The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-03-11

" al 1DCAOA VI HOAAAG AQuiC
cence. Then he filed his glass again
Mr.. Snyder, cycling his hostess with
a tense wa~tchfulneSs which told him
that his nerves were strung to their
utmost, fancied that her eyes cleaned
for an instant with sinister light.
1t faded next moment, as she turned
to speak to Cakes, who was still fin
gering his parcel with the restless GU
riosity of a boy.
DO we open these. ma'am?"
mot yet, Mr.. Burton"
I'm wondering what mine is"
II hope it will not be u disappoint-
ment to you"
A sense of the StrangenesS of the
situation came over Mr.. Snyder with
renewed force as the meal progressed.
lie looked round the table and Won
dered if an odder quartet had ever
been assembled.
Cakes, his fears hat the dullness of
this dinher-party would eclipse the
dullneSs of all other dinner parties in
his experience, m%iraculously relieved,
Wis Ut pcdCe with all LAcu. Ge WAS
in high spirits and waxed garrulous
over his wine.
aIr. Snyder could read his mind cas-
lily enough. 1t was when he attempted
% guess at the thoughts OF his hostess
ma the German that he was baffled.
What was that heavy man with the
dull eyes thinking Of as he drained and
retilled his glass? And the Old woman?
she had slipped back, once the party
bad begun to progress smoothly, into
something OF her former grim man
lar, and conversation a table haG
practically developed into a mono
ioSIe on the part OF the unconscious
0ukes.
IS for Ar. Snyder himself. &c felt
.v,teriously deprived OF his usual
.-,aithy appetite and simultaneously
ri he easy genialiTy Which distin-
.ished him. He sat AMI crulnbled
rcG!, ~aeryously watchful.
Cakes picked Up his souvenir again.
iIe had been dGdling with it at inter-
;als for the past quarter of an hour.
surely now. ma'am?" he said plain
Il did not want them opened till
4fte- dinner" said Mrs. Pickett. "But
Just rs you please"
Cakes tore the wrapper eagerly. He
produced a little silver matchbox.
THANK you kindly, ma'am," he
hid. Just what I have always
-auted."
Mr.. Snyder's parcel revealed a
@atch-charm fashioned in the shape
# a dark lantern.
That" said Mrs. Pickett. lis a com
TO your profession" She
eaped toward the German. Mr.. Sny-
Ter is Il detective, Captaia Muller"
Tie German looked up.
II seemed to Mr.. Snyder that a look
f fear lit up his heavy eyes for an
1t came and went. if indeed
came at all, so swiftly that he could
lot be certain. L
"SO?" said Captain Muller. |
He spoke quite evenly. with just tire I
mount of interest which such an an :
ouncement would naturally PRODUCE L
ut Mr.. Snyder was conscious of o. (
of his old feeling OF distrust Il
or the man. 7
He had been fighting against this {
u the evening, for ne had u profess Z
horror of approaching my case {
/ a biased frame Of mind. He was {
'ying his hardest not to PREJUDICE this E
aspect, but he found himself wayer- E
lg. e
Now for yours. captain said S
axes. 81 guess it's something special. s
5 twice the size of mine, anyway" :
1t may have been something in the z
d woman's expression as she watched 3
German slowly tearing the paper s
at sent a thrill of excitement through E
r. Snyder IL
Something seemed t o warn him Of 2
approach of the psychological mo- B
ent. He bent forward eagerly. I'm Is
n the table his hands were clutching E
S knees in a bruising grip. II
There was a strangled gasp, a chat 2
and onto the table from the Ger is
ans hands there fell a little bar e
Oniea. IL
In the silence which followed all Il
suspicion which MI. Snyder had Is
so sedulousiy keeping in check is
lrst its bounds. IL
There YVES no mistaking the look on z
e Germans face now. His cheeks b
ere like wax, and his eyes, so dull Is
then, blazed with a panic and hor- E
r which he could not represS. The Z
asses on the table rocked as he d
at the cloth. is
Mrs. Pickett spoke. Il
why, Captain Muller, has it up Z
t you? I thought that. as his best 2
lend. the man who shared his room, is
u would value a memento of Cap &
in Gunner. How fond you must have 8
zen of him for the sight of his z
.rmOnica to be such a shock" is
The German did not speak. He was liz
airing fascinated al the thing on the Ess
bic. IH
Mrs. Pickett turned to Mr.. Snyder. lE
* . as they met his were the II