Haviland,
the crook? And Jemison knew that
would never be able to put my hand
OF dollar of that two hundred and
fifty thousand.
In the morning Jamison was on
hand early.
"The Waltons have gone" were his
first words.
Thank Heaven" muttered.
"They have left the Waldorf and
are somewhere in New York." he add
ed, cycling me keenly.
what do you mean?" l demanded
fearfully.
THAT they have probably taken
cheap rooms somewhere. because they
haven't enough money to do anything
else"
as that helpless old man and his
dsughter--"I shut my lips grimly.
Exactly" he declared, looking me
straight in the eyes. "Mr. Haviland."
he went on tersely. do you really be-
lieve that girl telephoned to the police
the fact that you were O'Hagen's MUIR
dored?"
"She did" I averred doggedly, but
something in his tone made the breath
catch in my throat.
II he
three words out as he might have
cracked the whip. "She did not leave
her room yesterday morning. Not an
out going telephone message came
!. from the.Walton suite But sor,e one
called her at 11:43, and she hurried
from the rooms to get taxi"
I staggered against the stone wall
of the cell. She had not betrayed me,
ard l. Good Heavens, had let her
suffer because thought she had bro
ken her promise-because | was y
cur
But the detective said" ! began
weakly, throwing sop to my crooked
self.
He thought 1t was Miss Walton
because il was woman"
But no woman could know"
Don't you suppose Mike Garven
needs women in bis work."
What a fool I'd been, OF course.
he probably planned her presence
at my arrest, just as he had planned
everything else.
There are fifty detectives at work
In Richmond on Garven," said Jami
son, kindly trying to change the sub
ject. "a hundred more are raking
him over in New York. He knows
it, tool"
He hasn't taken them away"
cried of sudden new fear struck me.
at won't help him any if he has,"
the lawyer said grimly. He Is being
watched every minute"
Never mind Mike Garven!" I
/ choked. "Find the girl and her
father"
Your life depends on Mike Gar.
ven," he reminded me.
What use Is life like mine,"
blazed, when the happiness Of that
girl and her father are at stake?"
He put his hand on my shoulder.
you are man, Jim Haviland,' ne
said. Then, almost bruskly: 1T will
take four days for your extradition
papers. I won't fight that because !
have a bunch that I think l will Do
stronger than all the detectives we
have on the trail. Fate can't be
wholly against man like YOU"
Find that girl-and tell her!" was
all I would say.
thoughts that obsessed me. imagfn-
ed I could see them in some unclean
rooming- house, starving perhaps; for
knew that they would send every
cent they had to the neighbors they
could not return TO face. A word from
me would have changed II all--and
had withheld that word!
No one but dog would have
thought Of such thing. Why should
MT she betray me? Hadn't I sworn
|
IL I had won the fight in the hours
that came after7
I planned to rob them because Il
meant the saving Of my own worth.
less life; I had meant to condemn
them to life of suffering SO that I
might disgrace the world with my
presence a few years longer
The next day Jamison came and
shook his head at my eager query.
No trace of them! They had paid
their bill at the Waldorf, sending a
money-order OF several hundred del
lars to the bank James had left. Then
they had vanished.
I seemed to see the girl vainly
searching for work to keep body and
soul together. I could see her face
pinched and wan. I was responsible!
Nor was there news the next day
Nor the next. Jamison tried his best
to brace me up. He failed. ! didn't