Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-10-26
AUTHOR "THE LONE.
WOLF, THE BRASS
BOWL, ETC.
COPYRIGHT By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE

ward.
Simmering with profanity, Peter
seized the speaking tube to below a
demand for incontinent halt; but on
second thought permitted the car to
round into Madison avenue before he
gave the order.
Again at pause, this time halfway
down the avenue block, the cab ELECTED
an Infatuated fare.
"What the blank did you do that
fOr?'
"Why in blank shouldn't II" the
chauffeur demanded as holly. "You
told me not to let on, didn't you? Here
come through with that five!"
Choking, Peter found his money, dis
bursed. "How did it happen?"
"Why the old gink says, did I bring
young lady and was 1 waitin' for her,
and I says yes, an he slips me three
bones-the clock says two-forty-and
says to clear out, I won't be needed.
And what did you want me to do about
that, SEEM you didn't want him to
know you was inSideT
"Oh, all right" said Peter YEARLY.
"You did precisely the right thing. Only
Il didn't quite understand" He eyed
perplexedly the colored lights Of q
drug store across the way.
"Well, what's the good word now,
boss? If you're done with me, I'm on
my way"
NO." Peter insisted, "Tm keeping
you. Run across the block and wait
just out of sight on Park avenue. I'll
walk back"
Buttoning topcoat to chin and sacri-
ficing his Bond street topper to the
elements, Peter trudged back to Sew
enty-sixth street, then eastward past
number ;, regarding the house agrees
sively.
1t looked down on him now, he
thought defantly, with touch Of con-
temptuous pity for his impotence to
read the riddle Of its staid, uncommuni-
cative walls.
Embittered, he walked on to Park
avenue, and found his chartered car at
the appointed place. Pausing beside 1t,
and ignoring the chauffeur's well-meant
advances stimulated by the romantic
notion that this swell young guy was
tryin' to beat it 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 hair of
Lydias innocent head to be harmed.
Only
What the deuce was keeping the two
of them there so long?
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 SO, 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 90 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
it! she must be all right! Craven
would never let anything happen to
| her."
He began to fume 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 taxicab
| shot round from the avenue, passed at
a sharp clip, and Immediately slid to
as smart a stop, while the door swung
open and man, jumping out, hailed
sharply:
"Peterv'
"Quoin-thank heaven! How in the
name of wonder"
Found Craven had left the Great
Eastern, TAXED back to the Margrave
got the address Miss Craven gave from
the carriage porter. Luckily you made
| such a sensation boiling after her taxi
that it had fixed the number In the fel.
| lows memory. Now what's up?'
! Briefly Peter detailed the inconclu-
| sive and unsatisfactory circumstances
of his vigil
"In through the basement, you sayY'
Quoin pondered this darkly. "Looks
like a move to trick somebody-Cra-
ven, at guess. Come along"
Grasping Peters arm, the detective
.rotted him rapidly back toward num-
Der 90.
"What are you going to dor'
"Let developments guide us"
) "You mean to try to get in?"