The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-08-22

| Il am not so YER familiar with
your American slang" she replied,
! as her hands clasped and unclasped
in her nervousness. what is IL
you mean-spill?"
flanagan might, with his mag
nation, have suspected that she
was simply a woman fighting for
composure and possibly for time.
81 mean you are going to give
me the facts about the necklace2
w don't want to send anybody to
the pen. All | want Is the string
of pearls. Where are they? And
there might even be a piece of
change in it for you - tumble?
Where are they?"
~ know nothing. DO what you
please. You think it is to brighten
me? Pouf! | do not care for you'll
DO what you like-spy! Do what
you like! But do not come to
bother with me again unless you
wish to arrest me-and if you do
that, why, watch Quit"
She had arisen, and without
more words, turned and walked to
the inner rooms, leaving Mr.. Mag
CART properly astounded.
"Hum!" he finally managed to
mutter. That's a hot one for you.
/ wonder, now, just wonder, II l
am wrong in this? figured that
! girl would be duck soup to break
down-that she was one of them.
flanagan has a line; and 1t isn't
this line. Now, what the devil Is
he working on? He doesn't seem
to be bothering much about Mas
ters. | wonder, now, just Won
der" Maggart jumped to his
feet. Whatever it was he wonder
ed it was sufficiently electric to
inspire him to rapid action He
iammed his hat on his head and
started out. "That would be a hot
one!" he muttered. "And the girl
might kick thru with good chunk
of change, even to talk to him over
the phone!"
flanagan, strolling from the tel
fephone office, caught glimpse of
Maggart, hurrying thru the lobby.
Il guess, my gumshoe friend,
I'll turn the tables" he unused.
"You have been devoting much
time and attention to me. Suppose
follow you for a changer"
So he drifted along after the
hurrying Maggart, who went
straight to the Enquirer" effice.
Somewhat puzzled, flanagan STEP
ped to a telephone and asked for
Sampson. But before that individ-
ual came on the wire the telephone
girl said:
"Oh, Mr.. flanagan. There was a
gentleman just in here inquiring
where you lived. He didn't leave
his name. He just this minute
went out the door"
1t was some five or six minutes
later that Maggart, perspiring and
all out of breath, raped loudly at
room 10. of the Inverness Hotel,
but, receiving no answer, pulled
out bunch of keys containing sew
eral that were very thin and
| fragile, and one of these delicate
instruments he inserted in the
lock, worked 1t for few seconds,
and the door swung open.
| He was staring into an empty
room; bearing a general resem-
blance to the room in which Ster-
rett Masters, earlier in that same
evening, had enjoyed his oyster
loaf.
Maggart stepped within. sniff
ing. He leaned down, and with
drew a cigar butt from the cuspi-
dor, feeling it critically and then
smelling it. He left the room and
dropped down in the elevator,
speaking a word to the night
clerk.
GAS we used to say when we
were kids, it's warm" he unused,
as he stepped to the sidewalk.
THAT butt was a Partagas. and
Jack flanagan doesn't smoke them
that I know of. Also, II was about
five minutes or less cold: and GER
tainly Jack hasn't been there in
that time. And the obliging clerk
tells me the room is occupied
solely and alone by Mr.. flanagan
-altho the clerk, of course, is
lying"
81 guess we better keep you un-
der watch. Mr.. Inverness" he re-
marked, as he picked up a cigar
stand telephone. Further, seeing
that Mr. flanagan is so cocky. pos
sibly l had better tie up with Les
lie. We may want to rush this
house and corral the elusive Mr..
Masters before morning"
Some moments before he reach
ed the room of flanagan, Masters,
bundled in a heavy ulster, had
passed from the rear entrance of
the Inverness; so that, while Mag
CARTS shadow men cooled their
heels, Masters was in a hotel some
blocks away, whittier flanagan had
led him.
flanagan was long since back
about his business, drawn again
as with magnet of great interest
to the Allison hotel. II was here
some time later--nearing; in the
morning now-that Leslie finally
found him. Maggart had been as
good as his word.
Jack" said Leslie. grimly.
I've worked with you a good
many times. I've never found you
wrong. But you're harboring a
fugitive from Justice, and friend
ship ends with me there. Deliver
him up or go to jaial."
CONTINUED In Our Next Issue.A