The Washington times., 1916-01-29

/ NConLluue0 ITOu AeHNNNNhsD
,kYT sounds like the hurry-up cart,
doesn't it7 why should II startle
you so?' asked Lamar quietly
my fault" said the chief, q
twinkle in his eye. Must have pushed
the wrong button. Sorry"
Eyes you arer Alma leaned forward
and glared at him viciously. You think
you're putting me through the third de-
gree, don't your Why, you're buncn
Of amateurs. Make me break DOWN
Lord! You haven't even got my soatl'
"Oh, 1 think we have that, all right,
Lamar remarked with Hggravatsing ling
things. We've had you trailed for forty
eight hours. Yes, that gets under the
/ skin, eh? And all we want TO know is
circles on your hand when you oper-
ate so cleverly without them. What's
the use Of doing things that'n help spot
you-eh7"
Alma looked at him with an amused
You may be talking sense" she re-
marked contemptuously. ''But to me
4 sounds like they'd Just let you out
You don't know anything about RED.
Circles?"
%I do not"
The door opened suddenly. Two men.
suitcase on the CHIEFS desk. Alma
started forward in her chair.
Yes, it's yours" soothed Lamar.
we won't injure any OF your things.
We just want to take a look. They've
Just brought It from your rooms"
Anything happen while you were
searching. the iat?" the chief asked the
plain-clothes man.
When ] answkered 1t mans voice
asked whether this was J-l2A. ] said
II was. l heard him grunt like he was
| surprised, maybe scared. Then Die
| hung up. couldn't get him back on
the wire. The worst Of Il is, chief, that
know that mans voice-only couldn't
sound S5%Gs t6 to A. It's got d" funny 'r0aklns
During this recital Lamar kept a
sharp watch on Alma. He saw her grip
| the arms of her chair until the man
said he could not place the voice. Then
she smiled, half In anger. half In tri-
J umph.
THAT voice is her boss" he said to
himself. Then he opened the suitcase.
| He pulled out soft piles Of silk lingerie
and tossed them on the desk.
! Say. have a heart the way you
handle those things" Alma said sharp
ly. They cost money"
You bet they do" Lamar answered
I the command. Those first mortgages
are certainly good to YOU
HIS hand closed on something smooth
and cold. He dragged II out from be-
tween the folds of an embroidered XII
mono. 1t was a paint-box! He fumbled
as he opened 1t. because he did not want
TO take his eyes of Alma's face. He
| was surprised to find that there was not
a culver OF an eyelash.
once open, he he'd up the box go the
| light hit the surface Of the little tabs
OF paint.
Just as 1 thought" he exclaimed.
gleefully. ''Oh. you're not such q
clever little Raffles after all. Almai You
see, chief, only the red paint has been
used. Wait a minute III md the
sponge"
case again and held up the tiny sponge,
then bent over Alma solicitously.
You see. II you'd been really smart, :
he told her. you'd have smeared up
say that you were just an amateur art
lst who went to Surfton to do sea
| Bcapes."
Say, you think you're a wonder,
don't your" she scoffed. Did you ever
hear OF woman making up|'
| Surely" he answered blandly, but
not with water color paints. should
imagine II would be rather inconven-
lent. especially II one were given to
washing ones face"
nostrils and the lobes OF my ears" she
sad calmly. ITS more artistic and
delicate than grease paint. especially
in the daylight"
] wen, approved Lamar, Nnhl n
| pretty good one-tell me some more"
The chief signaled the other two men.
| They left the office.
We've got you. Alma" he said
/ firmly.
/ Got me-nothing!" she fired back
II tel! you that's part OF my makeup
I Lamar pulled at the chiefs sleeve
| and led him to a corner of the office
| where they conversed' in low tones.
Alma twisted restlessly in her chair.
Suddenly the door burst open and
slammed back against the wall so that
the whole room shook. The sergeant
two old shoes swinging from his left
hand. rushed in. his face scarlet with
excitement.
i Look at the swag! Look = at the
swag" he shouted.
Enclosing his right hand. he drop