Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-05-14
CHAPTER Vl-Continued.

you're right about that" I replied,
"and say, look here. Why can't you
meet me somewhere tomorrow after
noon. There are a lot of mysterious
things happening in the Granddeck.
Maybe you can help me in trying to
clear them up"
Its a date. I'll be in the back room
of Jim Connor's place over on Third
avenue at three o'clock waiting for
you"
'Tll be there" 1 said, as 1 bade him
good night.
"Hold on a minute" he said. "Do
you know where Lefty Moore's wife
lives now?"
l recalled the number she had told
me to give the taxi man and repeated
it to him, an address way over on
East Sixty-second street near the
river.
81 like to know them sort of things"
he explained. "In our business you
never know when you'll be needing
them"
On my way home, after left him, l
congratulated myself on having made
James Germans acquaintance. Ia
him had found man with police and
detective experience. The fact that
he held a responsible position with a
big hotel ought to be sufficient voucher
for his honesty. OF course Miss Brad
ford must he consulted before I met
German the next afternoon. / could
hardly tell him my own almost unbe-
lievable experiences without bringing
in the attempts to blackmail her sister.
Surely Miss Bradford would not OBJ
ject to my plan. We were making
such poor headway in solving the mys,
terry ourselves that / was certain she
would welcome Germans advice.
And would it not be a surprise tC
Barbara Bradford to learn that q
criminal-or at least the wife Of 9
criminal-was employed as telephone
girl in the apartment house? | wa:
hoping that she would be at home and
in her room when / arrived at the
house so that might signal her an6
tell her my great news at once.
l let myself into the apartment ant
without bothering to turn on the light:
made my way back toward my owl
room. AS l reached the end of thu
hall my ears detected a scuffling nois'
that seemed to come from my quar-
ters. / stopped stock-still and listenet
breathlessly. Unquestionably Their
was someone in my room.
tiptoed softly forward. AS crep
along in the darkness, making NJ
sound, found myself devoutly wish
ing for some weapon. Of course i
might be Barbara, who had entered b
means of the ledge to leave some mes
sage for me, but if it were not she,
felt certain that I would discover VIII
was at the bottom of the plot
against us.
l gained the door without my pres
ence having been discovered. In tn
dim half-light that came from the ope
window I could detect a figure stanC
ing on a chair apparently feeling alon
the wall near the ceiling. / recalle
with curiosity that it was from ths
spot that the whispers / had hear
, lad seemed to come.
Inch by inch 1 edged noiselessly fo
ward, my eyes on the intruder until &
last my fingers found the electric ligf
b button. AS the light flooded the rool
there was q suppressed scream, fo
: lowed by a frightened gasp. Tt
: figure on the chair turned quickly an
y 'aced me. 1 saw that it was a woman
badly frightened woman, with hi
hands clutching at her heart. Almo
instantly recognized her. It was m
Barbara Bradford, but her siste
d Claire. She was clad in some sort
/ dark house gown thrown over b,
s ightgown. Her sllppered feet wei
are Of stockings, and her hair hur
a great braid down her back.
As 1 stared at her she sprang fro
e he chair and made q rush for Il
n pen window. grabbed for her al
II hough she fought desperately ma
Vt lged to hold her fast and to drag h
way from the window. After a m
nent's futile resistance she sudden
ollapsed in my arms, moaning in
d ense whisper:
lr Let me go, plec Te let me CO."
g l placed her In a chair, and st
Iy eeping a tight hold on one of h
arms, studied her, debating what
do. What desperate motive cou
have driven this girl to the daril
% journey across the narrow ledge
OF which she had gained access to 4
Ill quarters? Was she, wondered, on
ze more in the power of that evil {
husband of hers, driven by fear of hi
TO such desperate deeds.
LET me co." she moaned again.
az mot until you tell me what y
rd we're doing in my rooms," answer
firmly.
II did not know there was any O
here. l thought the apartment W
in vacant. l thought the Gastons we
away"