The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-01-13

tufn W Nue CubtOulhn lou neeu0 I
stay; I'll ring when we want to DO let
out"
Griswold followed in mild bewilder.
ment when she turned aside to one OF
the little mahoganylined cells set
apart for the use OF the stockholders.
saw her press the button which
switched the lights on. and mechani-
cally obeyed her signal to close the
door. When their complete privacy
was assured. she put the japauned boz
on the tiny table and motioned him to
n Of the swo chairs.
DO you know why I have brought
you here?" she asked. when he was
sitting within arm's.reach OF the small
black box.
How should II" he said. You take
me where you please, and when you
please. and ! ask no questions. am
too we'll content to be with you to
care very much about the why's and
wherafores."
"oh. how nicely you say ~" she
commended. with the frank little
laugh which he had come TO know and
10 seek 10 provoke. She was standing
against the opposite cell wall with her
shoulders squared and her hands be
hind her: the pose. whether intention.
al or natural, was dramatically perfect
and altogether b%ewitching. II was
born to be your fairy godmother. !
think" she went on joyously. Tell
me: when you bought your ticket to
wahaska that night In st. Louis. rel
YOU meaning TO come here to find
work."
No" he adpitted; 81 had money,
then"
What became OF it,"
u don't know. suppose II was
stolen from me on the train. Il was in
a package In n OF my sui;cases; and
Doctor Farnham said"
II know; also he told you that we
didn't find any money!"
YES: he told me that. too. We
agreed that somebody must have gone
through the grips on the train"
80 you Just let the money go7"
so ! Just let II GO"
She was laughing again and the be.
dazzling eyes were dancing with de-
light.
Il told you I was going TO prove that
you are a philosopher" she exulted.
Sour old Diogenes himself couldn't
have been more superbly indifferent TO
the goods the gods provide Open that
box on the table. please"
lie did It half.absently: at the first
sight OF the brown.paper packet with.
In. the electric bulb suspended over
the table seemed to grow black ard
the mahogany walls Of the tiny room
to spin dizzily. Then. with a click
that he fancied he could hear. the buz'
zing mental machinery stopped and
reversed itself. A cold sweat, clammy
and s%ickening. started out on him
when he realized that the reversal had
made him once again the crafty. cor
nered criminal. ready 20 fight or fly
or to slay. II a life stood In the way Of
escape. without knowing what he did
he closed the box and got upon his
feet, cycling her with a growing feroc
ity that he could neither Danish mol
control.
II see: you we're a little beforehand
with the Doctor he said, and hs
strove to say II naturally; to keep the
malignant devil that was whispering
In his ear from debating the tor al
we'll as the words.
IL was, indeed; several days before
hand" she boosted. still joyously ex
ultant.
"You-you opened the package?" hi
went on, once more pushing the i'm
Fortunate devil aside.
Naturally. How else would ! have
known that II was worth locking up?'
Her GOODNESS ~astounded him. II she
knew the whole truth-and the demon
at his a was assuring him that sh,
must know it-she must also know
that she was confronting a greal
peril; the peril OF one who voluntarily
shuts himself into a trap with the fear
maddened wild thing for which tn,
trap was baited and set. lie wal
steadying himself with n hand on tn,
table when he said: well. you opened
the package; what did you find out?'
What did l find out?" lie heard hei
half.hesitant repetition OF his query
and for one fitting instant he made
sure that he saw the fear OF death IL
the wide-open eyes that were lifted u
his. But the next instant the eye,
we're laughing at him. and she wal
going on confidently. "Of course. a,
soon az | united the string | saw I
was money-a lot OF money; and yol
can imagine that ! tied II up again
quickly. and didn't lose any more tins
than | could help In putting It ava,
in the safest place ! could think OF
Every day since you began TO get we'll
I've been expecting you TO say some
thing about Il; but as long as yot
wouldn't. | wouldn't"
Slowly the blood came back into the
saner channels. and the whispering
demon at his ear grew lesn a~rticulate
lie took the necessary forward steI
and stood before her. And his answel
was no answer at all,