Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-20
Shared
BY J. U. GiESY a. J. 3. SMITH
Authors OF Semi.Dual Stories
Copyright.
The Frank A. Munsey Co.


Il SID The -recuiyer -ack onto It's
hook. turned. and walked slowly to a
chair and sank down.
Sheldon shot me a glance and Jump.
ed mp. What's the natter" he rasp-
ed whats happened now? Glace.
what ais you, man."
told him as best could. and he
swore.
Lilly Lawton put down her head and
began to weep in nervous terror
My God. Gordon" the colonel
burst out, "do YOU see what that
means? told you you hadn't ought
70 have let that leetle girl go up there
the way YOU done. Course they saw
you and her go to the police station
an when YOU come back here an she
went up there. they laid for her an
roped her fus, off.
well, that ends it, reckon You
phone 10 Connel. an tell him TO kick
them two out Let EN- have their dirty
scum, II that will git Lucille and Me.
Kabe turned loose"
He paused. breathing hard.
Please. Mr.. Glace." Lily sobbed
brOkenly. iii there is any way to help
poor Miss Lucille, you will take IT.
won't you? Oh, she was so good to
me. can't bear II to think those peo-
pie have caught her"
She asumcl her tears.
didn't answer for mo nont 'omc
way, it seemed that the excited out
cries OF my companions served 10
steady my own disturbed balance. and
show me the need Of cool thought and
action in this new crisis.
On the face. it looked pretty bad.
First Mckabe, old hand at the game,
had been taken: then Lucille, woman
who for three years had matched wits
with this very society of banded evil
had been seized in broad daylight. II
was TO accept Connel's statement at
full value.
To cap all, Dual had gone off and
left me sitting idle with orders TO
await a message. And as yet no mes.
sage had come.
Against that. however. was my
knowledge. now several wears old, OF
the man whose gray suit had come
back to us with the cryptic bit of
writing stuffed into shoe
True, Sheldon had failed TO pick up
any trail leading to the mysterious
Kim Lee; but | could only admit in
fairness that the colonePs methods sa.
vored too much Of brute directness 70
avail against the secretiveness Of the
people he had questioned Certainly
Semi Dual would not have written
that name without wellfounded
knowledge upon which TO proceed
The best answer | could find, then.
was that there really was Kim Lee,
and that Semi Dual and he were some
where under cover. with hands on the
pulse Of affairs.
The thought stoadied mo yet furth.
er. looked up at the flushed face Of
the old fire.ester before me and shook
my head
Colonel" said | Il do not be.
Neve this is the time for us to mix in.
The Lord knows wouldn't spare any
effort to save the girl who gave us
such noble assistance: but If turning
Reich and the woman loose will save
her, they have doubtless told Connel
90 much and he will do II without any
urging from me- He said as much this
morning"
"But. my Lord he questioned,
"why don't Dual do something? Do
you suppose he knows about this last
thing they've put over"
Il cant say" replied. There
isnt any way for me to tell unless"
Suddenly stopped One OF the
most peculiar thoughts had ever had
flashed into my brain
sat and studied the thing, and the
longer did so the more like bit OF
nv friends uncanny work Il appear.
ed.
'Tnless what" prompted Sheldon
with Impotence.
"Unless Mercury and Venus
reached their conjunction little bit
aso" remarked.
n seemed 10 me that something
back in my brain applauded the words
thrilled as spoke At last I
seemed TO be picking up wellnlgh
Intangible I lread Of meaning In the
tumble.
II came tn me that back Of this
second seemingly crushing blow wes
The unseen hand OF Dual. II that were
So ...-... - $780,. ....-z...-a