Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-05-21
"WhaTs in it?" he asked.

died a sudden death. Once more |
was confronted by the specter of my
poverty. Of what use my talking
TO a high-priced investigator like Cor
man when all the money l had in the
world was less than two hundred dol
lars, out of which had to live until
found employment. Yet I must serve
Barbara Bradford.
eff you clear up this case" 1 an
nounced, "Fll give you every cent I've
got in the world"
He shook his head.
ut amt enough. If take this case.
it won't be for the money that's in it.
For that matter I can get all L want
from old CASTOR for getting his pearls
back. That'll be enough"
'Then you will take the case" I
cried jubilantly.
"On one condition. That you'll prom
ise to keep everything away from the
police"
''Tll promise that for myself and
Miss Bradford, too. That was the
one reason she advanced against my
lelllIlS you ABOUT tullSS. Sue was
afraid you'd call in the police"
"Never fear about that. There's
nothing I'd like better than to put it
over that bunch of young reformers
they've got down in Center street. This
hotel work don't suit me, anyhow. I've
been thinking of opening up an office
of my own. The recovery Of the Gas
ton pearls would be a nice feather in
my cap to start WITH
81 see," replied, "but you'll need
money for expenses and that sort of
thing, won't you? 1 have"
Leave that part of it to me-" he
retorted with a quizzical smile.
after all the years I was on the po-
lice force I amt exactly broke by a
long shot. All you've got to do is to
keep your eyes open and let me know
all that goes on in the apartment
house. I'll attend to the rest. Don't
do anything. though, without consult
ing me first"
"Tll gladly promise that"
Good enough. We'd better arrange
then to meet here every day at three
sharp. It's as good a place as any,"
"Fll be here"
"And look out you're not trailed.
They may try shadow,ing you again."
"Who do you mean by they?" l
asked eagerly.
"Them that trailed you yesterday"
replied German with a grin. eff you
don't know, don't know either-yet"
From his manner I was confident
that he already had a shrewd suspi-
cion as to the identity of some of the
miscreants. The maze in the center
of which he had placed Miss Bradford
and myself meant far more to him.
undoubtedly, than it did to me- More
than likely his vast knowledge of the
methods of criminals and his acquaint.
anceship with others like Lefty Moore
had given him clues enough as tc
where to look for the plotters. I real
lied that it would be useless to ques
ton him further He would admit
suspecting no one until he was sure
of their guilt, a quality I admired
greatly.
"You can count on me-" I repeated
"Tll be here at three tomorrow"
Yet how foolish it was for any OF
us to predict what we will be doing OF
where we will be twenty-four hour!
from now. Seldom do things nappe1
in the routine of our lives as we haC
anticipated. I was not there the mex
day at the time appointed. By no pos
sibility could I have been there, how
ever much 1 might have wished to
Many things had happened in quicl
succession.
How it came about that my promis
to meet German went unfulfilled cal
best be explained by narrating tn
events of the evening after I returne
to the Granddeck. 1t was nearly fiv
when I left the detective. l strolle
leisurely down town and had dinner il
r the cafe where on one occasion 1 ha
seen the scar-faced man. 1 lingere
there for a long time over my coffe
hoping in vain that he might appear
even ventured to cautiously questio
, the waiter and head waiter, describin
the man as best I could, but both q
them insisted that they never had see
any such person. AS l walked HON
, kept a wary eye out to make sur
, was not being followed, but appal
emily no one was now shadowing m,
, 1t was nine-thirty when l reache
home. 1t had been arranged that Ba
bara about ten would signal me thf
we might have a chat from our n
: spective windows. AS / sat in m
room waiting for the time TO come,
y was reviewing the case in all its a.
: poets. Indeed there was hardly wal
ing moment that was not thinking {
), the many mysteries about US. we
wondering if, when the case We
b cleared up the mysterious whisper
. that we all had heard would also /
explained. l recalled Claire Bra,
!, fords unexpected visit to my apar
ment the evening before and her col
fusion when l had captured her.
!, wondered if the explanations she ha
offered had been the truth. Was ST
really trying to locate the source
: the whispers? I looked interested
: up at the section of the wall that
!, had found her inspecting. What hs
!. she hoped to discover there?
l decided to make a close inspe
= ton of both sides of the wall. /
= 1 lighted up the sitting room and ha
= for this purpose, something unusu
- came to my notice that had hither
escaped me enturely.
THE INNER WALL OF MY ROO
= the one running along the hall
!" the apartment-HAD THE APPEAL
u ANCE OF BEING AT LEAST FOU
Il FEET THICK.
1t seemed so absurd that 1 refus,
y to believe the evidence my eyes hi
T given me. In these modern days
,r steel construction there was no reas,
for a wall being of medieval propc
- tions. I sprang to my great-aun
~ work basket and began rummaging
"a see if l could find a tape meaSul
- and luckily my search was quickly !
j, warded.
i