Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-22

reputable street, and that Marjory
Holcomb had passed through the low
door
His glance travelled the length, to
right and left, and he saw nothing but
low cheap houses with here and there
a little store. Everything pointed TO
the poorest class.
There was, perhaps, nothing more
mysterious about Miss HolcOmb going
into the house across the way than in
her sending him the note she had and
having been fired upon-he didn't for
moment fancy the shot had been
meant for himself-when he came to
meet her.
But, all the same, there was quite
enough in the incidents of the night
to make him resolve to await Miss
Holcomb's temperance, and insist
upon some explanation before she
could avoid him again.
In patience he fingered some
minutes, anu tltH. do u ihuh +" ~
the worse for liquor came slowly by,
he resolved to attempt to gain little
information. He stepped out from his
doorway. but the inebriated individ-
ual saved him the trouble of speaking
Hi. mister,' hiccuped the fellow.
Got de price 7 a beer?'
Tom slipped his hand into his
pocket and jingled some loose change,
but he did not offer 10 pass any over.
II might accommodate YOU he
admitted by the way, I'm looking
for a friend. Who lives in that house
there-the one next to the vacant
lot?'
The man wheeled unsteadily upon
his feet and eyed the place in ques-
ton.
/. THAT house," he srunted.
why Mrs. Carey lives there. OF
woman. Been there years.
! Il see. She has son. hasn't sheY
take it that she is widow
Sure sh' Is" and the man backed
ND against the house as he continued
to study the building in question.
NO with gulp, "she amt got no
son. Got nephew, Jimmie oBrlen'
old Jerry Trench's chap"
Jerry Trenchs chap" laughed
Tom What do YOU mean by
that
The man looked Tom over with
sympathy in his glance. Lord he
groaned. "don'cher know nothin'?
Jimmie O'Brien's de chap that tends
door up n de Farewell Club. That
hic--that's it, over de fence
Kingsbury regarded the opposite
/ side of the street with new interest.
You mean that that building back
ing onto the vacant lot is the Farewell
/ Club" he demanded
The regard of his informant was
again filled with sympathy. Sure
Tha's de Farewell Club. n thas Mrs
uyycy's house, n Jimmie OBren, 7
keeps de mugs away I'm oil Jerry
Trench. wha' he t--hic-aint car
ing to see, understan' that, mistera s
de oil woman's ne.nephew"
Il think I've got it pat laughed
Tom, passing over half dollar. "B,
the way, what sort OF looking man
is OBrien?"
nf,n taj tit,r
away with an ;:lacrity that made his
steps even more uneven. 20 Brien?'
he halted long enough to answer
WY, he's little, dried.up oil mummy
Gee, guess he's OIL s de OF woman, 5
aunt" and the man was gone with 4
wave of his hand an mutterec
thanks for the money.
Tom watched him out of sight
Certainly the man he had followed
from tbs Trench home was not
O'Brien. He was disappointed in thu
discovery, for he did not feel that he
had made a great deal OF Roadway.
It might be--in fact it was--quite
probable that Miss Holcomb knew the
aunt of Trench'c doorkeeper anC
there was thus no special significance
in the fact of her entering the house.
Kingsbury moved slowly across the
street for better look al the rear Of
the Farewell club. He was surprised
10 think he was 50 near Trench's head
quarters Suddenly the idea came tt
him that there might be some signili
canoe in the close proximity of the lit
tie house occupied by O'Brien's aunt
and the political headquarters o.
Trench, II there were none IN Miss
Holcombs actions.
He moved past the board fence
over its top he could see Lighted
window in the rear Of the club build
inc, and still another in the side Of The
little house.
Across the drawn shade Of the for
mer shadow passed, returned ant
halted, Klngsbury stopped, for the
figure OF a girl stood out plainly.
II 1t was Marjory Holcomb, as was
his first thought, he asked hmsel
how she could have reached the room
But before such question came tn,
meaning in the actions Of a man VIII,