Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-23
Printed by Special Arrangement with
Houghton Mif1in Co.
Copyright. 1919. BY Leroy Scott

CpHEllsHl' lulP' pS litIuS C'VtI
RUT Black Jerry was thinking of
something, and long after Uncle
George had gone, and all the next day,
that thought kept rising aud mixing with
his pride and exutation in jennie s
rise, and mixing in with his fierce af-
fection for her. In consequence, he
that evening hired touring car. and
Jennie's graduation, he rode out toward
Silver Bluffs.
At 10 o'clock he left the car on the
roadside a quarter of a mile away from
Silter Bluffs and crept inside the
grounds He had had training neither
as burglar nor as spy, but he would
have made q fair success at the preca-
rious trade of either. Hid among the
shrubbery he watched the house, study
ing, listening to such talk as he could
oyerhear; and he slipped about the
grounds getting the location of the out =
buildings, and the lay of the land, and
,
at anchor in the little harbor.
The three following nights be did the
same. On the fourth night, at about
half past ten, he broke the lock of tho
boathouse and, subduing his voice. he
telephoned up to the big house asking
that Mr.. Kenneth be told that the cap
tain of the Myra wished that certain or q
ders left for the morrow be made more
clear, and that the captain would be
awaiting him upon the pier.
There was turn in the path that led
down from the house. and at this turn
there was O clump of thick shrubbery.
Behind this Jerry stationed himself.
Presently he heard footsteps. and after
few moments solitary figure came
around the turn. In the darkness he
could only see that the figure was a man.
He stepped forward and saluted sailor
fashion
MIR. Kenneth Harrison, sir?" he in =
quired.
Yes confirmed the other. But
where's Captain GrahamI'
Jerry stepped closer. That message
about the captain was just a fake to
get you out here"
"Then this is n hold up - cried
Kenneth, and instantly his fist shot out
at his dim opponent
But Jerry had been on the alert ;
and he had eyes to which night was al
most the same as day. Even as Ken
meth struck, both his wrists were seized
and country club athlete though he
was, he was helpless in those twin
grips.
"Listen," said Black Jerry. ~ amt
going to hurt you. just want TO talk
to you" ,,
"What about?"
e. oyi,I Ia
Jennie Miller.'' exclaimed Kenneth
"Who are you?"
Black Jerry had given much thought
to this point. Il nj sort of cousin
pretty-distant- seen Jennie
since she came east---I'll never figure fol
anything in her life. Jennie writes to
her people out west about her engage
ment; no close relatives, but some peo
pie who think lot of Jcnnie--wc all dc
that, though we're nobody compared tc
her. So they wires me to look over
what sort of a fellow this Harrison is
You get me-"
Yes" Kenneth had begun to re,
cover his composure. "And what sort
of fellow do you think this Harrison
is?'
"I don't know. And since | don
know, here's what / got to say TO you.
vJerry's naturally heavy voice, subdueC
though it was, was vibrant with menace
''Some people say I'm a tough guy
and mebbe I am. I'm going TO be watch
ing you all the while-but I'll never
bother you and you'll never see me il
you treat Jennie right. But if you
don't treat her square Jerry was now
holding the two wrists in his big left
hand, and his right hand had slipped III
and closed softly about the Others
throat-''if you don't treat Jennie
square, III wiring your damned neck
off. So ] guess you'd better treat hel
square. Remember I'll be watching
That's all l want to say
He drew quickly back into the shrub
berry and slipped through the heavy
shadows, out of the grounds.
To Jerry's mind his action had been
wise precaution. When there was
the slightest doubt about man, stiffen
him up in advance by throwing into
him the fear of God or the devil; that
was plain common sense as life had
taught it to Jerry Malone. What he
had just done was the only further
thing he could do which would guar
antee the safety and happiness of Jer-
MES future.
Within the house, somewhat shaken
Kenneth told Jennie of his experience.
''He had deep growl of a voice and
though I'm no weakling he could have
twisted my arm right off il he had
wanted to. He said he was a sort OF
relative Of ,yours--a cousin. Who was
he, JennieY'
Jennie knew well enough who the
man was. SO her father had gone tc
such an extreme for her sake! But