Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-02-16
CHAPTER u.-(Continued.)


There, across the room, calmly sip
ping some coffee, was the handsome
young man from the next apartment
the man whom she had felt sure, or at
least almost sure, was a murderer,
about whom she had been wondering
all day long, picturing him Is a hunt
ed criminal fleeing from the law. Chat
other man, a young man in the uni
form of a lieutenant in h navy.
What did it all mean? Why was the
black-mustached man watching them
so intently? Her eyes turned back to
him.: He was still sitting there, lean
ing forward a little, his brow in a
pucker of concentration. his eyes still
fixed on the pair opposite. 1t looked
as if he was trying to read their
lips and tell what they were talking
about.
Jane thrilled with excitement. The
black-mustached man, she decided,
must be a detective. She recalled that
he had said tt her it was because she
lived at the address she did that she
was available for the mission for
which he wanted her. Did he, she won
dered, know about the mysterious
death in the street outside their apart
ment house? Was that the reason he
was spying on her neighbor? But what
could be his motive in seeking to in
volve her in the matter?
Unable to find satisfactory answers
to her questions she gave herself up
interestedly to studying the faces of
the two young men across the room.
Neither of them, she decided, could be
much more than thirty. The face that
only a few hours before she had seen
utterly convulsed with bitter hate.
now placid and smiling, was really an
attractive one, not in the least like a
m~urderers. Frank, alert blue eyes
looked out from under an intellectual
forehead. A small military mustache
lent emphasis to a clean-shaven, force
full jaw. His flaxen hair was neatly
trimmed. His linen and clothing were
immaculate, and the hand that curved
around his cup had long, tapering,
well-manicured fingers. The cut of his
clothing, his manners. everything
about him seemed American, yet there
was an indefinable something in his
appearance hat suggested foreign
birth or parentage, probably either
Swedish or German. The man with
him was smaller and slighter. De-
spite the air of Importance his uni
form gave him, it vas palpable that
he was the less forcefui of the two,
his handsome face. it seemed to Jane,
betraying weakness Of character and
a fondness for the good things of life
Come. daughter" said Mrs
Strong, rising, I'VE must be going"
So intent was Jane on her study OF
the two men that her mother had to
speak twice to her.
Yes. mother" she answered obedi.
emily. rising sastily as the hint Of an.
noyance in her mothers repeated re.
mark brought her to a realization OF
having been addressed.
Letting, her mother and Mrs. Stor.
rett precede her in the doorway she
paused to look back at the scene that
had interested her so strongly. What
could 1t mean? What was going on
How a she involved in It?
Her glance moved quickly from thu
watcher to the watched. The blond
young man caught her ye. Amazed.
~. it seemed to her, he stopped right
in the middle Of what he was saying
and sat there, his gaze fixed full or
her. She let her eyes fall, abashed
and turned to hasten after her moth,
er. but not sc quickly did she turn
but that she observed he had hastily
seized his and appeared to bt
drinking to her, not 80 much impud.
entity as admirtngly.