Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-07-12
VII.

very seriously dHnOySu tilc I1u"n' ~
was for that reason that the Hawk
now crept stealthily up the dark. mar
! row stairs, and, on the landing, lis
tened in strained attention before the
door of his own room.
| Reassured finally, he opened the
door inch by inch, noiselessly. The
bolt, in grooves that were carefully
oiled. made no sound in, slipping into
place, as the Hawk entered and
SO good! He was quick, alert, but
still silent, as, in the darkness, he
crossed swiftly to the window, and
crouched down against the wall. A
minute. two, went by. The fire-es-
cape, passing at an angle a short dis.
| lance below the window sill, and at
| first nebulous in the blackness, grad
ually took on distinct and tangible
shape. Still the Hawk held there mo
! tionless, searching 1t with his eyes
and, then. abruptly, satisfied that it
Strengthened up, thrust his automatic
back into his pocket. pulled down the
shade. and, turning back into the
room, switched on the light.
MacVightie, it appeared, still had
lingering suspicious of this room over
the somewhat disreputable saloon be-
low, and still lrtd lingering suspicious
of Ats occupant All that afternoon the
Hawk was quite aware that he had
been shadowed--but the result had
been rather in his favor than In Mac
Vightie's. From the moment he had
discovered that he was being fol-
/ lowed, he had devoted his time to
making applications for a job - for
MacVightie's benefit--that being the
reason he had given MacVightie for
/ his presence In Selkirk. Later on
when 1t had grown dark, having bus
mess of his own, he had left Mac
/ Vightie's satellite standing on street
/ corner somewhat puzzled just which
way to turn! That. however, had nc
bearing on the watch that had been
or might be ut the present moment
set upon his room.
The Hawk, in apparent abstraction
was Tipping coin up in the air anG
catching 1t. There was slight frowr
on the Hawks face. Macyightie'.
suspicious were still lingering for, the
simple reason that Macyightie, utter.
i ly at sea, was cintching at the only
/ straw in sight. unless-the coin slip.
ped thru the Hawks fingers and fel
beside his trunk. He stopped to pick
lit eup-yes. not only had the room
4 been searched, but the trunk had beer
opened! The single strand of hair, al.
most indiscernible against the bras.
and quite innocently caught in tn,
lock-. was broken. Well, he had no
finished that mental sentence. Unles.
i what?
/ He tucked the coin into his pocket
and, standing up, yawned ant
stretched himself. With the toe of hi
boot he lazily pushed a chair out from
the wall. The chair fell ovSr. TIL,
Hawk picked 1t up, and quite casual,
set 1t down--near the door. He tool
OF his coat, and flung 1t over tn,
back OF the chair.
The Hawks face was greyer now
as 1t set In rigid lines but 1. re wa,
no tremor in the hand that inserte,
the key in the lock OF the trunk h,
fiuns back the lid-and his eyes. TO
an instant. searched the room agai,
sharply. The window shade was Sc
curely drawn; the coat over the bacl
OF the chair completely screened tn,
keyhole OF the door. He laughed
little then-mirthlessly Well, tn,
trunk had been opened! Had Mac
lVtghtie found ;ill--or nothing?
His fingers were working swiftly
deftly now around the inside edges o
the lid. He was either caught here
cornered, at bay-or MacVightie, one,
for all, would be satisfied, and, as IA
as Macvightie was concerned, TIN
4 coast would hereafter be clear. Th
HAWKS dark eyes narrowed, TIN
square under jaw crept out and Sc
doggedly. It had been close call
perilously close. that other nigh
when he had taken the ten thousan,
dollars from the paymasters safe
and MacVightie had followed hin
here to his room. He had pulled thu
wool over Macvightie's eyes for TIN
moment-but MacVightie had re
turned to the old trail again. Well
the cards were on the table now, an,
1t was q gamble that was grin
enough! Either he was quit of Mac
Vightie, could even count on Mac
Vightie as g. sort of sponsor for hi
innocence; orr
"Ah!" The ingeniously fashione,
false tray in the curvature of the Ii,
had come away in the Hawks hands
He was safe! MacVightie had misse,
1t! In the tray, untouched, where h
had left them, lay the packages o
banknotes from the paymaster's safe
in the tray still glittered the magnifi
cent diamond necklace, whose thief
from the wife OF His Excellency tn
Governor Of the State had alread
furnished more than one of the bi
dailies back In the East with attrac
tive copy for their Sunday editions
and there, undisturbed, were the con
tents Of Isaac Kirschell's cash box
trihing matter of some three thou
sand dollars; and there too. snugl
tucked away In one corner, was tn
bundle OF crisp, new, counterfeit ten
dollar bills. The Hawk grinned ma
licioasly. as his eyes rested on TIL
counterfeit notes The one he ha,
sent, inscribed with his compliments
to MacVightie, when he had returne,
the otherwise empty paymasters bal
to the detective, had not pleased Mac
Vghtie!
Quite at HIS ease now, the Hawl
fitted the false top back into the lie
closed the trunk, locked it, drew
chair up to the table, and sat down
With MacVightie removed as a pos
sible factor of interruption, there wa
another, and very pressing little mat
ter to which he was now at libert
to give his attention. He produced
folded sheet OF paper from his insid