Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-09-20
The Web
of Destiny
BY J. U. GIESY & J. q. SMITH
Authors of Semi-Dual Stories
Copyright.
The Frank A. Munsey Co.
The Frank A. Munsey Co.

chest told that he lived, and L won
dered what was passing back of his
broad brows, inside his strange brain.
Would he, questioned, heed that cry
OF the lost and follow it to bring again
the light of freedom from bondage and
danger, and even as l wondered, child
myself for asking the question.
Footsteps passed down the hallway
outside our door. A voice spoke and
was answered; woman laughed-the
door of an elevator changed softly.
l glanced at Sheldon. The old man
sat solidly smoking, yet change had
crept into his face. The lips which
held his cigar seemed to me to have
grown thinner and firmer with almost
a tension at their corners, and the set
of his fighting chin had, too, taken on
a new angle.
Under their heavy brows his gray
eyes brooded. He looked like a griz-
zled veteran waiting the call to action
which he knew was about to come.
From him my eyes travelled to Reich
almost a feeling of pity.
After all, thought. the lad had lost
far more than any of us who judged
his erratic temper, and his protests
against what must have seemed to his
youth like inaction.
And surely he seemed to have suffer
ed. He was worn, his face pallid,
drawn, almost haggard, and there were
darkening circles beneath his eyes.
noticed that the hand on the arm of
the chair in which he sat twitched
now and then as against his volition.
His brows were knit in brooding
thought, his chin sunk on his breast.
Sheldon fose and walked to a win
dow. standing there with his hands
clasped behind him, gazing out over
the lights of the city. l crossed and
Joined him where he stood chewing
upon his cigar which had gone dead.
"Shes some CITY," he muttered,
nOdding his grizzled head at the miles
of lights. "Some city to go out into
an find one leetle gal tucked away to
keep folks from findin' But reckon
Dual kin do it. an if he does. he's a
wizard. My Lord, I'll be glad to see
Lilly again."
HE will do it," 1 whispered assur-
ance.
81 amt doubtin' it, son." he made
answer. when that Lucille girl gets
back l reckon the fireworks will begin
TO sizzle. | reckon you an l know
Semi Dual"
Well, his was the faith Of n soldier
victorious action. l thrilled at his
words, and laid hand on his shout
der He turned, and his lips twitched
into slow, grim smile.
Again footsteps sounded from the
passage. The door opened and Miss
Foote entered in company with a man.
He was a small and somewhat
shabby person in a sack coat of brown
tweeds and trousers to match. His
face was thin, nervous and incisive;
his hair, when he took off his derby
hat, was a dark and close-cut auburn,
and he walked with a shuffling stoop.
We all turned to face him on his en-
trance, and in so doing looked into
pair Of cool blue eyes.
Gentlemen" said Miss Lucille,
"this is Mr.. McKabe, of the China.
town plain clothes squad"
McKabe nodded his head and
perched himself on the edge of chair
fiddling with his battered derby.
9TH young lady has given me the
lay" he began. "Now just what'jer
want to do?"
Dual, who had lifted himself to at
tention, upon the entrance Of the de-
tective, Immediately answered:
1--WE want to find this girl and as
sure her safety, and we want the as
sfstance of your people, and as time Is
an important factor, we want to act at
once. If you already know the main
details, you can suggest the proper
moves"
McKabe frowned placed his hat on
table close beside him and locked his
wiry fingers about one knee.
"From what Miss Foot told me !
reckon the best bet would be to try
and glimpse this Greek Annie, whom
you think brought the girl from Salt
Lake. If we can cross her trail most
like It will strike somewheres pretty
close to the girl. There's just two
places where think we'd be most
likely to pick her up-one is the Pa
cific Avenue dumps-what most folks
call the Barbary Coast, an the other is
the Chinatown District.
1.-THE last is the best, because right
now most of the avenue places is pref
ty quiet, an they amt pulln' much
rough stuff over there. But the chlnks
always have KEEP us guessing, an
guess they always will. Lately these
white slave people have been maxim
a good deal of use of them, too. Only
last summer we dug out six girls what
chink was holdin', an sent them
back to their people, an at that we
couldn't git a conviction. The chink
brought dozen witnesses to prove the
girls was boardin' with him, an we
couldn't prove 10 wasn't so. OF course
we knew, all right, just as we did when
we grabbed three girls a Teller was
shipping out to China often a vessel.
That's the way they work II. Girls