The Washington herald., 1921-05-15


he said. In my stIly effort 70 show on
was guilty Of the commonsst and the most
puerile Of ali the faults of secret agents-
am partially In your hands, Miss Estes. and
II behooves me TO throw myself entirely on
your mercy. have been down here before.
many times. You viii and me widely known
a. . mining engineer with highly legitimate
local interests. I tell you. however. in the
frankest and most sbject confidence. that the
principal object Of this special trip is to Sc
cure an embezzler. Once i ind him IL viii
take me about forty eight hours 70 nnish up
You say you've been here before" asked
Miss Estes with curling lip. and you expect
To get justice in two daysf.
ITS . certainty replied Ridenour calmly.
II know . bunch here who are men in their
own way; they deliver the goods At q prios
but unfailingiy. shall procure justice
through intust3ce. They'll chuck my pros
pset scross the border where say and whom
! say-at . price. Of course. Now you know:
the strong arm OF the Almighty Dollar"
Miss Estes eyes cleaned -oh!- she
sasped . believe you. can't help IT. It's
Ine tOrl Oh lnluk Il NtuN 70 DclcNc
came to see. Won't you let me7"
Ridenour laughed. why" he said
there's simply nothing to see. spot my
man: I show him to the gang; I say.
Wednesdays train at Eagle Pass; I get
the proper channel to send q code message,
and it's all over a. far as I'm concerned
And IL there no excitement Monet" DO
manded Miss Estes despsiringly.
-weu,- conceded Ridenour after delibers-
ton. Il have to md my man. Of COURSE
You never can tell"
Take me with you begeed Miss Estes
Ridenour shook his head in denial
why not7" demanded the girl.
because you never can tell he replied
But that's ,ohyl" insisted Hndegarde
her brown eyes nllinE with moisture In her
eagerness.
He shook his head again. you're too
nice. too impeccable. too perfectly in good
taste in . highly imperfect world. too lovely.
too entirely conspicuous. snd-snd valuable
Paradise and prunes!" remarked Miss
Estes In q voice suddenly gone hard -Youn
promise to take me with you. or whe, we
land at the station III shout, This Is Mr.
Mark Ridenour. special agent looking for an
embezzler.' Somebody will understand some
reporter. Don't look at me like that I mean
it. Blackman? Well. what OF IT. DO you
think l came down here TO fool around and
lose time?-
He looked at her gravely for a long mo-
ment but finally his lips curved in a slow
smile. An right" he said Il promise"
He kept his word. During their first few
days and nights in the City he showed her
the panorama Of its varying life In a de-
seendinE scale which keyed her appetite for
adventure higher and higher as they pene-
usted into lower and still lower purlieus.
until reason and desire cried aloud within
her that . climax was overdus.
At nrst she had been n1ed with fears that
Ridenour might trick her. show her tourist
sights. take her back to the hotel. and then
slip out to the real thing in the unsafe street.
Of the wee hours. but she grew TO know
him better she looked back with shame n
that time Of doubt. From the FIRST he seemed
no less eager for her conpanionship than she
for his, and she was At q loss whether 70
ascribe his inteDst to q growing personal
regard or to a highly developed sense Of tho
piquaney Of playing bulldog to her charn,
She had offered to change her attire to suit
his fancy, to give up powder puff and para.
sol. look dowdy, and. need be- smok.
cigsrets and at least appear TO play the part
tina; hotel lobby gossip doubtless .scribed to
her. but Rdenour had only smiled, shaken
his head. and said hurriedly:
mo. no. Like you Jus, as you are, please
Let them stare but not touch. bias; their
eyes"
He taught her two words In Spanish to
say to any M, any slcked street worm. who
might accost her while his back wa. turned
and after having occasion to use them several
times and note their telling effect she tessed
him into a translation.
Those idiomauc expressions aren't easily
put into English" said Ridenour, but the
words mean, more or less. 'senile and de.
crepit old fool Said as you say them. they
are better than a slap in the face. They lead
not to combat but retreat on the part Of tia
enemy
Il should say they do" murmured Mis-
Estes. They work beautifully"
She thought over Ridenour's half explains
ton and felt increasing respect for this
man who hated to draw a complete map. who
believed in letting you ind things out At
least In a measure for yourself She had
wondered more than once at his not whirlinG
to meet with blow In the good old provincial
s.x,. fo-k>A ,rhgs,<r. 1870