The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1916-12-19

and seemed TO enjoy the novelty and be
wiling to pay for it. T
Adele, who was one Of the perform
cr', had not arrived vet. but Constance
VINO had come with her mind sull full
ot the mo unexpected encounters with
Dfunmond. was startled 10 see him
here again Fortunately he did no,
ser her, and She slipped unobservca
INTO an angle near the window over
looking the street,
Drummond had been engrosscd in
watching someone already there. and
Constance made the best use she could
ot her eyes to determine who il was
he outdoor walk and a good dinner
had checked her headache. and now the
excitement OF the chase Of something
she Knew not what, completed the cure.
Il was not long before she discov.
cred that Drummond was watching in
tentIy. without seeming to do so. a
nervouS-looklng fellow whose general
waNhed-out appearance Of face was es-
peclally unattraCtivc for some reason
.or other He was very thin. very male
and very stary about the eyes. Then.
too, it seemed as il the bone in his
nose was going, due PERHAPS to the
Shrinkagc OF the blood vessels from
some cause
Constance noticed couple of girls
whom she had seen Adele speak 10 ON
several occasions approaching the
young man
lhere came an opportunc lull in the
music and from around the corner Of
her protecting angle Constance could
lust catch the greeting OF one Of the
YIS, Hello, Slelghbcllsl Got any
1t was a remark that seemed mar
ticnIarly malapropos to the sul,ry
weather, and Constance half EXPECTED
a nurSt OF laughter at the unexpected
sally. N'
Instead, she was surprised TO hear
the young man reply in a very serious
and ma'tcr-of-iact manner, "Sure. Got
any money, May"
She craned her neck caref,lI
o.
avoiding coming into Drummond's line
OF VISION, and as she did so she saw
SILVER quarters glcam momentarily from
hand TO hand, and the Young man
passed each girl steal,hily small
white paper packet.
Others came to him, both men and
women. It seemed to be an established
thing, and Constance noted that Drum
mond watched il all coyertly
who is that" asked Constance of
the waiter who had served her some.
times when she had been with Adele
and knew her.
Why they call him Sleiphb.lls
Charlie" he replied, "a coke ficnd"
Which means a cocaine ficnd | sup.
pose" she Queried
YES He's the lobbygow for the
grapcvinc system they have now of
selling the dope in spite of this new
law"
Where does he get the stuff" she
asked.
The waiter shrugged his shoulders.
Nobody knows. ] guess, don't But
ne gets II in spite OF the law and ped
dies IT, oh. its all adul,erated-with
some white stuff don't know what
and the price they charge is outrage.
Gus. They must make an ounce retail
At tive or six times the cost oh. Won
can bet that some one who is at the
top is making pile of money out OF
that graft, all right
lie said II not with any air of right.
eous Indignation, but with a certain
envy.
Constance was thinking the thing
over in her mind. Where did the
coke" come from1 The grapevine"
system interested her
"Slcighhells" seemed 10 have dis.
posed oi all the coke" he had brought
with him. As the las, packet went. he
arose slowly and Shuffled out Con
stance. who knew that Adele would
not come for some time. determined TO
follow him She rose quietly, and, un.
der cover of a party going out, man.
aged to disappear without as far as
she knew, letting Drummond catch
glimpse Of her This would not only
employ her time, but she felt il was
better TO avoid Drummond as iar a.
possible at present
NJ distance oi about half block
she followed the curiousy shufilnV
figure He crossed the avenue. turned
and went uptown, turned again. and
before she knew it, disappeared in a
drug store. She had been so engrossed