The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-01-02
CHAPTER vi.
A Robbery Fooled.

CHAPTER vi.
A Robbery Fooled.
Struber turned the body so az
to get a view of the face. was
only hazily conscious of his move.
ments, and when l came out OF
my daze he was utilizing my desk
telephone in low-voiced CONVEX
sation with some person = al
police headquarters, / surmised.
In a moment he was through
He jerked thumb backward to-
ward the safe.
"Y' don't know that guy,
s'pose," he remarked in a tone
that implied he thought | did
Without waiting for a response,
he continued: "Yuh look sick, Mr.,
Ferris, an no blame to yuh; q
sight like that don't set well on a
mans chest, specially after what
you've already went through"
Then he irrelevantly fired at me:
Keep a rattlesnake in the safer"
l shook my head; / did, in
truth, feel sick. 1T was the ring
l told him. Don't touch it,"
Not me!"-laconically. "But
I'd like to get 1t out O. sight be-
fore the coroner comes. Y know,
an inquest's a public proceeding,
an we're not ready to have some
things get in the newspapers yet.
Go shoe your jewelry into its cor
raj and put up the bars; then let's
talk"
never had handled the ring
without feeling of dread. But !
recognized fully the wisdom of
keeping some details suppressed.
and so fastened to get the dead
ly object back into its box and
the box itself buried in desk
drawer.
This much is as plain as day."
Mr.. Struber began. Somebody's
opened the safe door by twistin'
the button stead O. drilling 1t full
O. holes. No common yegg done
that, but one O. these foxy experts
what reads the combination
through the ends O. their fingers
by the fall O. the tumblers.
Then there's the mark on this
stiff's hand. Right off I looks for
the ring. There she is! Time
Charley Yen gets his we had that
Chink sign looked up, but l don't
believe we found out what it
means. Me remember Charley
Yen's case? Believe me, yes. Us
bulls paid for not forgettin'.
Now, when you're ready to
put me next to what yuh know,
why. I'll give yuh the answer =
1t seemed imperative that, II
the mystery was ever to be clear
ed up, he as a representative of
the law should be placed in pos
session of all the facts. There
was Lois Fox to be considered.
"Struber," l said, 81 haven't
the faintest notion OF what it all
means; but there are one or two
facts within my knowledge that
seem to bear upon this tragedy
and the assault upon me that you
ought to know. If you'll meet
me at 10 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing at the Citrus Exchange bank,
I'll tell you everything / know
about it. Is that satisfactory"
you're on" was his curt ac-
quiescence.
Then he surprised me with q
glimpse into another side of his
when the coroner comes, just
don't mention that gentle, lady
like ring to him, nor Miss Fox's
name. If she don't mind my say
in SO, she's too swell girl to be
mixed in a mess like this we've
run into"
Notwithstanding the language
his tone and manner were unmis-
takably respectful, and / stared at
him in wonder.
IS all right" he tried to quiet
my quickly awakened alarm.
when Doc Harris asks you any
thing, follow my lead. Let It go
as a plain every day case o. peter
cracking. Harris'll think SO any
how when he finds out who that
stiff It,"
"Who was her"
"Steve Willets."
In due time the coroner came
and the body was removed.
The next morning the papers
blazed with the news of Steve
Willets' death. Lois took It quiet
ly, like the sensible girl she was.
She first read the news at the Of
flee, and was shocked, of course.
AS soon as she had steadied q
bit she said to me:
ut would be foolish to pretend
! have any feeling of grief. as II a
loved one were gone for I never