The Jasper news., 1917-10-18
read the riddle of it's staid, uncommuni-

Embittered, he walked on to Park
avenue, and found his chartered car at
the appointed place. Pausing beside It,
and ignoring the chauffeur's well-meant
advances (stlmulated by the romantic
notion that this swell young guy was
tryin' to beat 1t with the old buffers
daughter, and had stubbed his toe In
the getaway, Peter painfully excogi-
tated the Inevitable conclusion that the
only thing he could do was wait and
watch. He comforted himself little
with the cold assurance that Craven
was now with his daughter. Whatever
old Tad's shortcomings, Peter couldn't
believe he would suffer a hair Of
Lydia's innocent head to be harmed.
Only
What the deuce was keeping the two
Of them there so longf
Then abruptly second taxicab
swung round one of Park avenues
scrubby little ovals Of grass and shrub
berry, slid into Seventy-sixth street,
checked briefly in front of 90, dis
charged two passengers, and slipped
away toward Madison avenue. Peter
recognized something familiar in the
association Of long and slender figure
with one short and stoutish, as the
two lodged hastily into the basement
area of number 98 and disappeared.
Musical comedy rogues," unused the
perturbed young man: "the tall thin
scoundrel and the short fat sharper |;
Messrs. Southpaw Smith and Gordon,
of course. What in thunder Confound
1t she must be all right Craven
would never let anything happen to
her."
He began to fufie impotently. No
good trying the front door again.
Then he thought of consulting Quoin
by telephone, and had started back
through Seventy-sixth street toward
the corner drug store, when taxlcab
shot round from the avenue, passed at
a sharp clip, and Immediately slid to
as smart stop, while the door swung
open and man, jumping out, hailed
sharply:
"Peter!"
"Quoin-thank heavenl How in the
name of wonder"
"Found Craven had left the Great
Eastern, taxled back to the Margrave,
got the address Miss Craven gave from
the carriage porter. Luckily you made
such sensation bolting after her taxi
that it had fixed the number in the fell
lows memory. Now what's up?"
Briefly Peter detailed the inconclu-
sive and unsatisfactory circumstances
of his vigil.
"In through the basement, you sayF'
Quoln pondered this darkly. Looks
like a move to trick somebody-Cra-
ven, at guess. Come along"
Grasping Peters arm, the detective
trotted him rapidly back toward mum
ber 9S.
"What are you going to dol"
"Let developments guide u.s."
"You mean to try to get int"
mo: mean to get in," Quoin cor
rected grimly.
How'll you make 'em admit your"
Don't know precisely, as yet. But
we're going to find out something
we're going to see Miss Craven and gel
her personal assurance she's all right
or raise the deuce of row in this
I'm still pining for a chat with era
ven."
They were ascending the brownstont
steps. Quoin rang imperatively.
"Stand back moment" he suggest
ed. Let me do the talking"
Peter had barely time to Withdraw
to one side when the woman of tn,
house came out through the veshbul
and hurriedly opened the outer door.
AS 1t opened Quoin entered. Pete
heard him say pleasantly Good eve
ming, Mrs. Ellsworthy," and after tha
a sort of strangled gasp from the won
an. A moment later, Quoin moving or
Peter saw her clearly.
She had fallen back against tn
closed door, blanched and trembling
destitute now of every shred of he
amiable self-possession Of half an hou
earlier. Her eyes were fixed in terro
on Quoin's face. She made an effOr
to speak, but evoked only dry, rasI
ing sound.
you're not Ill, trust, Mrs. ELL
worthy"
There was a sardonic infection
Ouoin's voice that seemed to Peter
trifle unnecessary.
'I thought" she gasped, and gulpet
"I thought you were the DOCTOR"
"Otherwise you wouldn't have let m
in, l presume? Is there anything reall