Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-13

us tftO, lnQeeu, the man WAS CntrSG
upon her own conscience.
He meant to be dishonest. I am
afraid" she admitted reluctantly;
but | am sure he can not be thor
oughly bad, for he wasn't very old
just young man."
She was Il very simple, trusting
little old lady--as well as a sweet
little old lady. Why should her illu-
| sions he dispelltd? The Hawk nodded
| gravely. a. t...s,
"'erhaps," suggested the Hawk.
rori Ers he hasn't had any one to
keep him straight, Perhaps he hasn't
got what keeps good many chaps
straight--a good mother"
The mist was quick In her eyes
again. He had not meant to bring
| that--he had meant only to show her
n genuine admiration and respect.
Perhaps not" she answered slow
~. but II he has, hope she will
never know" She shook her head
again; and then: but you have not
| told me yet what you would like,
| sir?"
! The Hawk gave his order. He ate
mechanically. Back in his mind he
was reviewing Il rather extensive ac-
uuaintanceship with certain gentry
! whose morals were not wholly above
leproach. Failing however, to idenn-
| fy the individual With the counterfeit
note MS one of this select number, he
| finally dismissed the man somewhat
Contemptuously from his mind.
Just pker crook, guess" de-
cided the Hawk. I'D like to have
/ FOUND out tho how many more of
those he's got, and who the fool
4 was that let an amateur skate like
that loose with any OF the goods"
He finished his meal, paid his bill.
smiled a good night to old Mother
| Barrett. walked out of the short or
der house. and made his way over to
the station. Five minutes later, hav-
ing purchased n magazine, the Hawk
with n ticket in his pocket for Il sta
ton number of miles beyond
| Burke's Siding, curled himself up
/ with his pipe on seat in the smok-
er Of the local.
/ The train started, and the Hawk
apparently became Immersed in his
magazine. The Hawk, however, tho
| he thrned a page from time to time,
was concerned with matters very far
removed from the printed words be-
/ fore him. The game tonight was
more hazardous, more difficult, and
] for vastly greater stake than any
in which he had before .pltted his
wits or played his lone hand against
the combined brains of the Butcher,
his fellows, and their unknown lead
er, who collectively were referred to
i by the papers as---the Wire Devils.
The Hawk tamped down the ash In
the bowl Of his pipe with wary
forefinger. He, the Hawk, according
to MacVightie, was the leader OF this
ingenious criminal league, 1t was
very, complimentary of MacVightie--.
very! Between MacVightie and the
/ Wire Devils themselves, he was a
parsonage much sought after! Mac
Vightie, however. was not without
grounds for his assertion and belief
the Hawk grinned pleasantly--he,
the Hawk, had certainly. and for
some time back, helped himself to
the leaders share of the spells, and
helped himself very generously,
=
/ The grin died away. He had beaten
| them so far, appropriated from under
their very noses the loot they had so
carefully planned to obtain, and he
had Knocked and tainted them con-
temptuously in the dong OF it, but
the cold fact remained that luck
sometimes was known to turn5 and
that the pitcher that went too often
to the well ran the risk of getting
smashed. Ii they ever caught him
his life would not be worth an in
4 stants purchase. He knew some OF
(. them, and he knew them well for
what they were, and he labored I'M
der no delusions on that score! The
Butcher for example who was the
Number One of the message, had al
ready nearly done for him once; and
the Butcher had nothing on Numbs,
Three, who was the Bantam, or on
Number Seven, who was White Jim
or, 1T was safe to presume, on any
of the others that he had not yet
identified-thi Number -Four and
Number Six, for instance. who were
! mentioned in the cipher message to-
night. And how many more were
therey He did not kpow-except
that there was the Master Spider OF
them all.
/ The Hawk had ceased now even to
turn cursorily the pages of the maya
zine, he was staring out OF the
window. s..
Il wonder" muttered the Hawk
j grimly, when I'll run up against
i him? And who he is? And where
the head office is?"
I He nodded his head after mo-
ment. MacVightie had called the
turn. The Wire Devils formed as
powerful and dangerous criminal
organization as had probably ever
existed anywhere. And not for very
long would they put all their re-
SOURCES at work to pull off some
coup, only to find that he, the Hawk,
had made use Of their preparations
to snatch the prize away from them;
they were much more likely to put
= all their resources at work-with the
s. Hawk as their sole objective!
4 The Hawks lips frightened. He
might underestimate, but he could
not sexaggerate, his danger! The
man in the seat behind him might
be one of them for all he knew.
Somewhere, hidden away in his web,
at the end of q telegraph wire, was
the Master Spider directing the oper-
1 ations; and there must be very many
of them-the little spiders-spread
all over the division. Where there
was telegraph sounder that sounder
carried the messages, the plans, the
secret orders of the brain behind the