Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-27

cpARGo suddenly remembered his bit
! Sof bluff to Miss Bayiis. Here was an
,.eypected result OF 1t.
sTNobody but me can help you to
race Maitland s boy" continued Mother
cntch, "and shall expect to be pai,
,ecordingly.. That's plain language,
| young man.
,;lence for a minute or two. Could this
mretched, bibulous old woman really be
,Dsd to the solving Of the mystery Of
10 s Middle Temple murder? Well, 1t
..ould be a fine thing for the Watchman
y The clearing up of everything came
.hrouph one of it's men. And the
Waterman was noted for being generous
.yen TO extravasauce In laying out
money on all sorts of objects; 1t had
mont money like water on much less
sserious matters than this.
allow much do you want for your
,ecret?' he suddenly asked, turning to
| MS companion.
Mother Clutch began to smooth out a
,leat in her gown. 1t was really won
5orfuI 10 Spargo to find how very sober
md normal this old hurridun had be-
come he did not understand that her
nsrves had been all aquiyer and on edge
when he first met her, ard that resort
"a her favorite form of alcohol in liberia
onantity had calmed and quickened
bem: secretly he was regarding her
with astonishment as the most extra :
ordinary old person he had ever met,
and he was almost afraid of her as he
waited for her decision. At last
Mother Clutch spoke.
swell, young man." she said, "hav-
ing considered matters and having q
right to look well to myself, l think
that what l should prefer to have would
be one of those annuities. A nice, com :
iortable annuity, paid weekly--none OF
your mouthies or quarterlies, but reg
ular and punctual, every Saturday
morning. Or Monday morning, as was
convenient to the parties concerned
but punctual and regular. i know a
GOOD many ladies in my sphere of life
sS' enjoys annuties, and it's a great
comfort TO have 'em paid weekly.
1t occurred to Spargo that Mrs. Clutch
would probably get rid of her weekly
dole on the day it was paid, whether
that day happened to be Monday or Sat
urday, but that, after all, was no con :
cern Of his, SO he came back to first
principles.
'"Even now you haven't said how
much" he remarked.
"Three pound week" replied
Mother Clutch. "And cheap, too !"
Spargo thought hard for two minutes
The secret might-might lead tc
something big. This wretched old WON
an would probably drink herself tt
death within year or two. Anyhow
few hundreds of pounds was nothing
10 the Watchman. He glanced at hi!
watch. At that hour-for the next houi
the great man of the Waterman woutt
be at the Office. He jumped to his feet
suddenly resolved and alert.
Here, III take you to see my prin
cpals," be said. We'll run along in
taHicab."
with all the pleasure in the world
young man. replied Mother Clutch
when you've given me that other half
sovereign. AS for principals, I'd ia
rather talk business with masters thai
with men--though | mean no disrespec
to YOU"
Spargo. feeling that be was in 70
it. handed over the second half. SOW
clegn, and busted himself in orderin
taXicab. But when that came roun
he had to wait while Mrs. Clutch con
sumed third glass of gin and purchase
\ n flask Of the same beverage to put i
her pocket. At last he got her off an
in due course to the Waterman Office
where the hall porter and the messcn
ger boys stared at her in amazcment
well used rs they were to see strans
folk, and he got her to his own room,
aud locked her in, and then he sough
the presence OF the mighty.
l..
TO the great man who controlled tn
fortunes and workings of the Watchma
he never knew. 1t was probably for
tunate for him that thev were bot
thoroughly Conversant with the fact
of the Middle Tempe murder and ed,
that there might be an advantage in So
curing the revelations of which Sparg
lad got the conditional promise. 4
any rate, they accompanied Spargo l.
his room. intent on seeing. hearing an,
bargaining with the lady he had locke
up there.
Spargo's room smrlt heavily Of un
swcetened gin, but Mother Clutch wa
Sobercr than ever. She insisted upol
being introduced to proprietor and edito
ID due and proper folm and in diScusSin
terms with them before going into an.
iurthcr particulars.
lhC editor was all for tcmporizn!
with hcr until something could be don,
to find out what likelihood of trutl
there was in her, but the proprietor
after sizing her up in his own shrcw,
laesalon, took his two companions on
Wen hear what the old, woman
aaS . TO say on her own terms" he said
She may have something to tell tha