The Arizona copper camp., 1920-03-06
City of Purple Dreams 8


gray eyes fixed unwaveringly upon
the black ones above him, his mind
working with the cool precision of a
perfect mechanism. "He's either mad
or an assassin" ran his thought
probably mad; and the only way to
deal with mailman is to humor him.
Perhaps, though, he's only bluffing. In
any event I'd best take no chances''
Otis made a caressing movement
with his~fngers along the arm of his
chair; his head rested on the back of
it the better to keep his eyehold on
the supposed maniac.
"Ten thousand. Er-won't you
please sit DOWN."
II will not. / could not explode the
dynamite sitting down."
"Quite so, quite sop The caressing
movement increased. His voice was
silky. "Ten thousand-h'm. You do
not, of course, suppose have that
much money in the house?"
mo. You must write me check"
"Very true, so ! must. "But''-he
held finger beside his eye and smiled
waggishly-"might I not stop pay
ment on the check?"
"You might, but you won't. You will
accompany me to the bank; you will
stand at my elbow while I cash it /;
you will then enter a motorcar with
me and drive to some deserted spot
outside Chicago; you will leave the
auto, and thus give me a chance to
escape. All this while I shall have
the dynamite; one false move and I'll
blow us to kingdom come. Your life
is worth ten thousand dollars, 1 take
it. Mines not. Do I make myself
clear?"
Excessively. And now for the
check" Without moving his. head
from the back of the chair Otis pro-
duced a private check book and a
fountain pen, and, feeling the way
with his fingers, filled out a check
for ten thousand dollars. "What
name?" he asked.
snake it payable to bearer"
"Very we'll"
''Father!"
A pair of portieres at the rear of
the room were held far apart, and in
the aperture stood a girl. Without
turning-his back was toward her
Fitzhugh knew who she was. He had
heard her voice before. AS she spoke
his uplifted hands dropped swiftly
and concealed the newspaper package
beneath his coat. Then he turned,
and, even as he knew he would looked
into the pansy-blue eyes of the girl
with the Titan hair.
There was dramatic tableau. Fitz-
hugh, every nerve and muscle tense,
stood looking at the girl. Otis, who
had not moved, watched him. The
girl looked from one to the other in
quiringly. She seemed to know intu-
itively that something very unusual
had occurred.
Otis was first to speak. 2Asf'-@ -4
"Will you excuse us, Kathleen? This
gentleman and l have little business
to transact
Il did not intend to interrupt, fa-
ther. 1 thought you were alone"
She went out, closing the portieres
behind her. Otis wrote t''bearer" on
the check, shipped it from the book
and stood up. He held out the check
without saying a word.
Fitzhugh took the slip of paper,
studied it reflectively. There was no
questioning its genuineness. 1t called
for ten thousand dollars, and the call
was as authoritative as a govern
ment bond. Suddenly he drew a
deep breath, folded the check, and de-
liberately tore it twice across. He
dropped the pieces On the table,
picked up his hat, and without a fur
ther word walked from the room.
In the hall he found Kathleen Otis.
"ThiS is not the first time,' said he
in his best dramatic manner, "you
have saved me from myself. I thought
I'd tell YOU" +
She stepped back, looking at him
curiously. 'I-Pm afraid I don't un-
derstand you. l don't think I even
know you"
cts hardly possible"
'What were you doing in therew
she interrupted. 81 know something
was wrong and She broke off,
-;