Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-06-25
. Copy1ighf BY Chas. scribner's Soma
Illustrations y Irwin MYERS

Smith wdS JS6bing his paper knife
absent1y into the desk sblotter. "And
yet we go on calling this civilized
icountryi" he said meditatively. Then
with sudden change Of front: I'm
In this fight to stay until ! win out
or die out, Billys you know that. As I
have said, Miss Verda can kill me of
lie she chooses to: but she won't choose
ito. Now let's get to work. It's pretty
late to rout a Justice Of the peace
iout Of bed to issue warrant for 10,
but wen do It. Then well 60 after
Lanterby and make him turn states
evidence. Come on: let's get busy"
But Starbuck. reaching softly for
chair.righdng handhold upon Smiths
desk, made no reply. Instead he
snapped his 1.-THE body out Of the chair
and launched It IN q sudden tiger
spring at the door. TO Smiths aston
ishment, the door. which should have
been latched, came In at Starbuck's
wrenching jerk Of the knob. bringing
with 1t, hatless, ana with the breath
startled out Of him, tho new stenogra-
pher. shaw.
There's your states evidence" said
IStarbuck grimly. pushing the half
dazed door listener into chair. "Just
put The auger couple Of inches into
this fellow and see what you can find"
Richard Shaw had an exceedingly
bad quarter Of an hour when Smith
and Starbuck applied the thumbscrews
to force . confession out Of him. New
ertheless, knowing the dangerous
ground upon which he stood, he evaded
and shu11ed and prevaricated under
the charges and Questionings until 1t
became apparent that nothing short OF
bribery or physical torture would get
the truth out Of him. Smith was not
willing to offer the bride. and since
the literal thumbscrews were out Of
the question, Shaw was locked into
one Of the vacant rooms across the
corridor until his captors could deter
mine what was to be done with him.
"That Is one time when I fred and
missed the whole side Of the barn."
Starbuck when Shaw had been
lremanded to the makeshift cell across
the hall. " know that fellow Is on
aStanton's pay roll; and it's reasonably
certain that he got his Job with you 80
that he could keep cases on you. But
we can't prove anything that we say,
90 long as he refuses to talk"
'sNo," Smith agreed. IT can dis
charge him, and that's about all that
can be done with him.
he Is a pretty smooth article" said
Starbuck refiectively. HE used to be
u clerk In Maxwell's railroad Office
and he was mixed up in some kind of
crookedness, I don't remember just
what"
Smith caught quickly at the sugges-
ton.
"Wait minute, Billy" he broke in;
and then: There's no doubt in your
mind that he's spy?"
"Sure he u.s." was the prompt re-
joinder.
y \ II was just thinking he has heard
what was said here tonight-which is
enough to give Stanton pretty good
chance to outflgure our outfit again"
Right you are"
'In which case 1t would be little
short of idiotic In us to turn him loose.
We've got to hold him. proof or no
proof. Where would we be apt to
catch Maxwell at this time Of night?" |
"At home and in bed, reckon"
''Call him upon the phone and state
the case briefly. Tsli him If he has
any nip on Shaw that would warrant
Us In turning him over to the sheriff,
we'd like to know it."
you're getting the range now"
laughed the ex-cowman, and instead
OF using the desk set, he went to shut
himself into the sound-proof telephone
closet.
When he emerged u few minutes
later he was grinning exultantly. 'That
was sure smooth one Of yours, John.
Dick gave me the facts. Shaw's a
thief; but he has q sick sister on his
,hands-or said he had-and the rail-
road didn't prosecute. Dick says for
us to- jug him tonight and tomorrow
morning he'll swear out the necessary
papers.'
.Good. Wen do that first; and then
we'll 20 after this fellow Lanterby. I
want 20 get Stanton where can pinch
] him. Billy; no, there's nothing personal
about 1t |: but when a great corporation
like the Escalante Land company gets
down to plain anarchy and dynamiting.
Ats ume to make somebody sweat for
It. Let's 60 and get Shaw"
Together they went across the corri-
dor, ana Smith unlocked the door Of
the disused room. The light switch
was on the door-jamb and Starbuck
found and pressed the button. The
single incandescent bulb hanging from
the ceiling sprang alive--and showed
the two men at the door am empty
room and an open. window. The bird
had iiown.
Starbuck was grinning again when
q Ne went to look. out Of the window.
The roof Of the adjoining building was
only u few feet below the sill level,
and there was q convenient fire escape
ladder leading to the ground.
9lg9 NTkSG na for that rnadhnnsn ont on
The Topaz trail before the news gets
Z around to Stanton and Lanterby,'' he
said definitely and they lost no time
ID securing an auto for the dash.
But that, too, proved to be a. .fiasco.
when they reached Barton's all-night
& v,s.no IN the hill road. the bar was