Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-07-09


We turned away.
Good by" said the man.
Cute little tyke,' Lucille spoke TO
me
"no you like babies?" ques-
toned
Love EN-" she smiled. Being a
police woman, Nithout any home, !
naturally would"
Dual. sheldon, and Reich turned
back TO retrace our steps.
We fell in behind them once more.
and SO again We passed the door Of
the shop and saw the yellow baby
cuddled in its fathers arms, under his
long pipe He saw us. NOD
ded ana smiled
gaudy lanterns oi he restaurant. De
mind which Greek Annie, and the po'
lice agent lufked. again AS all along,
We were waiting. IL seemed to me as
We walked down that tog dampened
street that throughout all the days We
had waited, ana that our progress had
been rather species or drifting upon
a slow current than one Of yOlitional
advance.
And all about us, as We drifted,
other strange currents Of purpose had
flowed with us, crossing and twisting
and weaving about us. 10 bring us at
last to this strange street OF foreign
quarter where stIll other currents had
seized us and swept US along
And there had been times when
mad glimpsed some Of those other cur
rents There was the methins in
the life OF the woman beside me which
whispered of tragedy untold; there
was Reion's constant aud almost in
sane outbursts which had threatened
10 throw us upon the shoals OF unsuc-
cess; there was Semi Duars speech to
me, which told ME that he acted alone,
because necessity forced it, and Lu-
Giles remark that it not with US, then
she would come 10 San Francisco
alone.
Why, asked myself, should she
have felt SO keen an interest in this
one case. over ana above others she
had doubtless handled. Oh, ii was a
very maestT0m Of cross currents,
cross purposes AS ii seemed, on which
We drifted on a fOg.clouded night
no fn IN mi IA
the rest OF the affair, as Lucille had
said
We had nearly reached the red and
gilt entrance Dual swung his com
panions up to a window, where costly
treasures of the Orient lay behind the
glass. Lucille and |, too, turned in be-
side them, and we stood gazing
through the thin barrier which shut
Us out.
Then heard the girl at my elbow
catch her breath in gasp of quick.
ened attention ! followed her eyes
as she turned them.
A figure had come to the entrance
OF the restaurant and stood for a mo.
ment, gathering up its skirts. 1t was
short and heavy. clad plainly in black,
ANA above it Quivered and nodded a
hat crowned with waving willow
plumes.
The woman glanced up and down
the street, stepped down and turned
directly past us. | swung back TO the
window and gave it my attention.
i heard the click Of her heels as she
passed, and swung away from my
forced inspection, in time to see d
STOPPING figure emerge from the door
way she had left, and shuttle after.
Mckabe was on the trail.
Not until he was well past did Semi
give the signal which turned us from
the window and started us on the
heels OF the detective along the
street.
Himself he forged slightly ahead of
Sheldon and Reich walking with
long stride. his head thrust slightly
forward, his eyes never, AS ! believe,
loosing sight OF the shutting figure Of
Mckabe.
The woman went straight on. SO
far as her actions showed she was
without suspicion OF the man who
dOgged her footsteps, but at that
she observed the axiom, that the
longest way round is the safest way
home.
She walked slowly up Grant toward
Clay passed that and continued to
Sacramento, swung up that partially
darkened thoroughfaTe toward Stock
ton, and SO brought Mckabe to a
pause He was waiting as We came
Wy.
She's foxy" he muttered. Il
don't believe she's on to my follow,
but she knows sonethin' could hap.
pen, 10 she leads US clean out OF the
town an ducks west along here.
You can glimpse her around the cor
ner, an II we was to start after. she'd
spot us too quick You folks wait here
for a while an then come round in
a body. Now I'm goin' ahead, | reck.
on"
He broke off and peered up the
street in the direction Greek Annie
had taken, looked back and nodded
and WAS gone. We stood huddlsd TO-