The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-09-02

VI tnelr nature, II Sne already knew
who was the murderer Of Alva, and
what had become of the spoils?
! could ask these questions, but not
n was answerable. They merely
Knocked me with their emptiness.
Then, shrill and insistent, the tele-
phone rang.
My heart was beating like a trip
hammer as l took down the receiver.
Who could be calling me at this hour?
Who except she alone in this city knew
my name and hotel?
"Hullo."
A mans voice spoke huskily. "This
you. DalyT"
"Yes." hastily, instantly aware Of
who was on the other end Of the wire,
yet feeling it best to dissemble until
/ learned the purpose.
"Who Is speaking"
"The fellow you bifed with a bottle
tonight. No, l amt got no hard feel
ings. Besides, I got something else to
think about than a cracked dome. Say,
l got some dope on how that job was
did. an maybe could tell you some
thing else Of interest. l got to talk
with you privately-that's what. It's
a matter for the girl as well as YER
self. I'm playing square as long as
you do the right thing. but l know
who the dame is, an an liable to
squeal II l get a raw deal; that's put
ting 1t straight, Harry"
"You know who she Is, you say1'
"Sure I do. Old Pierre, over at
Perond's, told me. He never forgets
a face. or a name. that old tuffer.
He knew you the minute you blcw in.
and he knew her. too; she'd been there
before Summing"
"WhO Is she. then?"
That's all right know: but I
amt fool enough to blow it over the
wire. II you'll come over here and
have a talk, I'll spill a few things in
your ear thatll make you WISE"
"Where are your"
AT Costigan's."
whats become OF your p%artn-r?'
who's that-WaldrOn? He amt no
partner Of mine. Say, you must have
sNAiONu Nhdt 6Oy ooAlC JUL. IL luSt
| saw of him, he was laid out OH a
bench in Perond's back room brerth-
ing like a stuck pig, dead to the void.
Will you come over here?'
what have you got to tell me?
well. there's the DANES name for
n thing. Til bet you don't even
know who she Is, or how she's string
in you. Then I'm on to where a part
Of that boobies planted-anyhow I've
got a bunch. II we turn it up. s'm
still strong on the fifty-fifty proposi-
tiOn."
turned 1t over swiftly in my mind,
the receiver still at my ear. l felt no
particular fear Of Harris to be sure,
In all probability, he was only feeling
about In the dark, hoping in this way
to learn something of value, yet 1t
might be that he had accidentally un-
covered the girls identity, and that
alone was inducement enough to urge
me to take the risk. II he actually
knew who she was, he was the kiral
that might become ugly, and, however
much l suspicioned her in my own
mind, / had no desire to leave her un-
defended at his mercy. Guilty or not
guilty, my inclination was tO protect
her to the last. Besides / was eager
to obtain the Information he claimed
to possess; indeed. all progress on the
case was blocked until l did obtain 1t.
As to his boast that he knew where
the stolen money was concealed, I
took little stock in that. Doubtless he
merely threw that in for good meas
ure. But the other looked reasonable
enough: she had confessed being at
Per0nd's before: Pierre was fully as
likely to recall her to memory as he
was to remember DAILY, and Harris
could never have made so shrewd a
guess, unless he had really been told
the facts. Another thing gave me our
age to 80 to Costigan's. l wa still
accepted by these people as Harry
DAILY. crook. / would undoubtedly he
80 received, so treated. Under these
circumstances there could be no per-
sonal danger: l held the whip-hand,
the advantage-Harris was only en-
deavoring to see what he could get
out Of me: he had abandoned force
to resort t 0 diplomacy.
"Ali right" l said. "Ill run over
there; II you want to play fair, I'll
meet you half way"
'Oh. I'm on the square. old man,
and I've got some. good DOPE" he In
sisted. 'Tn blow 1t when you show
up"
returned the receiver to the hook,
uncertain whether or not l had de-
cided rightly. vet determined to carry
out the experiment. Above all else 1
wanted to learn who Marie Gessler
was. Nothing else mattered 80 much,
for on this discovery all else hinged.
n violence. or treachery. was intended,
/ would be found prepared, and well
able 70 defend myself.
The nelehbOrho0d into which l wal
ventnring induced me to take a taxi,
Il $3.50 -.aAAe- AA~ -0A~k~~ -r~- ~