Evening star., 1919-05-11

per- getting az close to Curate Sam's
voice rs could
What's wrong there?" was the
prompt inquiry.
I'm not alone" I whispered back,
Did you put Pip Keefer wiser
asked the unknown voice.
Sure" l answered, at guess
All right" said the voice. and that
snded the talk.
l was glad to get out of that room
And safely back in my own. There l
worked over the handful of frag-
ments from Curate Sans scrap bas-
ket All could get of value after in
Unite piecing together was: '-he
Wayne" &C 37ls." and IN the
BELLS"
A familiar look about that "371S"
sent me back to my little list of phone
numbers from Babbitts Office. where
l found it to be the same as one Of the
call numbers there designated.
l was still brooding over my fish,
line tangle of twisted facts when
Toosey pussy footed up to my room.
What do you want me to do?" she
demanded.
Il want you to come with mo to the
Wayne Hotel There l think. we'll
dig up a bell-hop called Pip Keefer"
When we got to the Wayne found
that my guess hadn't been such a bad
one. A young man named Keefer was
"on the bells" there at night. His
home address. l found. was 81 Schu-
macker street. And to that address
we hurried on without loss Of time.
1t was not an inviting abode. being
half cheap temperance hotel and half
rooming house. So / drew off until
Toosey could roughen up her appear
ance and show an appropriate front
for such quarters. While busted
myself by purchasing a package of
safety pins in a nearby store. she
went in alone, took room for a week
and duly reappeared to throw me the
high sign to follow her.
Some dump" she scornfully an
nounced as she shut her door. Then.
acting on my instructions, she re-
opened that door to intercept a coat
less mulatto carrying a tray of empty
beer bottles.
Say. kid. which is Pip Keefer's
room?' she casually inquired.
'Pip's sleep in twenty mine. But
he'll sure kill yuh. Blonde. If yuh go
stirrin' him b'fore six"
l waited until the hall was clear,
and then made n study Of the room
numbers keefers room, l found, was
on the floor above. l crept up a mar
row stairway padded with worn car
pet, came to twenty-nine and eau
tiously tried the door
'Toosey," I explained. as put my
revolver In my waistfront and pock-
eted my spider" and safety pins,
keep an eye on the hall until I get
inside"
turned the worn old lock-bar back
without trouble. I closed the door
and tiptoed to the head OF the narrow
iron bed. Then I slowly and cautiously
wormed my fingers under the pillow.
watching the sleeper's face as
worked.
carefully withdrew my hand
bringing with it a blue-barreled au-
tomato. Then I carefully lifted the
coarse gray white coverlet. letting 1t
fall gently over the sleeper's arm
Then with my safety pins l adjusted
about Master Pip Keefer what to
every hospital nurse is known as a
restraining sheet. whereby young
girl is able to control either the
struggles of an unruly patient or the
commissions Of a delirious one.
Then tiptoed about the room. max
ing q quiet but thorough search. In
Pip's pockets I found roll Of bills
much too big for the most frugal OF
bell-hops, an ample bunch of equally
suspicious looking keys, FIVE pawn
tickets and what seemed to be the
floor plan of some unknown house.
The tickets and keys and floor plan
tucked carefully away. Then l tip
toed to the window and deliberately
raised the soiled blind.
The yellow faced youth on the bed
opened his eyes as the light hit him.
What the blaxes-" he cried. with
a frantic yet futile effort at compre-
hension. Say. who are you, any
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