Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1920-09-09


again If you saw him?"
] shook my head doubtfully.
I'm afraid not" l admitted, you
see"
Don't bother to explain. You either
would or wouldn't. and that's all we
need to know now. There's old MIR.
Castor and his wife. It's queer about
their ducking out so suddenly ana
leaving no address, but maybe they're
only scared. Let's see who else is
there-the Bradford servants and the
old mans, the old waSherwoman-
and the families who live in the house.
We've got the circle pretty well COW
cred. haven't we?"
More and more l had begun to APP
preciate how valuable the services OF
an experienced detective would be
likely to be in helping to solve the
mystery.
Look here, German" I said, "why
can't you take charge of this case for
u.s."
whats in it?" he asked.
NV face fell, and my enthusiasm
died a sudden death. Once more
was confronted by the specter of my
poverty OF what use my talking
to a high-priced investigator like Cor
! man when all the money had in the
world was less than two hundred dol
lars, out of which l had to live until
found employment. Yet l must serve
Barbara Bradford.
"If yU1 clear up this case" an
nounced "Tll give you every cent I've
got in the world"
He shook his head
at amt enough. If take this case,
it won't be for the money that's in 1t.
For that matter 1 can get all l want
from old CASTOR for getting his pearls
back. That'n be enough"
Then YOU will take the case" l
cried jubilantly.
con one condition. That you'll prom
Use to keep everything away from the
police"
"Lll promise that for myself and
Miss Bradford, too. That was the
one reason she advanced against my
telling you about things. she was
afraid you'd call in the police
Never fear about that. There's
nothing I'd like better than to put II
over that bunch of young reformers
they've got down in Center street. This
hotel work don't suit me, anyhow. I've
been thinking of opening up an of1ce
of my own. The recovery of the Cas-
ton pearls would be nice feather in
my cap to start with"
81 see," l replied, "but you'll need
money for expenses and that sort Of
thing. won't you? / have"
leave that part of it to me-" he
retorted with a quizzical smile.
"After all the years I was on the po-
lice force / amt exactly broke by
long shot. All you've got to do Is to
keep YOUR eyes open and let me know
all that goes on in the apartment
house. I'll attend to the rest. Don't
do anything, though, without consult
ing me first"
"Tll gladly promise that"
Good enough. We'd better arrange
|
sharp. It's as good place as any"
"Tll be here"
"And look out you're not trailed
They may try shadOwing you again
"Who do you mean by they| l
asked eagerly.
Then that traled you yesterday
replied German with a grin. IF you
don't know, l don't know either-yet'
From his manner l was confident
that he already had shrewd suspl-
cion as to the identity of some of the
miscreants The maze in the center
of which he had placed Miss Bradford
and myself meant far more to him.
undoubtedly, than it did to me. More
than likely his vast knowledge of the
methods of criminals and his acqualnt-
onccship with others like Lefty Moore
had given him clues enough as to
where to look for the plotters. l real
ized that it would be useless to ques-
tion him further. He would admit
susnecting no one until he was sure
of their guilt, a quality l admired
greatly.
"You can count on me-" repeated.
"I'U be here at three tomorrow"
Yet how foolish it was for any or
us to predict what we will be doing or
where we will be twenty-four hours
from now. Seldom do things happen
in the routine of our lives as we had
onticipated. l was not there the next
day at the time appointed. BY no pos
sibilty could l have been there, how
ever much I might have wished to,
Many things had happened in quick
succession.
How it came about that my promise
10 meet German went unfulfilled can
best be explained by narrating the
events of the evening aft"r | returned
to the Granddeck. 1t WIS nearly ne
when | left the detective, ] strolied
1eisurely down town and had dinner in
the cafe where on one occasion | had
seen the scar-faced man. | fingered
there for long time over my coffee
boninc i'm win that he might appear
I even ventured to cautiously question
the waiter and mead waiter, describing
| ~, man ne host | could, but both of