Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1918-06-13
CHAPTER III.
After the Spider.


Dinner at Sheldon's that evening
was not a pleasant function. nuaPs
words as to the probable fate of the
| girl had thrown out an atmosphere of
depression.
Dual and / had not unpacked our
bags and Sheldon made short work of
his preparations. Connie at my side
ate little.
BE careful" she whispered and l
pressed her hand to reassure her.
Semi alone seemed utterly calm and
undisturbed by the fact that he was
soon to measure forces with the or
ganization which to-day preys upon
the youth and beauty of the nation
and hesitates at no crime to gain it's
ends.
Reich telephoned asking us to pick
him up at the theater and as soon as
dinner was eaten, Sheldon ordered up
the car. Good-byes were said and we
three set out for the station.
We got Homer who was waiting
outside the movie, and went on.
Get it fixed up?" l asked in low
tones after he had settled into seat.
He nodded.
I'VE Cancelled the order for the ma
chimes by wire," he said shortly. II
don't want to be bothered by business
until this thing is settled. And the
Lord only knows how long that will
take, because I'm going to find that
little woman if / have to hunt the
whole world over
"Nonsense!" | told him. You
don't want to take it that way The
trouble is you don't know Dual. I'm
less I'm greatly mistaken well f.Ld
her all right and that before long"
He shook his head in urconvinced
fashion.
II don't know your friend,' he ad-
mitted. Neither do / see how he can
do anything quickly. Why, we haven't
thing to go on. All we know is that
she was last seen when she started
for Salt Lake. We don't even have
Il single idea as to who may have
sent that phoney message, or why, or
what they did when she got there.
We don't know a thing. Not a single
thing What is there to go on?"
But" l cut short his confession of
impotence, already Dual has gone
lot farther than that. He told Sheldon
and me just a little while ago after
you left that he had reason to believe
she was victim of the white-slave
people"
MY God!" Reich drew away
from me and turned wild visaged
face upon me. What makes him
think that?" he faltered, when he had
regained a fraction of his shattered
control.
He didn't say beyond the mere
statement" l responded. But if he
says it, he means it, Reich. So you
see he is already at work on a pro.
cable theory of the case. You know
Salt Lake is one OF the centers of
operation for that bunch of people
The thing looks plausible to me-.
"Then," he said DULY, we might
as well give it up. WHAT'S tne use if
those devils have got her. How can
Dual or any other one man expect to
win out against them? Why. the
governm; It has fought them for
years, aid done little or nothing.
What can Dual or l do? It's no use.
If he's right she's gone.'
Don't you believe it, encouraged
I've seen him do things equally as
hard. He'll get this girl"
"If he does" said Reich. eff he
does" He glanced at Semi's back
clenched his hands and bowed his
head.
He seemed pretty well worked up To
me and l sought to encourage him as
best / could until we reached the sta
tion, but my success was not marked
enough to notice. He followed us
enough to notice. He followed us
into a seat to sit staring out of the
window.
l confess l felt sorry for the chap,
and wished | knew some way to light
en- his gloom. He seemed like per-
son distIaught, uncertain of each step
ne was taking, yet fighting by sheer
will TO maintain control.
Yet / had said all / could and
sat silent while we made the run to
Las Vegas, as did Dual. Sheldon
iidgeted in and out of the car, to and
rom the smoker like restless soul.
Taken all in all it was not cheerful
trip.
We caught the limited east bound.
and were off on the next lap of the
chase. Every one seemed to be in bed
save the porter, and tip induced him
20 seek a different place to lounge "a
ather than the dressing-room.
We settled ourselves in it's narrow
quarters by Dual's suggestior For the
hrst time since the trip bee he now
seemed take an. active j. crest in