South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-28
NLADGE RECEIVES AND RECOG.
MES A TOKEN"

Ms mother-in-law listened intent
y while. in response to her imper-
ious request, I related 70 her the
tale OF the taxicab crush on Fifth
av, in which l had met the eyes Of
the foreign-looking man IN the
next taxi read startled recognition
in them, and felt a haunting sense
OF their familiarity 10 me.
also told her OF the swathed
invalid in the taxi who had been
pushed back so imperiously by the
other occupant. And then, deter
mined 80 keep nothing back, I told
OF Mrs Durkee's answer 20 the ad-
description of the man who had
taken II in so strange manner.
description that tailed so closely
with my own remembrance Of the
man in the taxi that / was sure the
two personalities were identical.
"Of course" my mother in-law
commented caustically when I had
finished. ANY fool could tell that.
And it's plain 10 be seen that those
two men over there know you we'll.
your habits everything about you.
They arranged that advertisement
so that some one in Marvin would
be sure to bite. and you can bet
they were overjoyed when they
found they could get right next
door. But that throws no light on
the question Of their motives. Of
course. this rubbish they have sent
YOU means nothing. But YOU
might as we'll finish it,"
took the hint and the letter at
the same time.
"No Need For Signatures.
I'VE have information not 20 be
disregarded that your life Is en-
dangered every time you leave
your home" the letter went on
Therefore. we command you-and
we have the right Of command
that for the next week you stay
within the boundaries Of your own
grounds. You are well protected
there. and we are always watching.
u is when you go away that we are
unable to guard you adequately.
lone other thing. You do not
know us. you probably never will
And yet il may be necessary some
time for us 10 see you. In order 10
assure YOU OF our right 10 command
your obedience we are enclosing a
token which YOU will probably rec
ognize. When we send you a SINH
lar one by any agency, it viii mean
an immediate summons TO the
house next to yours. DO not fail TO
come-the results would be disas-
trous.
There is no need for signatures
TO this letter. You would not rec
ognize them if we gave them So
dear Madame Graham, we remain
simply
THE MEN NEXT DOOR.
raised my eyes 10 my mother
in-law's and for moment we
stared at each other in blank as
constituent. Then she put back
her head and laughed heartily. a
performance so unexpected in her
that I was startled.
just a lnll Nulu
"Of all the melodramatic bladder
dash!" she said at last, wiping her
eyes "Of course. it's nothing 10 be
laughed at either. for they're dan
gerous enemies. Still. don't be-
lieve they're very dangerous either.
They couldn't be and have the kind
Of brain that could write letter
like that 1t sounds like old dime
/ novels that ] used TO burn up when
I caught Richard reading them"
The whimsical idea crossed my
mind that TO be SO familiar with
their style she must have surrepti-
tiously read some OF the novels be-
fore she burned them. but knew
better than to voice the thought.
Let's have a look at this token
they're so hrash about" my mother
in-law continued TITS probably
the sawed off half OF a ring or
something. They probably have
done il in regulation Diamond Dick
style"
Her voice expressed contemptu-
Gus ridicule raised to the tenth
power Ny common sense agreed