The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-08-28

winding steps. Fragrant cigarette
smoke was waited up, and then he
st0pped-for a queer sight met his
gaze. 1t was q beautiful room,
filled with fine furniture. beautiful
rugs. A beautiful rosewood up.
right piano stood in the corner of
the room. There were priceless
paintings, a bookcase full of books.
priceless vases. and many other
expensive things. A large rose-col-
ored light In the center OF the room
cast a dainty light over all.
At a beautiful long mahogany ia
BILE that occupied the middle of the
floor. beside tho lamp, sat four
men: two in dark street suits and
two dressed in well-fitting evening
clothes. One OF the men had
slightly greying dark hair and a
handsome. deyilmay-care face; the
other three were younger. One
had sandy hair. blue eyes. but a
sheer spoiled his otherwise hand
some face. Another had dark
brown hair. brown eyes, imperial
mustache. and a crafty look on his
lean face. The last one had black
hair and blue eyes and the marks OF
the common yegg were stamped ON
his rather goOd1ooking face. They
were deep in conversation.
Something made Tom turn from
the engr0ssed men to brightly
burning CRATE and almost lost from
sight in big chair sat a lovely
woman with pale golden hair piled
on top OF her small head, a pair OF
dark blue eyes gazing dreamily into
the fire. She wore black satin
gown cut low in the neck, with thin
trailing sleeves and string of "un-
diamonds around her
white throat.
Tom rubbed his eyes. Was this
all dream? Where did all these
things come from? Since he had
not found it out before. they must
have been put there at night from
the outside But Tom only smiled
grimly and said in a quiet voice:
Your games up, friends"
The men at the table sprang up
like trapped animals, and when
they saw Toms quiet face over the
their hands flew up as
though by training Tom said to
the black-haired, blue-eyed yegg. !
"CaH the lady here, quick"
What il l don't?" snarled the
man.
"Ill fill you full of lead" that's
ALL" Tom replied.
But they didn't have to call her;
she came sweeping up to Tom and
said, in a sneering voice:
Il don't usually obey my bench
men. but what do you want OF mc?"
Tom saw 1t was the face Bruce
md he had seen disappear into the
wall. With shudder, he also saw
OF Betty in the face,
which was a little more mature.
Tom calmly said:
II suppose you feel better behind
your sOcalled 'henchmen,' initial
ng what they are doing?" He went
IN to say 10 the man with the i'm
)erial muStache:
Now. you 20 and telephone for
your friends. the police, quick, or
'ou1l be real ghosts, sure"
Tom heard noise behind him
md turned quickly, thinking it was
'nc 81 the gang; but it was Lincoln
With his long paint-stained fingers
round an lvers-Johnston revolver.
lie said: Found 'em. didn't you?
Some spoOks! Wish Bruce were
lcre! Went to your room to see
you, saw the hole where the mirror il
lsed to be, got my gun and came
o the party"
lie then surveyed the party with
. grin. then said: Don't forget
what Tom just told you about tele-
,honing, gentlemen!"
The young man with the mus
ache started to obey. When he
cached it, he turned and with a
laugh. said:
"You wouldn't be 50 brave with
,ut the pistols"
Never mind that just now" re-
,lied Tom "Pd settle soon enough
With you, but I'm in a hurry Be
luick or I'm liable to lose my
emper."