The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-12-30
OTTO AUTO

out TO work for any strong-arm out.
fit--not II ! know IL
For a little ~hil. he sat blinking
nj me from under hls huahy eye.
brows and his hard mouth was
drawn into = straight lin. with
mean little wrinkle coming and going
at the corners OF It
When he got ready % spesk again
he said. YOURS only . boy. You
want to get on tn the world don't
your
-suppossns d9 what snenr- ]
snapped
I'm offering you . sr,od chance.
the best you ever had You dent
cw. Norcro@s anything more than
your Job. do your
-aayt,o not
That's better. Put on your hat
and come along with me. want
TO show you what | can do for you
in a better field than raiiroading
ever WAS. or ever will be. it'll pay
YOU" and he named a figure that
very nearly made me fail dead out
OF my chair.
or course. n was an plain enough
Tho boss had him on the hip with
that kidnapping business. with me
for q witness. And he WIS trying 70
fix the witness. It's funny. but the
only thing I thought Of. Jus, then.
was the necessity OF covering no the
part that Mrs sheila and Maisis
Ann had had Ia the holdup affair
that he was 70 anxious to bury and
pu, out OF sight
Il guess we needn't hat about the
bushes any longer. Mr.. Hatch" I
said. bracinx up 70 him. II haven't
told the sheriff. or anybody but Mr..
Norcroea. what know about Ger
tain little train hoidnp that happened
a few weeks ago down at sand
Greek siding; but that isn't saying
that I'm not going to-
At this he flung the stump OF the
black cigar out OF the window. found
another In his pocket. and lighted H.
n I had had the sense OF a field
mouse. might have known that I
was no match for such a man: but
y lacked the sense-laeked II good
and hard
You're IKE your boss he aid
shortly. you'd 20 long distance
out OF your way 10 make an enemy
when there iH no need Of H. That
hoIdup business was joke. from
start to finish I don't know how
you and Norcross came TO get In on
II. the joke was meant to te on John
Chadwick. The night before. at a
little dinner we were giving him at
the railroad club. he said there never
was railroad holdup that couldn't
have been stood Off. A few OF us
got together afterward and put up
a job on him. sent him over TO
Strathcona and arranged TO have
him held up on the way back"
Again ! lost my grip on all the
common. everyday sanities. My best
play--the only reasonable play--was
TO let him no away thinking that he
had made me swallow the joke story
whole. But didn't have sense
enough TO do that.
MIR. Chadwick didn't take II az a
joker I retortcd.
II know he didn't: and that's why
we're all anxious now to dig a hole
and bury the thir- decently. Per.
haps we had all been taking a drop
too much at the club dinner that
night"
At that 7 swerled up man. size and
kicked the whole kettle OF fat into
the fire.
"of course. II was joker ripped
out. ''And your coming here to
night 20 try TO hire me aw(y from
Mr. Norcross " another. The woods
are fun Of good shorthand men. Mr.
Hatch. but for the present think
I shall stay right where ! anywhere
a court subpoena can find me when
I'm wanted"
That's all nonsense. and you
know tiff you're not too much Of
Kid to know anything" he snapped.
shooting out his heavy jaw at mo
II merely wanted TO give you
chance 10 get rid OF the railroad col.
lar. II you felt like H. And thcre'll
be no court and no subpoena. The
poorest jack LEG lawyer we've got In
Portal City would make a fool OF
you In five minutes on the witness
stand. Ncyerthcless. my offer holds