The Arizona copper camp., 1919-07-26

SprouSe nad not yet put IN an appear
ance. What had become of the man?
He could not help feeling, however,
that somehow the little agent would
suddenly pop out of the chimney in
his room, or sneak in through crack
under the door-and laugh at his
fears.
Shortly before the noon hour, Peter
Ames halted the old automobile from
Green Fancy in front of the Tavern
and out stepped O'Dowd, followed by
DO less a parsonage than the pseudo
Mr.. Loeb. There were a number of
travelling bags in the tonneau of the
EAR.
Catching sight of Barnes, the Irish
nan shouted genial greeting.
"The top of the morning to ye. You
remember Mr.. Loeb, don't you? Mr.
Curtis secretary. Mr.. Loeb is leaving
US for a few days on business. Good
morning, Mr. Boneface," he called out
to Putnam Jones who approached at
that juncture. 'We are sadly in want
IF gasoline"
Barnes caught the look that the
[rishman shot at him out Of the cor
1er of his eye.
perhaps you'd better see that the
scOundrelS don't give us short meas
IRE, Mr.. Loeb" said O'Dowd. Loeb
hesitated for second, and then, evil
IDENTIFY in obedience to command
from the speakers eye, moved off to
where Peter was opening the intake.
O'Dowd lowered his voice. "Barnes,
let you off last night, and let her
off as we'll. In return, 1 ask you to
hold your tongue until the man down
there gets fair start. A days start
and
"Are you in danger, too, O'Dowd?"
"To be sure-but 1 love it. I can
always squirm out of tight places"
81 would not deliberately put you in
Jeopardy, O'Dowd."
"See here, am going back to that
house up yonder. There is still work
for me there. What I'm after now is
to get him on the train at Hornville.
I'll be here again at four o'clock, on
me word Of honor Trust me, Barnes"
"Do you mean, to say that you are
coming back here to run the risk of
being"
"We've had word that the govern
ment has men on the way. Why,
hang it all, Barnes, don't you know
who it was that engineered that whole
business last night?"
Barnes smiled. 81 do. He is a Sc
cret agent from the embassy"
"Secret granny!' almost shouted
O'Dowd. "He is the slickest, cleverest
crook that ever drew the breath of
life. And he's got away with the
jewels, for which you can whistle in
vain, I'm thinking"
"For heavens sake, ODowd-" be-
gan Barnes, his blood like ice in his
veins.
"But don't take my word for it.
Ask her-upstairs there, God bless
her !-ask her if she knows Chester
Naismith. She'll tell ye, my bucko.
He's been standing guard outside her
window for the past three nights.
He's"
"Now I know you are mistaken"
cried Barnes, a wave of relief surging
over him. "He has been in this tav-
ern every night"
"Sure he has. But answer me, did
We ever see him here after eleven in
the evening? You did not-not until
last night, anyhow. In the struggle he
had with Nicholas last night he was
recognized. That's why poor old
Nicholas is lying dead up there at the
house now-and will have a decent
burial unbeknoWnst to anybody but
his friends"
"Good God. O'Dowd, you can't mean
that he-he killed"
'He stuck knife in his neck. The
dirty snake! And the chief trusted
him as no crook ever was trusted be-
fore. In the name of God, Barnes, how
did you happen to fall in with the vii
lain?"
Barnes passed his hand over his
brow, dazed. "He-he represented
himself as a, book agent" he mumbled,
striving to collect himself. Jones
knew him. Said he had been around
here for weeks. IL"
"That's the man. said O'Dowd,
scowling. ''He trC:ted all over the
county, selling books. For the love of
it, do ye think? Not much. He had
other fish to fry, you may be sure.
Barnes, if we ever lay hands on that
friend of yours-well, he won't have
to fry in hell. He'll be burnt alive.
Thank God, my minds at rest on one
score. She didn't skip out with him.
They all think he did, Not one. Of
them suspects, that she came. away
with you. There is plenty of evidence
that she let him in through her win.
dow"
GAIL ready, O'Dowd," called Loeb.
''Come along, please" =
Coming" said the Irishman. Don't
blame yourself, old man. See you
later, Barnes. So longw