Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-21

street. A moment later. the Bantam
saurttered thru the doorway and
started In the same direction. a hum
dred yards behind the Frenchman.
The Hawk. with a grim smile. folded
his paper, stuffed II into his pocket,
rose from the bench, crossed the
Ia hundred yards behind the Bantam.
1t was still light, tho it was be-
ginning to grow dusk-too light for
any highway thuggery. and yet--the
Hawk gradually closed the gap be-
tween himself and the Bantam to
half the original distance.
The chase led on for a half dozen
blocks. then turned into one of the
crowded streets OF the shopping dis
trict and proceeded in a downtown
direction. And then. abruptly. the
Hawk dropped further behind the
Bantam again, and crossed to the
opposite sidewalk. It was perhaps
only fancy, but intuitively he felt
that he. too. in turn. was being fol-
lowed. His hat brim, hiding his face,
was pulled little farther forward
over his eyes, as he hurried now I'M
til he was abreast of the Frenchman.
Intuition or not, 1t was quite pos
sible and even likely that one of the
gant, might cover the Bantam.
The Hawk scowled. He could not
be sure: and he dared not put 1t to
more than casual test. for he could
not afford to lose sight of the Ban
tam. He paused, took 9. slip Of pa
per from his pocket. and. as tho
having consulted 1t for an address,
appeared to scan the signs and num-
bers on the. stores in his immediate
vicinity. The Frenchman had passed
by: the Bantam was directly oppo-,
site to him now across the street.
The Hawks keen eyes searched the
stream of pedestrians behind the
Bantam. And then suddenly he
shrugged his shoulders, and return
ed the paper to his pocket--a man.
In q light suit and brown derby hat
had stepped out OF the crowd, and
was leisurely lighting cigaret in a
doorway just across from where he,
the Hawk, stood.
The Hawk went on. but keeping in
the rear OF the Bantam now on the
opp.,site side Of the street He was
still not sure; but, in any case. nei-
Their could the man in the brown
derty9Fbe sure that he. the Hawk,
was following the Bantam. SO far
Their, granted that he was being fol-
lowed.sit was an even break!
AT the next crossing the French
man accosted a policeman, and, as
tho he had received directions, at
once turned down the cross street.
The Hawk, as he followed, smiled
grinly. The cross street automat-
ically verified the suspicious Of the
man in the brown derby-if the man
In the brown derby had any GUS
pictons to verify; but, at one and the
! same time, 1t also answered the
Hawks own question.
The Hawk in turn, made use of
doorway. sHe could afford to al
low the Bantam, temporarily, the
lead OF an extra half block now, for
there were fewer people on the cross
street and he would still be able to
Keep the other in sight. A minute,
two. elapsed--and then the Hawk
picked up the Rantam'e trail again.
The. man in the brown, derby hat had
passed by the corner and continued
on along the main street.
/ And yet still the Hawk was not
satisfied. And it was not until after
he had repeated the same maneuver
some four or five times. as the
Frenchuan, leading. turned into diff
ferent streets that he was finally
convinced that neither the man in
the brown derby hat, nor any one
else. was interested in his move-
me1ts.
!. The chase, since leaving the main
street. had wound Its way thru the
less populous wholesale district
ended at the railway station. The
IFrenchman passed along the front OF
the building. and disappeared thru
/ the doorway leading upstairs to the
divisional offices. his object being, II
| now appeared obvious, to obtain an
other interview with the superinten-
dent; the Bantam disappeared inside
/ the main entranceway of the station
i evidently to await the Frenchman's
freappearance; and the Hawk, on the
:; far side of the street, slipped into the
lane that had served him man,
times as a thoroughfare between the
] station and his room over the saloon
two blocks away.
It was CROWNS dark now, A halt
hour went by Still the Hawk
crouched In the shadow Of the build
ing that bordered the lane. The
street lights went on. The o'clock
whistle blew from the shops owe,
tacross the tracks. Either the French.
man was visitor not easy to &c,
rid of, or Lanson was out and the
other was awaiting the superinten-
deI,t's return. But the Hawks pa
tieIlce was infinite.
| Another fifteen minutes dragged
away: then the office door opened
j the Frenchman emerged. and started
! back uptown. The Bantam appeared
from the main entranceway; and
started after him. The chase was
on again. The Hawk followed
Tho Frenchman, seemingly stick
ing to rule of thumb and following
the directions he had received on the
way down, took exactly the same
] route on the way back. But now the
neighborhood presented an entirely
different aspect. The wholesale
| houses were closed; the streets de.
serted, dark. and poorly lighted.
The Hawk Rugged the shadows Of
the buildings craftily on the opposite
side of the street. Was it coming
nov? Certainly the gang would &c
far before finding q more ideal op.
portunity. and the Bantam. If he ha6
realized that fact c6uld easily have
serlt, or telephoned. a message from
the station. He, the Hawk, had no
: cared to take the rialc af foIlou.i n {