The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1918-02-15

Ia Le ~ 81
CHAPTER xv-continusd.
H.
It certainly looked all right: NO ques-
tion about that woman being straight
goods. OF course Lydia might have
been decent enough to write q more ex-
plicit excuse to "Dear Peter instead
a Dear Mr.. Trait :" but, then, . cor
respondence card conveyed through the
hands Of q third person with whom the
dear girl couldn't feel well acquaint-
Cd
"Where to, sirr'
Peter came out Of morose reverie to
ind himself hesitating beside the taxi.
It'll be darned II I dor Peter replied
hotly.
"What's thatr
'Oh. beg pardon-no offense-was
thinking. Just wait, please" Peter
threw himself back into the cab, slam
ming the door. Rotten fx." he grum-
bled. "Why. she said she'd come back"
Regarding the note critically. he enun-
Eiated . somber doubt, "Don't believe
ahe wrote you. It's all plant"
The handwriting was Enthusiastically
that Of . woman Of culture. How was
he to say 1t wasn't Lydia's hand, who
had never seen a scrap Of lit
He would have kissed 1t, could he
have been sure.
Through the forward window he
commanded a perspective of the SOUTH
erly sidewalk as far as to Madison ave-
nue.. where a surface car. swinging up
and then rumbled ON.
A moment later the shadowy shape
Of Q man darted across the street and
toward the taxicab, and Peter recog-
niEed Craven's characteristic gait. But
for that he wouldn't have known the
man, who was all but disguised to eyes
that had never beheld him out Of dress
clothes after nightfall-Craven wear
ing a bowler with shabby. tapping
raincoat, at q midnight hour. was q
sight unprecedented.
Peter sat up. Barely in time a devil
Gus thought engaged his fancy, and he
acted on 1t promptly. Ready to his
hand rested the mouthpiece Of q flex-
ible speaking tube, ending In a fixed
earpiece close by the chauffeur's head.
"rive dollars" Peter said distinctly
into the mouthpiece, III you don't let
on I'm inside, in case this man Ques-
lions"
The chauffeur didn't even signify he
had heard. SO positive became his i'm
mobility at sound Of those magic syl-
tables, "Ffve dollars"
Hastily Peter dragged his overcoat
across the bosom of his shirt and
crowded himself into the corner near
est the curb.
Bearing out his premonition, Craven
stopped to speak to the chauffeur
and the eavesdropper cursed bitterly
to hear no more than the confused
.grumble of their voices.
Then without the least warning the
car shot away at . round pace west
ward.
Simmering with profanity, Peter
seized the speaking tube to below
demand for incontinent halt; but on
second thought permitted the car to
round into Madison avenue before he
gave the order.
Again at pause. this time halfway
down the avenue block, the cab elected
an Infatuated fare.
"What the blank did you do that
fort"
"Why in blank shouldn't II" the
chauffeur demanded as holly. "You
told me not to let on, didn't you? Here
come through with that five!"
Choking, Peter found his money, dis
bursed. "How did 1t happen?"
'Why the old gink says. did I bring
. young lady and was waitin' for her,
and l says yes, an he slips me three
bones-the clock says two-forty-and
says to clear out, L won't be needed.
And what did you want me to do about
that, SEEM you didn't want him to
know you was insideT
"Oh, all right" said Peter YEARLY.
'You did precisely the right thing. Only
Il didn't quite understand" He eyed
perplexedly the colored lights Of a
drug store across the way.
'Well, what's the good word now,
boss7 If you're done with me, I'm on
my way"
"No," Peter insisted, "Pm keeping
you. Run across the block and wait
just out Of sight ON Park avenue. I'll
walk back"
Buttoning topcoat to chin and sacri-
f1cing his Bond street topper to the
elements, Peter trudged back to Sew
enty-sixth street, then eastward past
number 08I regarding the house agrees
sively.
It looked down on him now. he
thought deflantly, with touch Of con-
temptuous pity for his impotence to
read the riddle of its staid, uncommuni-
cAtiYe walls.