The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-03-24


room.
Under your kind care" she said to
Mrs. Hardin, her hostess-and In her
tone was the slightest foreign accent
Il am SO we'll again, that l must
leave you"
She paused. Joe Welcher pushsd
open the door and slouched into the
room. Inez Castro glanced at him Sc
ductively from under her long lashes
and went on.
with the aid Of Mr.. Joey Welcher.' .
she proceeded, 81 have consulted time
tables. and find very good connec'
tons on the next train
She opened her handbag, and took
out bills. And" she added, Il insist
on paying board"
Mrs. Hardin held up her hand Miss
Courtier.' she returned. Il can't think
OF 1t. You have taken what we call
pot-luck with US. You have been
friendly with US, and hope we have
been friendly with you"
lnez smiled and shrugged her pretty
shoulders. She glanced casually at
Joe Welcher. She slightly raised her
eyebrows--she watched Joey as a cat
watches q mouse. And Joe-he was
watching something, too-the cash
that lnez was holding in her hand
lnez groaned suddenly and put out her
hand.
Stupid" she said, Il have forgot
My outer bandage. l must return"
She returned the money to her hand
bag and laid 1t down upon the table.
Then she left the room and went up
stairs. Mrs. Hardin, Welchers foster
mother, shifted the air.
There's something burning in the
kitchen, Joey" she exclaimed, IF Miss
Courtier comes down I'll be right
back" She, too, disappeared. And
Joey-easy- Joey Welcher was
left alone with the handbag and the
bills. Joey listened for an instant
then tiptoed forward, seized the
handbag and drew forth the roll
of bills. He needed money badly-he
had to pay a debt of honor, which
means a gambling debt He opened
the roll Of bills and peeled off a few
where their absence would least be
noted, and then restored the balance
of the bills to the handbag-thrustine
his share into his pocket
lnez Castro, seated halfway up the
stairs, watching through an inch of
open doorway, smiled to herself Then
she tripped bit noisily, and irregu-
larly-to show her limp-down the
stairs and glided gracefully into the
room. Joe lit cigarette and watched
her. He was nervous, but game. He
watched her closely. She took up her
bag and once again took out the bills.
MY charming hostess" she ex-
claimed, where should she be?"
"She should be here" said Joey,
evading her glance, wait bit, I'll
get her"
He got her, and Inez resumed her
former onversation-once more in
sisting upon payment for her board.
Her offer was quite as insistently de-
clined. She sighed prettily and clicked
shut her bag. Welcher also sighed
with unmistakable relief. She turned
to him.
THE one-horse vehicle?" she asked.
Outside" said Welcher, Offering his
arm, boys ready-time that you were
off,"
Once at the station Inez bought q
ticket for New York. But when the
train-a local-drew up at Lonesome
Cove, three miles north of Seaport,
Inez dropped of the rear platform of
the last car, and waited on the far
side of the track until the train was
out of sight. There was no station at
Lonesome Cove-merely a shed. Swift
ly Inez crossed the track and passed
this station and then sped on down
toward the shore She reached a mar
row strip of beach, stepped down to
the waters edge, and looked about
her. Suddenly she saw what she was
looking fora bandanna handkerchief
thrust above a clump Of bushes. On
the sea side Of this clump of bushes
was rock. Inez raised her parasol
and sauntered gracefully toward this
rock, and composed herself also
gracefully-in the shadow of the rock.
Before doing SO she peered into the
bushes, noted the presence there of
three shadowy figures, and nodded
slightly, in recognition. A man with q
foreign accent spoke.
What progress?" he queried anx-
iously.
Best In the world" she answered,
I'VE have q new recruit"
She changed her position. A man
thrust his head and face for q mo-
ment out of the bushes face across
which was a saber cut; livid scar
For 4 moment, with their heads to-
gether. the two whispered. The man
with . scowl of satisfaction, finally
his head. Inez rose to her
feet and looked about her.
Where Is this Lonesome Cave Inn,
then?" she queried.
Half . mile farther uD the beach
follow the shore line-turn In at the
cove. Follow the water lins-it takes
you there. Good luck"