Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1917-10-19
CHAPTER XV-Continued.


been decent enough to write more ex-
plicit excuse to Dear Peter" instead
of ''Dear Mr.. Trait" but, then, cor
respondence card conveyed through the
hands Of a third person with whom the |
dear girl couldn't feel well acquaint-
ed
"Where to, sirY"
Peter came out of mOrose reverie to |
find himself hesitating beside the taxi. |
'I'll be darn ed If I dol" Peter replied
holly.
"What's that?'
"Oh, beg pardon-no offense-was
thinking. Just wait, please" Peter
threw himself back into the cab, slam
ming the door. "Rotten fix" he grum-
bled. "Why, she said she'd come back"
Regarding the note critically, he enun-
ciated somber doubt, "Don't believe
she wrote you. It's all a plant"
The handwriting was Enthusiastically
that of woman of culture. How was
he to say it wasn't Lydia's hand, who
had never seen scrap of 1t?
He would have kissed it, could he
have been sure.
Through the forward window he
commanded d perspective of the south
erly sidewalk as far as to Madison ave-
nue., where q surface car, swinging up
town, hesitated with grinding brakes,
and then rurnbled on.
A moment later the shadowy shape
Of a man darted across the street and
toward the taxicab, and Peter recOg-
nized Craven's characteristic gait. But
for that he wouldn't have known the
man, who was all but disguised to eyes
that had never beheld him out of dress
clothes after nightfall-Craven wear
ing bowler with shabby, Tapping
raincoat, at midnight hour, was q
sight unprecedented.
Peter sat up. Barely in time a devil
GUS thought engaged his fancy, and he
acted on it promptly. Ready to his
hand rested the mouthpiece Of flex-
ible speaking tube, ending in a fixed
earpiece close by the chauffeur's head.
give dollars" Peter said distinctly
into the mouthpiece, eff you don't let
on I'm inside, in case this man ques-
tons."
The chauffeur didn't even signify he
had heard, SO positive became his i'm
mobility at sound of those magic syl-
tables, "Five dollars"
Hastily Peter dragged his overcoat
across the bosom of his shirt and
crowded himself into the corner near
est the curb.
Bearing out his premonition, Craven
stopped to speak to the chauffeur
and the eavesdropper cursed bitterly
to hear no more than the confused
grumble of their voices.
Then without the least warning the
car shot away ut round pace west
ward.
Smmering with profanity, Peter
seized the speaking tube to below
demand for incontinent halt, but on
second thought permitted the car to
round into Madison avenue before he
gave the order.
Again ut pause, this time halfway
down the av0rue block, the cab elected
an Infatuated fare.
"What the blank DIG you do that
for?"
"Why in blank shouldn't IT. the
chauffeur demanded as hotly. "You
told me not 10 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 ginll says, did l bring
a young lady and was waitin' for her,
and says yes, an he slips me three
bones-the clock says two-forty-and
says to clear out, l won't be needed.
And what did you want me to do about
that, SEEM you didn't want him to
know you wus inside?"
"Oh. all right" said Peter YEARLY.
"You did precisely the right thing. Only
Il didn't quite understand" He eyed
pernlcxedly the colored lights Of a
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, I'm keeping
you. Run across the block and wait
just out of sight on Park avenue. I'll
walk back"
f1cing his Bond street topper to the
elements, Peter trudgeG back to Sew
enty-sixth street. then eastward past
number 0S, regarding the house aggres-
sively.
1t looked down on him now, he
thought defiantly, with a 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 it,
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