Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1915-06-15

ton, Just 10 De NANCY. ln0i0 nO Aa
been with his servant, playing with
his two trained white rats.
Wong placed them up his capacious
sleeves and carefully opened the door
to look out. Unfortunately he was
Just in time to see the door OF 5VS
open and disclose US.
We hurried into 511 and shut the
door.
Kennedy mounted a chair and ap-
plied his eve to the detectascope. Just
then Mary and Elaine entered the
next room, Mary opening the door
with regular key.
wont you step in?" she asked.
Elaine did so and Mary hesitated
in the hall. Wong Sin had slipped
out. on noiseless feet and taken ref
uge behind some curtains. AS he saw
her alone, he beckoned. to- Mary.
There's a stranger in the next
room" he whispered. 4 don't Ike
him. Take the money and as quickly
as possible get out and go to my
apartment.
At the news that there was a sus-
picious stranger about Mary showed
great alarm. Everything was so rap
i'd now that the slightest hesitation
meant disaster. Perhaps by quick
ness even a suspicious stranger could
be fooled, she reasoned. At any rate,
Wong Sin was resourceful. She had
better trust him.
Mary followed Elaine into the room,
where she had seated herself already,
and locked the door.
Have you the money there?" she
asked.
Eyes" nodded Elaine. taking out
the package OF bills which she had got
from the bank during the half-hour
delay.
All this we could see by gazing al
ternately through the detectascope.
Elaine handed Mary the money
Mary counted it slowly. At last she
looked up.
ITS all right" she said. Now, III
take this to that tong leader. He's in
a room only just across the hall"
She went out.
Mary had just succeeded in getting
on the elevator as Kennedy hurried
down the hall. The door was closed
and the car descended. He rang the
push bell furiously, but there was
no answer.
He dashed back to the room with
us and jerked the telephone receiver.
"Hello-hello-hello he called.
There seemed to be no way to get
a connection. What was the mat
ter?
He hurried down the hall again.
Down in the hotel lobby, with his
follower, the Chinaman paused before
the telephone switchboard, where two
girls were at work.
You may co." ordered Wong, and,
as his man left, he moved over close
to the switchboard.
Just as q call from 500 flashed up,
Wong slipped the rings off his little
fingers and loosened the white rats
on the telephone switchboard itself.
With shrek the telephone system
of the Coste went temporarily out OF
business.
80
Kennedy had succeeded in finding
the alcove of the floor clerk In charge
of the fifth floor There on his desk
was an instrument having stylus on
the end of two arms, connected to a
system Of magnets. 1t was a telauto-
graph.
Unceremoniously Craig pushed the
clerk out of his seat and sat down
himself. 1t was a last chance, now
that the telephone was out of COM
mission.
Downstairs in the hotel office, where
the excitement had not spread to ev.
cry one, was the other end Of the cleo
trio long-distance writer.
1t started to write, as Kennedy
wrote, upstairs:
"House Detective-quick-h WON.
an with blue chateIaIne bag, getting
out Of elevator"
The clerks downstairs saw 1t and
shouted above the din of the rat-bait.
ing:
"McCann-McCann!"
The clerk had torn of the message
from the telautograph register and
handed it to the house man, who
pushed his way to the desk.
Quickly the detective called to the
bell-hops. Together they hurried af>
ter the well-dressed woman who had
just swept out Of the elevator. Mary
had already passed through the ex-
cited lobby and out, and was about
to cross the street-safe.
Mccain and the bell-hops we're now
in full cry after her. Flight was use
less. She took refuge in indignation
and threats.
But Mccain was obdurate. She
passed quickly to tears and pleadings.
1t had no effect They insisted on
leading her back. The game was up
Here" cried Kennedy, take her up
in the elevator. I'll prove the case"
"Now-not a word Of who she Ia in
the papers. McCann," Kennedy con.
Guided. referring to Elaine. "You
know, 1t wouldn't sound well for the
La Coste- As for that woman-well,
I've got the money back. You can
take her off-make the charge"
AS the house man left with Mary |
handed Craig his bag. We moved TO-
ward the door, and as we stood there
moment with Elaine, he quietly hand
ed over to her the big roll OF money.
II he had been less OF scientist, he
might have understood the look on
her face. but. with nod to me, he
turned and went.
As she looked first at him, then at
the paltry ten thousand in her hand.
Elaine stamped her little foot In yex.
alton.