Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-03
HOW MANY CARDS?
By ISABEL OSTRANDER
tor Of Island Of ntri0s "Saspons Ashso to Ashes
A'"'' Copyright Robert N.

nowhere around and I coulda't keep on
sounding this horn! All ut once hell
broke loose here in the house and fig
ured you were in it somehow"
McCarty explained grufhy, adding a
description Of the "Hildreth" woman
ana Martin whistled.
| The Helwig girl to T!' he er
claimed. And that valet---so that's
now the land lays! Wen find her II
After few final orders McCarty
with Dennis In tow, returned to the
drugstore and nodding to the surprised
clerk he entered the telephone booth and
called up police headquarters. A long
ten minutes elapsed before he reap
pared, red and perspiring, and said in
n hurried undertone to his companion
'fost is on his way up to the Grew
cling house az fast as the inspector q
cwn car can take him. He's to iind out
| " Hill is there and stand guard over
him."
But whyp" Dennis spoke, cautiously
out OF the side of his capacious mouth
Why don't he rus him in again and
bring him up before the magistrate to
morrow to be held for trial? You've
aiding and abetting that woman ia
jump her bail: that's what the legal
sharks call it,"
Instead, il it's not too late for the
first editions, the inspector is going to
see That every morning newspaper car =
rIes the word that he's been released for
lack Of evidence and is back at the
Crevcling house." McCarty responded
Vest will be there to see that he don I
get out again or send any messages and
to trace and report any phone calls
that may come for him.
II get you - A light broke over
Dennis face. You think the woman
will maybe try to reach him there when
she learns that he's out again and
back on his job2"
McCarty nodded.
''She doesn't know that he's been In
the neighborhood here tonight, nor that
he led us straight to her. He'll keep
on believing that she's safe enough and
think we're only guarding him on his
own account He turned to the clerk
who was watching them with curious
eyes. What are your hours here?"
Eight to eight," the latter replied,
still staring.
Where do you iivep'
Right up over the store. The japi-
tors wife takes care of my four kids,
but I wouldn't feel easy about EN- II
they weren't here in the same building
with me.--Say, who are you fellows,
anyway? Ii seems to me you're asking
Il LOT Of questions around here"
I And I'm liable to be asking lot
more McCarty interrupted grimly.
We're from police headquarters, IL you
want to know
"Police-!' The clerk gripped the
cdee Of the showcase. ''Those--thost
Hildrcths--?"
Have you been on every night THU
weekf' McCarty interrupted.
Yves, sir :"
lis there any other public telephone
booth in the neighborhood?
None any place that keeps open al
night" The clerk seemed to be gather
ing his dayed faculties.
DO you have many calls from here
between midnight and early morning.
The clerk shook his head.
Not unless somebody's sick.
did anybody come in here and use
that phone last night?'
Certainly a lot Of people early ia
the evening, but after midnight" HI
raused and his eyes widened.
mo one came in here to phone after
that until--until half past 4 III the
morning"
who was that?" McCarty asked
sharply Some one from the neigh.
borhood that you know"
1T was Mr.. Hildrcth. was sur
prised, for he looked very bad and
thought that he must be sick and have
come in for some medicine. but he said
that he only wanted to use the phone.
He went in the booth and closed the
door and | didn't hear what number
he called, hut it must have been a city
one for he was only in there minute.
When he camo out he looked so pale
that thought he was going TO keel over
and I offered him u bracer-er-just a
heart stimulnnt. of course. fixed him
up n dose with dash of strychnine IN
it and ii seemed to pull him together.
lie said he had been out Of town on a
business matter and travelling all night
to get back that his train should have
been in at midnight, but was delayed
and he had to phone to his partner at
the earliest possible moment. 1t did
strike me as funny that he hadn't tele-
phoncd from the station II it was as
important as all that, but l didn't say
20. was kind Of sleepy, and it WASH I
any business Of mine. He hurried OF
home and I settled down for nap in
my chair behind the cash register
did you see him again before he
came in tonisht?"
| No" The clerk hesitated. u
don't know what you got against the
Hildreths and Id hate to get them into
any trouble, for they've been good Gus
toners here and pleasant to deal with
I'd never believe a word against Mrs
Hildreth, anyway
You said that she didn't como in
here often" McCarty eyed him Quizzi-
cally. when did you see her laSt?'
There was pause and then the
clerk replied with evident reluctance:
Early this morning.
'How early?'
II suppose I'd better tell you; you
fellows would find out, somehow, 1t
was Just before 3, less than half an hour
after her husband left. told you I'd
settled down for nap: we'll, was
reused by tho bell that rings whenever
tho door is opened and looked up to see
Mrs. Hildreth come IN. She's always as
neat as wax. but this morning she looked
as though she had Just thrown on her
clothes every which way. and she
seemed excited, too, about something.
She asked in that soft foreign voice Of
hers If she could use the telephone, and
1t must have been an out of town coli
this time, for she was in the booth
nearly twenty minutes and heard
money rattle in the slot two or three
times. She thanked me when she came
out, but didn't try TO explain about the
call the way her husband had about
his" He paused and added: "I'll tell
you one thing ] think. sir; whatever IL
was that happened TO make her husband
look more dead than alive it certainly
put new life into her. She walked out
of the store as though she was trcading
on air 80
McCarty frowned thoughtfully. lie
bnA ~ hi. ntp