The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-06-01

honest.
The thought of it warmed her
heart little.
She found letter, and took 1t
to her room to read.
What fools we poor women
are!" was her only comment upon
finishing the missive.
II was a busy mind Crawford
carried back TO the hotel. He could
no more have helped stealing that
sweet than he could have stopped
breathing.
She had chosen to ignore it,
with the wisdom of her sex. Why
had he not taken a good kiss?
His whistle ceased in the mid
die of bar. What were these
chaps up to? The short, wiry
man with the stubbly black mus
tache he had instantly recognized
as one of the two men he had seen
in the hotel bar just before leav-
ing New York.
| The handsome chap was with
out doubt the same Warren had
advised him to watch; the scar
made his identity certainty.
Evidently they had thought him
something of q fool. SO much the
better; he would play the fool to
see where they would lead him.
Mr.. Hanchett and Mr.. Denni-
son; very good!
"Hello!" he said, stopping be-
fore their rocking chairs. Hard
luck you chaps are having. You'll
get out tomorrow all right,
though. The gale is blowing it.
self out"
"I'll be glad to meet Mr..
Bass" said Mr.. Dennison, strok-
ing his mustache.
That's the trouble with the
water up here" said Mr.. Han
chett. Great fishing grounds,
but 1t blows too much"
"Try the bay across the river
Tomorrow. You'll find bass
there" said Crawford.
"Thanks-we will"
Crawford went to his room.
Cool" observed Mr.. Denni-
son.
Good nerves. We may have
trouble"
Trust me for that. What do
you say to a little game of pin
ocle to pass the time. He will
not go out tonight. We might
fake a message"
"He may know her handwrit-
ing"
HIM! Anybody you know"
How should | know herr"
| Mr.. Hanchett shrugged. Come
on-let's get the game started"
| Crawford put on his slippers
read a little while, rose, and
walked the length of the room
several times. He recalled two
men leaning against bar, one
big and the other short and
wiry; he heard the toast - the
fisherman's toast.
"Pidgin island"
: Square away!"
He tingled with the discovery
that 1t was something far more
important than reprisal; they
. were not after him directly then
only watching him to learn If he
: knew anything. Into what man
ner of coil had he innocently
stumbled?
What were they bringing in
a painting? Mona List " Not
they!
Where was the big fellow who
had offered the toast that night?
Possibly with Smead. He must
look sharp.
Up here, out of the beaten
track, where no one would dream
of looking for them. what was
simpler than sending motor.
boat out from Kingston to Pid.
gin, ostensibly to meet another
boat from the American side?
Smead over there and Messrs.
Hanchett and Dennison here. He
knew at least where the key lay,
and all because Smead had chos-
en- the wrong moment in which
to sun himself on the Kingston
hotel veranda.
Tomorrow! He had haid down
his pipe, astounded.
DIANA! Always wanting to
fish Pidgin, always watching and
waiting. Came back wildly that
noon when the game wardens'
boat put in-the spell of dizzi.
ness which had seized her. Di.
anna Wynne! At which end OF
this tangle did she stand?
Had the gift of clairvoyance
been his that moment he would
have witnessed a little scene
which would have still further
bewildered him. Crawford had
made several journeys by night
to the farm, but at precisely q
quarter to nine she had gone in
She was tired, 1t had been a
long day; she was sleepy. How
easy 1t is for a woman to send
man on his way when she
wants to be rid of him!
Always she entered the village
perhaps a quarter of an hour la.
ter than he did.
So! The telegraph operator
was one of the three or four vii.
layers who did not gossip. Yet
this operator would have given
months wages to confide to
his family the nightly advent In
his dingy shop of this mysterious
young woman,