The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-12-22
CHAPTER XII.
Peter Orme

A mans figure rose from the
shadows OF the porch and came for
ward To meet w AS We swung az
to the curblnE. stiled scream
Ia my throat.
"saa.ay. glri." draNlcd the mans
voice. with familiar little cack.
ling laugh IN Il. 'aa.a-ay. girl. the
policeman on ia beats go, ms
spotted for suspicious character
been hoorin u up an down this
block like distracted mamma
waltln for her daughter L come
home from a boat ride.
"Blachie' It's only YOU"
Thanks. flattcrrr.' slmpere
nlackie. coming 10 the edge of tho
walk az | stepped from the auto
mobile
What IL Il. Biacklef" asked
Il got Z talk To YOU for n min
ute. P'Faps Won Gerhard d better
hear II. too. telophoned you an
hour ago. Tried to get YOU ou'
TO tho bay. Waited here ever
since. Got paflor. or somethin'
where a guy can TALK
| led the way indoors The bare
unfriendly boarding house parloi
vas unoccupied. aud one dim ga'
JET did duty as Illumination.
BRING In tho set pieces" nut
tered biackie. as he turned tao
more gas Jets flarlng high. This
parlor Just yells for n funeral"
Won Gerhard vas frowning
Mrs. Orme IL no, we'll" ho began.
She has had n shock star
tling cws-conccrning-
Her husbandT" inquired Dlaeklc
cooily.
started up with = cry. How
could you know"
4 look 81 relief came into
nlackie'A face. That helps = little.
Now listen. aid. An wen Ee,
thru. remember I'm ,hnro With tho
lliiio hslpln' mlti.
= Was up At tho Press Club 10.
night Tho place sounded Kind Of
siill when I como up the steps. and
] wondered wherc all tho boys was.
Well. | stecfrd for tho dining
room. an there was the bunch.
An just as come In they give a
roar. and ! started 20 investigate.
Up against tho fireplace stood n
mnn--siranEsr 4 mo. Hio was
,aikln' Kind of low. and quick.
bltln' off his words like n EnEiiah
man. An tho boys, they was
starln' with their eyes. an their
mouths. and forEetiin { smoke.
while hc tall cd Talk Sa-a.ay.
Girl. that guy. he could talk tho
leads righ, out OF ruled. locked
form"
"Pc,cT." mosnci. and buried
my face In my hands. Won Ger.
hard pat a quick hand on my arm.
But ! shook Il OF I'm not going
20 faint" said. thru set teeth
I'm not going TO do anything silly.
! want to think want to .
Go on. Blnckie.'
Just a minute" interrupted Won
Gerhard Does he know whore
Mrs orme IL llvlng7"
I'm coming L that returned
Blackie TRANQUILITY. Tho for
Dawn's sake III say right here he
don't know told him later. that
ahc was takin n vacation up at her
folks In Michigan
Thank Gcd'" I hreathed.
Wore New York Press Club
button. this guy did. asked one
OF the boys standin' on the outer
edge OF the circle what tho fellow "
name was, but he only says: shut
up. Black An listen. Hos seen
every darn thing In tho world.
Well. listened. He wasn't braK.
gin. He was Just talkin'. Seems
Ike hos been war correspondent
In the Boer war. and the Spanish.
American. an heaven knows where
He knew everybody. an every.
thing. All OF sudden one of the
boys points 10 the Roosevelt sig.
nature on the wall--the one NJ.
scrawled up there along with ali
the other celebrities first time he
was entertained by the Press Club
boys. Well. this guy. he looked
ht tho name for n minute. 'Roose.
veltT he says. slow. oh. yes
Seems T. me I've heard OF him
We'll, ut that the boys yelled
Thought II was good Joke, seeln'
that Ted had been smeared all
over the first page OF everything
for years. But kid. ! seen IN look
In that mans eyes when no raid II.
and he wasn't jokin'. girl. An II
came { me. all OF n sudden, that
all the things hod been talkin'
about had happened almost ten
years back. After ho'd made that
break about Roosevelt he kind Of
shut up.
"Somethin' seemed { urge me T.
go up { him an say, Have game
OF billiards.
Don't care II | do says he.
and We made for the billiard room
with the whole gang after M
Sa-a-ay. girl. I'm n modest violet.
am, but | don't mind mentionin'
that the general opinion up Mt tho
club Ia that I'm little wizard with
the cue. Well. wen he got thru
with me ! looked like little sister
when big brother IL tryin' T. teach
her how TO hold the enc In her
fingers"
Concluded In Our kest Ie,ue)