Tensas gazette., 1916-11-17

Yes" acknowledged the patient
eyed woman.
What are those suspicious founded
on?"
"On certain words which l over
heard. words spoken by a very evt
man." q
What is that mans name?"
He is a one-armed man. named Le-
gar"
Golden half rose from his chair.
so you and Legar are still COM
rades, / see!" he cried, turning the
blade Of hate in that still open wound
Of pride.
"Legar and / never were comrades.
For years have kept a little res
taurant for art students and shopgirls.
just OF Washington square. 1t is
near the Italian quarter there. Some
times foreigner or two comes in.
mostly by accident. But yesterday,
when was in the kitchen, three men
came in a hurry. They had lodged
under cover there to escape being
seen by a plain-clothes man. l could
hear their talk through the little
kitchen slide through which we pass
our dishes. And when l heard their
voices ] opened the slide little. and
l knew at once that one of the men
was Palidori, or Legar. as he calls
himself now. He was talking mostly
to man called Casavanti. Then"
wait minute" interrupted Gold
en-, with his finger on the bell button.
II want my secretary to hear this"
The woman in black sat silent until
Manley had re-entered the room. Then
Golden motioned for her to continue
Il heard Legar mention your name"
she went on, still unmoved by the
older mans half-sneering incredulity.
Then he blamed Casavanti for some
scheme that had failed, some scheme
to degrade my Margory. But he had
the girl back, he said, and this time
he'd expect Casavanti to do his part
Then the third man wanted to know
why she couldn't be held for ransom,
II 1t was true her father had so much
money. But that led Casavanti to ex-
| plain that her father was a skin-flint,
as he put 1t, and to claim there was no
sense in trying to bleed a tight-wad
who'd sell his soul for a two-cent
stamp"
"A skin-fiint!" interjected Golden.
with snort Of anger. "A tight-wad!
The scurrilous hounds!"
| "Casavanti also said he wanted that
woman for himself. and declared she'd
come like hungry cat when he'd fin,
ished with her. / knew then what he
was. I knew what Legar was plan
ming. lit made me forget every
thing. I started for the table where
they were. tried to hold Legar. l.
l think called for help. / clung to
him es he staggered toward the door.
But one of his men struck me. They
escaped, then. for l was too dazed to
do anything more"
It was Manley who spoke next, an
eager light in his scowling young eyes.
But where did they say the girl
wasT he asked.
"rhey did not say. But one of them
spoke of Oyster Joe, who'd stolen
some casks of old cognac. This man
Oyster Joe was sending the casks by
another man named Old Eli to some
secret hiding place. l think 1t must
have been q cellar, from the way they
spoke"
"But how can that help us?" asked
Manley.
T thought, with those names to
work with, l might in some way find
my child, find her and save her. Sure
ly, with money, men could be hired"
do you hear. Manley," broke in the
grim-jawed man of millions. Its
money again! It's always money!"
He wheeled about and confronted the
tired-faced woman. This is the sec.
ond pretty story I've had to listen to
lately. And, madam, l may as well
tell you now that / don't believe a