The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-21

iwered me at once.
Did you ask Fulner to instruct
ne % go to Oakville and motor bacl
/ to Chanboro with a man who'd be
waiting for me when arrived there?'
''Of course I didn't And F>ulnel
never gave them to you. And what's
more. I don't like the looks of all this
1t points to a bigger mix-up than we've
imagined, especially when somebody's
taken the trouble to tap your wire"
Then I'm still to act on your first
instructions
/ Yes. get out there to .Chamboro. an6
don't leave any loose ends or let any
thing slip away from you. In the
meantime I'll hurry Wilkins out tc
oakville to follow up the rop IS >fron
that point"
So went straight to Chamboro. a.
1 was instructed to do. Instead of find-
ing a sleeping city lying TRANQUILITY un-
der the paling stars. saw through the
faint light of earliest morning a scene
of unexpected, movement and color
The railways yards beyond the sta
ton. I found. were crowded with
strings of gaily painted cars. Eight
wrinkled- skinned elephants swaye6
ponderously along a road already dusty
with trafic. Six-teamed tent-wagons
O@%N
corner OF Chamboro to an open Tot
already busy with workmen.
| But had scant time to brood over 1t
for the next moment I was climbing
into a ramshackIe old bus emblazonet
with the faded but significant legend
Of The Lantry House"
Once I'd been installed at the
Lantry House, my first move was tc
send out feelers for Toosey Attrill.
discovered to my surprise that che wal
under the same roof with me. So If
| two minutes I was at her door quietly
| sounding our code-knock.
There was both wonder and weari-
ness on her face as she opened thai
| door and squinted out at me.
Look who's here!" she said IN a re-
lieved sort of whisper as she relockec
| the door and wriggled into a kimono
Whats happened?" I promptly in
quired as she reached for a cigarette
Nothing hit this town but a two
ring circus" she announced. as she
struck a match. "And there's nothin' ]
could do except sit around and walt fl
| the kangaroo to jump"
! assumed the kangaroo in this case
to be Oldershaw, so I demanded par
ticulars as to that gentleman.
He. hit this town about six hours
before Ibid. and took a room here, but
he wouldn't even give a choich woiker
the glad hand. He got cold feet a. soon
as he found the house-safe was out OF
killer and couldn't hold his stone
| trays. He took 'em back to his room
and double-locked everything and orr
dered his supper sent up. And when
he went down to use long-distance and
call on a couple of bis customers. he
put the night porter on the door with
an army revolver in his side pocket
| about the size OF a rollin' pin!"
Then got busy. Oldershaw, I found
was still in his room. But the startling
part of it turned out to be that he was
not there alone. Another man had
spent the night with him. He and thi:
unknown second man had sat up until
morning playing "rummy."
The second man, found out from
the porter. had come with a handbag
but without trunk. 1t was true. he
also informed me. that the hotel safe
was out of order, and the house wa:
using little hand safe that afforded
no room for outside deposits. So Old
ershaw had put the porter on guard
at his room door when the former went
out with handbag. about five O'Clock
in the afternoon of the day before
The second man he must have me-
somewhere outside. but they were botf
back in the room before seven.
Did that second man register wher
he came to the hotel?" I asked.
Sure he did" was the answer.
Have you any idea under what
name?"
"Brescher." was the somewhat dis
turbing answer
1 My first step in the work, de-
| cided, was to confront Oldershaw him
self So I went straight to his room
and knocked. There was no response
Then moved on down the hall, for
saw a bellboy approaching with vel
low enveloped telegram in his han6
He stopped at Oldershaw's door, tool
edge of this tapped lightly yet dis.
tinctiy on the door frame. The dool
was opened and the boy was admitted
Two minutes later I returned to thai
door, with a nickel in my hand There
7 repeated the maneuYer of the bellhoy
1t was successful. I was standing close
in beside the door when it swung back
The man called Oldershaw blinked oui
at me with startled eyes.
You sent for mel" I calmly an
| nounced. He swept me with his openly
combatiye stare.
Il guess you've made a mistake II
the room number" And he would havt
shut the door in my face If I hadn't IL
the meantime pushed too far forward
| to permit any such movement. Tn,
man. could see. was as nervous as
eat.
Tn Miss Ryna1. of the Protectiv,
Alliance. and I've been sent here t.
| cover your case"