The Holly chieftain. (Holly, Colo.) 1897-1987, 1917-01-19

work badly Forbes was always nun
eerfng tor detective work. He ionged
to pick up the tangled skein. unraSei
il. rescue the heroine. march the vii
lain to Jail and all that. Heaven ID
witness OF the plots for detective
stories he has offered me! He mas
believe, the best library OF detective
fiction in town. Well. his longlngs
went unsatisfed. The only thing IKE
detective work he ever did success
fully was to recover the new paint
tubes before the dachel poisoned nim-
self
He walked uptown. wondering VINO
the mysterious burglar could oe- ne
searched carefully among his large &C.
quaintance, principally among the men
he disliked; but even then there was
nothing tangible. Lots OF duners
gambled and didn't pay their debts
and never went to Jail for 1t II only
he had a clue of some sort to start
with! He knew that he had the abih-
ty. and it was shame he could hnd
no outlet I'll give him credit for pos.
sessing the chiefest attribute OF all
great detectives-hOpe.
He continued on. whistling an air
from one OF the popular operas. His
thoughts, ever volatile. shifted from
plots of criminals to the purbindness
of the general run of art editors. ana
their more or less slovenly minlons.
the three-colOr process Eprinters: 20
the pretty girl he had met at Cannes
last winter; to the campaign tonight
at poker. For once he was going to
play em close; he would keep out or
every pot that dealt him no two spot:
and when he got real hand. he would
play It hard With deuces wild. even
an open player like himself had
chance once in while. He turned
corner. still whistling. The girl with
the copper-beech hair: supposing she
never went by again? Could he pos
sibly do her from memory?
Forward with swinging stride.
twirling his cane and sometimes strtk-
ing the ferrule against the Tagging.
pleased with the spangle of answering
sparks; on toward the big drama. For
he was only an implement of fate.
chosen haphazard to accomplish q
destiny not his own.
The Dryden was a new apartment
house. built especially for persons who
had plenty Of money and too small u
family for the upkeep Of large house.
They were given all the comforts Of
home: Wallets. maids. cooks. walters
and bellboys. more like private hotel.
There were ten apartments. five on
each side OF the ornate marble en-
trance. Forbes ran eagerly up the
steps; the doorboy swung open the
door.
"Mr. Jillson's apartment, please"
Third floor. left. sir"
'Ah!"
Forbes made for the stairs. The
elevator (called lift here) was up. and
he was too impatient to wait. Besides.
he wanted to surprise the boys. meio-
dramatically. He scarcely paused at
the first landing. He would rather
play poker than eat. And in his ex-
uberance he failed to hear the warn
ing call from the doorboy. who had
come on that day and was not yet &C.
curately versed In the topography and
occupancy of the apartments. Forbes
continued his rapid ascent. two steps
at a time. He wanted to be at the
door at precisely eight. like that old
chap what's-his-name in Round the
World in Eighty Days"
He tiptoed into the private hall. the
outer door being unlocked. There
was a light over the transom. He
could see them in his minds eye:
Jillson. Wheedon, Jones. Carlyle. Mil
Ter and Crawford, peeripg into their
hands. their faces like Buddha gods.
He listened. Not sound. In the
middle of play. no doubt. Stealthily
he put his hand on the knob turned
and pushed it with the cry "Police!"
on his lips. The word died there, dry
ly. He saw no poker game in action.
Instead, man in evening dress. full
masked. knelt with his back to an
open safe. AS for the artist. he gazed
panic-stricken into the round. black.
sinister hole of Colts automatic.
(To BE coNTINuED.)