Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-29

the report had spread. and had been
| credited even in the inner circles OF
the underworld, that he was dead.
The Hawks lips twisted grimly. The
Ladybird had seen to it evidently
that the report was not denied! And
so. instead. the man was cripple
now, weaving his plots, and schem-
ing with that black, cunning brain
OF his from wheel chair! Well,
he
The Hawk reached quickly into his
pocket for pencil and paper-there
would be just light enough to en-
able him to see. The sounder was
rafting brisk, tattoo, but it was no
longer stray stuff. The message, in
quick, sure sending" was coming in
the Wire Devils secret code. Letter
by letter the Hawk jotted it down:
wyprdluanaesotiahmer
gpkafishrdluetaoin cmfypasdopijdbkr
en- neutrality-suspicious.
Observation-Disclosures"
TIE so,inder ceased abruptly There
was silence. The Hawk replaced
i. pencil and paper In his pocket. The
\ minutes passed--the message was
evidently being decided. Then the
Ladybird's voice:
Very well! Code a message to
Number One, and tell him Number
Seven has completed his work. Tell
him again to take no chances by
hurrying things: that he is to wait
until they are asleep. And warn
him again that under no circum-
stances is our hand to show in this
] tonight"
A slight confusion followed from
below--the scuffling Of feet, the
murmur of voices mingling with
curious, indefinable metallic sounds.
And then suddenly the Ladybirds
voice again:
"No-never mind that message!
Damn my cursed, useless legs!" A
| flow OF unbridled oaths foliowed-the
sacrilege the more horrible. the men,
ace the more CHASTITY for the languid
conversational tones in which the
blasphemy rolled SO smoothly from
the mans lips. 'T'll trust to no mes
sage tonight! Curse my legs. If
could only get there myself! Fall
ure! Failure! Gnats! But 1 will
not have my plans ruined tonight by
any fool! Here, you, Dixer! Where's
! Dixer?"
| TIN here" a voice answered.
Listen, then!'' murmured the
| Ladybird. You haven't got any
! more brains than any of the rest OF
them. but you're SO cautious you
/ wouldn't take chance on swapping
a Mexican dollar for gold eagle UNI
less you had bottle OF acid in your
pocket-for fear the eagle was bad!
l want caution tonight, and I want
orders obeyed to the letter, and that's
all r want. You take the runabout
and go down there. You've lots of
time. Tell Number One you're in
charge. I'll wire him to that effect.
And now pay attention to me so you
won't have ignorance for an excuse!
It's time the police and the rags they
call newspapers around here had a
little something to divert their atten-
tion-from us. They're getting to be
pests. and I want a lull in which to
devote little more attention to--the
Hawk. It's about time they under
stood we are modest enough not to
hog all the lime light He laughed
a little. a low, moduated, dulcet
laugh. that rippled like woman.s-
but in the ripple there was some
thing that was akin to a shudder.
Twice in the last month, the Trad
ers' National has made remittances
to Its banking correspondent at Elk
head for the mine country pay rolls
and on account Of general business.
They did it very neatly, they fooled
us completely-because the remit
tarces were only piker amounts. and
because 1t wa3 only q question of
letting them get fed UP enough with
their own cleverness to pull good
one! They're pulling a good one to-
night" The Ladybtrd's laugh rippled
out again. ITO outwit us, and pay
ing us the compliment of not daring
to trust to ordinary means Of ship
ment they've had little arrange
ment In force with Lanson, the d.
vision superintendent. It was very
simple. Lanson. in his car making
a trip over the division, could never
interest us-certainly not! Why
should It? Only they did not count
on Number Eleven inside the bank.
Very well! They wrapped their
banknotes up, In small packages,
sealed them with the banks seal,
wrapped these small packages up
again into an innocent looking parcel
without q. seal, and handed 1t over to
a trusted young employee by the name
Of Meridan-Paul Meridian. On both
the former occasions, Meridian left
the bank at the usual closing hour,
took the parcel with him, and went
1 home; but, later on, in the evening.
he slipped down to the railroad yard.
| boarded LansQn's private car, locked
the parcel up in a small cupboard at
the bottom of the bookcase with
which the main compartment OF the
car is equipped, smoked cigar with
IAnson, and in the morning Meridian
delivered his package in Elkhead.
"That was the way it was done
before, Dixer--the Ladybird's voice,
1t anything, grew softer-'and that s
the way it Is being done this time
only there are more little sealed
packages in the parcel tonight. And
! tonight Meridian will sneak out OF
his home again, and go down to the
private car with the money as usual.
Your way, yours and the Butchers,
and that Of the rest of you, would be
] to lay blackjack over Meridans
head on the way to the railroad yard.
and snatch the parcel. It's not my
way. It's too hot, as it is, around
here now, and there's got to be a big
enough noise made to attract atten-
I ton to the other side of the fence
! and rive ilS q hrea hing snall Do nj