The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1915-12-24

| S~@AS~
room.
Under your kind care," she said to
Mrs. Hardin, her hostess-and in her
tone was the slightest foreign accent
II am so we'll again, that I must
leave you"
She paused. Joe Welcher pushed
open the door and slouched into the
room. Inez Castro glanced at him Sc
ductively from under her long lashes
and went on.
with the aid of Mr.. Joey Welcher,'
she proceeded, II have consulted time
tables, and find very good connec-
tions on the next train.'
She opened her handbag, and took
out bills. And" she added, Il insist
on paying board
Mrs. Hardin held up her hand. miss
Courtier," she returned, II can't think
of it. You have taken what we call
pot-luck with us. You have been
friendly with us, and I hope we have
been friendly with you"
Inez smiled and shrugged her pretty
shoulders. She glanced casually at
| Joe Welcher. She slightly raised her
eyebrows-she watched Joey as a cat
watches mouse. And JOe-he was
watching something, too-the cash
that Inez was holding in her hand.
Inez groaned suddenly and put out her
hand.
Stupid she said, Il have forgot.
My outer bandage. I must return"
She returned the money to her hand
bag and laid it down upon the table.
Then she left the room and went up
stairs. Mrs. Hardin, Welcher's foster
mother, shifted the air.
''There's something burning in the
kitchen, Joey," she exclaimed, IF Miss
Courtier comes down I'll be right
| back" She, too, disappeared. And
Joey-easy-money Joey Welcher, was
left alone with the handbag and the
bills. Joey listened for an instant,
then tiptoed forward, seized the
handbag and drew forth the roll
of bills. He needed money badly-he
had to pay debt of honor, which
means gambling debt. He opened
the roll of bills and peeled off a few
where their absence would least be
noted, and then restored the balance
of the bills to the handbag-thrusting
his share into his pocket.
Inez Castro, seated halfway up the
stairs, watching through an inch of
open doorway, smiled to herself. Then
she tripped bit noisily, and irregu-
1arly-to show her limp-dOWn the
stairs and glided gracefully into the
room. Joe lit cigarette and watched
her. He was nervous, but game. lie
watched her closely. She took up her
bag and once again took out the bills
my charming hostess" she ex-
claimed, ",where should she be?''
"She should be here,'' said Joey,
evading her glance, wait BIZ, I'll
get her,
! He got her, and Inez resumed her
former conversatiCn-onc more in
sisting upon payment for her board.
Her offer was quite as insistently de-
clined. She sighed prettily and clicked
shut her bag. Welcher also sighed
with unmistakable relief. She turned
to him.
"The one.horse vehicle?" she asked.
"Outside," said Welcher, offering his
arm, "boys ready-time that you were
off,"
Once at the station 1nez bought
ticket for New York. But when the
train-a lccal-drew up at Lonesome
Cove, three miles north of Seaport,
Inez dropped off the rear platform of
the last car, and waited on the far
side of the track until the train was
out of sight. There was no station at
Lonesome Cove-merely shed. Swift
ly Inez crossed the track and passed
this station and then sped on down
toward the shore. She reached a mar
row strip of beach, stepped down to
the waters edge, and looked about
her Suddenly she saw what she was
looking fora bandanna handkerchief
thrust above clump of bushes. On
the sea side of this clump of bushes
was rock Inez raised her parasol
and sauntered gracefully toward this
rock, and composed herself = also
gracefully-in the shadow of the rock.
Before. doing, SO she. peered into the
bushes, noted the presence there Of
three shadowy figures, and nodded
slightly, in recognition, A man with .
foreign accent spoke. -
"What progress?" he queried anx.
"Best in the world, she answered,
I'VE have new recruit" !" y :$5A2
She changed her position. A man
thrust his head and face for mo-
ment out Of the bushes "a face across
which was a saber cut; q lvid scar
For a moment, with, their heads to-
gether, the two whispered. The man
with a scowl of satisfaction, finally
| withdrew his head. Inez rose to her
| feet and looked about her.
''Where is this Lonesome Cave Inn,
then?'' she queried.
:. "Haf mile farther up the beach
follow the shore line turn in at the
cove. Follow the water line-it takes
| you there. Good luck"
| CHAPTER XIII.