Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-04
az
Destroying
Angel
By Louis Joseph Vance
Author Of
"7he Pool Of Flame
1.-THE Bronze Bsll." 1.-THE Black
Beg. 1.-THE Bros Bowl."
CHAPTER viii.
EntPaete.
JS2S7s7S1S2S2S2S252S152s7S2S25lG
Copyrighs By Louis Joseph Vance

ton Of the preceding night. What they
told him only confirmed the history of
his wife's career as detailed by the
gratuitous Mr.. Ember. There was,
however, no suggestion in any report
that Drummond had not In fact COM
mitted suicide. There had been. APP
parently, but a single witness Of the
felo de Sc, who In the subsequent con-
fusion had vanished. No one dreamed
Of questioning the authenticity Of the
report. Several sensational sheets ran
exhaustive resumes, deliberately illus
trated. Of the public life of 1.-THE De-
stroying Angel" It seemed to be an
unanimous assumption that the news
of Drummond's suicide had in some
manner been conveyed to the woman
while on the stage.
In the course Of the forenoon a note
for Whitaker was delivered at the ho-
tel
The heavy sheet of white paper,
stamped with the address In Fifty-sev-
enth street, bore the message in a
strong but nervous hand:
rely Upon chs generosity 80. promise
marriage. must be dissolved. Please let
my MISUNDERSTANDING. 0rimshaw &
Clark. 1ls Broadway-know when and
where you will accept service Forgive
am hardly myself: And please do not try
to see me now. Some day I hope to see
and thank you: today-it's impossible.
am going away to forget, il l can.
Mary Ladslas Whitaker.
Before nightfall Whitaker had sat-
isfied himself that his wife had, in
truth left her town house. The serv-
ants there informed all who inquired
that they had been told to report and
to forward all letters to Messrs. Lam
ders, Grimshaw & Clark.
Whitaker promptly notified those at
torneys that he was ready to be
served at their convenience. But be-
yond their brief and businesslike ac-
acknowledgement, he heard nothing more
Of the action for divorce.
He sought Max several times with
out success. When at length run to
ground in the roulette room Of Forty
Fourth street gambling house, the man
ager wasserimly reticent. Warned BY
Z the managers trnculent and suspicious
tone that his secret was. after all,
buried no more than skin deep, Whita.
ker dissembled artfully his anxiety,
and abandoned Max to his pet vices.
The newspapers reported Sara Law
as being In retirement in several wide
" separated sections of the country.
She was also said to have gone abroad,
sailing incognito by second'class
steamship from Philadelphia.
The nine-days' wonder disintegrated
naturally. The sobriquet of 1.-THE De-
stroying Angel disappeared from the
newspaper scare-heads. So also the
name Of Drummond. Hugh Morten
Whitaker, the dead man come to life.
occupied public interest for brief
halliday. By the time that the execu-
tors of Carter Drummond and the at
torneys representing his clients began
to make sense of his estate and in
terests, their discoveries failed to COM
mand newspaper space.
Drummond had appropriated to his
own uses every dollar Of the small
fortune left in his care by his erstwhile
partner. No other client of his had
suffered, however. His populations had
been confined wholly to the one quar-
ter whence he had had every reason to
anticipate neither protest nor ex-
posure. In Whitaker's too-magnani-
nous opinion, the man had not been
30 much thief as one who yielded to
the temptation to convert to his own
needs and uses property against
which, 1t appeared, no other living be-
ing cared to enter claim. The mon
etary loss was an uncomfortable thing
to man with an interest in mines in
the Owen Stanley country. He said
nothing. Drummond's name remained
untarnished, save In the knowledge Of
few.
or these, Martin Ember was one.
Whitaker made point Of hunting him
mp. The retired detective received con-
firmatdon Of his surmise without any
amusement.
"You still believe that he's alive?"
Implicitly" Ember asserted with
conviction.
"Could you find him, If necessary"
within 4 day, think. Do you wish
me tot"
n Ember permitted Whitaker to con-
slider the matter in silence for some
moments. Then, do you want ad-
8viceY he inquired.
= .sy!ve!!?',
"Hunt him down and put him behind
the bars" said Ember instantly.
whats the good of that?"
Your personal safety"
n How
with you out of the way, he could
come back without fear"
Nmber permitted another pause to
lengthen, unbroken by Whitaker.
"Shall ! try to find him for you?' he
said quietly, in the end.
"No," Whitaker decided. mo. Let
him alOne--pOor devil!'
Ember disclaimed further RESPONSE
bility with a movement of his shoul-
der.
..But my wife7 Could you find her
= readily7'
Possibly" the detective admitted
eauttously. "But don't mean to-"
Why not r. sssFias;issis