Washington telegraph., 1920-05-14
CHAPTER VIl-continued.

-9-
And the number she called up-
the private number-did you find out
about that?"
Sure, that was easy. It's one of
the apartments in the Granddeck-
Henry Kent's. Who's he?"
81 never heard of him. I'll try to
find out, though"
Il would, but be careful how you
so asking questions around the place.
The Moore woman may have a pal.
They generally work in pairs"
The ease and celebrity with which
German had learned all these things
about the girl impressed me greatly,
and | said as much. He received my
compliments with a deprecatlng wave
Of the hand.
"Nothing to 1t, boy, when you know
the ropes. But last night you told
me you had taken the girl out to try
to pump something out of her. What
vas It? What's dolng1"
From beginning to end I told him
he whole story In all of its perplex-
u,g details, starting with the day that
had received my great-uncle Rufus
note that had led to the chance meet
ing with Miss Bradford, bringing in
my discharge and the disappearance
Of the CASTOR pearls, and explaining
what made me think these facts were
in some way involved with the at
tempt 10 blaclSmail the Bradfords.
"What do you make of it?" l asked
as | ended my narrative. "Who do
you think is at he bottom of ~"
81 don't think" he retortcd. "In our
business 1t does not pay 70 think too
quick. You're apt to convict the wrong
party"
"But you must think something" l
protested.
81 think" he said slowly and medi-
tatively, that there's n lot of crooked
work going on-Tll say that much.
And you and Miss Bradford's pretty
close to being the center of it,"
"What can we do about it?"
"There's a way | learned from a
lawyer that amt bad. He'd take his
client and put him in the center of a
big circle with lines running in all di-
rections - allbl, insanity mistaken
identity, no proof of guilt, lack of
Jurisdiction, escape on legal technical
ity-he'd mark out every possible de-
fensc. Then he'd follow each line out
and see where it led and what plan
the opposing lawyers would be likely
to spring on him. Generally he got
his man OFF"
~ don't quite see how that applies"
"You don't, eh?"
He traced an imaginary circle with
his forefinger on the table In the little
back room where we were sitting.
Here's you and Miss Bradford In
the center, surrounded by lot of mys-
terlous devltry. Wen make two cir
cles. This inside one is the things
that have happened to both of you
the wall safes opened, the papers
stolen the pearls gone, the anonymous
notes, the blackmail threats, the loss
of your job, the voices you've heard
Now on this outer circle Wen mark
down all the people who might be
mixed up in these things-mlnd ye, ]
say only might be. First, there's
Lefty Moore's woman-we know she's
a crook. Then who do we know that
knows her? There's at least two
Mr. Wick. the superintendent that
hired her, and this Mr.. Henry Kent
CHOSE apartment she telcphoned to-
Then there's all the rest Of the help in
.he house. Any one Of them might be
her pal. Then there's the Eighty
Bradford girl"
"You don't suspect her, do your"
cried, hor-ifed at the prospect of his
investigation taking this turn.
"Be easy" he retorted. "Im not
suspecting anyone. I'm only putting
them down. There's the Bradford
girl and her eS-husband. He's a big
nmst and that makes him crook.
Those two men you saw IN the park,
one Of them with scar on MS face
wei; ron them down. You know
cafe the scar-faced man g1,s to. 20