Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-17

the name," he decided. "If Haddon
has anything he'd better go bury It."
| Now he watched Haddon more closely
than Haddon had ever watched him.
He saw that Haddon was worried. He
tried 10 interpret his uneasiness. He
II was connected with him. II might
mean that Haddon was undecided, that
he was hesltating before taking some
final step from which there was no re-
turn. On the other hand 1t might
mean that Haddon had decided, that
that step had been already taken, that
his anxiety grew from his uncertainty
as to where Il would end.
ITS heads and tails" Ashe finally
told himself. But it's my bet that
will up to it. He's just lashing him.
self with his tail, getting ready. And
l think ! can tell by his eyes when
he's got himself in hand"
The mail came and brought the little
book for Enid. He took II to his room
and wrote In Il.
Enid Camden, from = ="
And there he stopped. He wanted to
write. :Trom Robert Ashe, alias Lady
fingers, w. is human after ALL" He
didn'a want 20 write. From Ambrose
| Ilc utuu uke nuuc.
He had gotten Just 80 far when Haddon
| came In. Ashe slipped the book into
his pocket. One glance at Haddon and
he sighed, filled his pipe and said
quietly:
- I'm II :; glad we're . going to get down
For he had seen Haddon's eyes. He
had seen in them the look which he
knew must come before the time Of
actual danger. The uncertainty was
gone. They were hard and purposeful.
| Ashe was in the sitting room which
| Joined his own and Haddon's bed
rooms. Haddon passed him In silence,
saw that the two bedrooms were un-
occupied and that the doors were closed,
and then came back to Ashe.
| I'm going to give you your chance"
ni,,; ns said H dropping his voice. ITO
Ashe nodded.
Tonight" he answered. "I'm
ready"
Haddon in the same low tone. ARE
nobody's business but mine. But I'll
tell you just this much Of them. /
need money. a whole lot Of money, and
! need i quiek!"
"so!" smiled the boy. You're hu-
| II don't need your conviction. I
have told you all along that you can
go free and with money In your pocket,
IL you do as / tell you. It'll be up to
you to go fast and go far ~
What I've been telling myself. And
I start tonishti'
''If you are here tomorrow ] shall
| that you are Ladyfngers, the San Fran
cisco thief. I shall wire the same in
formation to San Francisco"
I'D just like to know" suggested
Ashe, ''how you'll explain the fact
that you, yourself. introduced me to
Mrs. Stetherill as Mr.. Steele, your pri-
vate secretnry?"
Don't mistake me for a fool" said
Haddon sternly. 1--WE got that mat
ter properly arranged. You forged a
letter Of introduction. a letter which l
have carefully filed away, and ."
tall. ct ySS AsSs Never MIND .t the de- Dc.
program for tonight"
81 want ten thousand dollars. What
Is more, have got to have It."
II l had it, my dear fellow . . "
Get it."
And where. please1"
From the Lockworth bank"
"Oho. So that's It'll"
That's it. exactly it,
Ten thousand? That's a good sized
chunk of money to be lying around idle
in a little country bank. isn't it?'
1T will be there tonight. And a
good deal more. Ten thousand-is all
it " Haddon threw out his
bands. You'll be leaving In hurry
and you II need all you can get"
Ashe eyed him curiously. Again he
! was seeking to cast up a swift esti-
mate of Haddon's character. Haddon
wanted him to rob bank, had, no
doubt, already smoothed the way for
him. Haddon wanted ten thousand
dollars
Suppose. said Ashe tentatively,
that obey orders. That ! crack the
nut and make a getaway with 1t. That
there is, as you say lot more than
US say. twenty five or even fifty thou
sand. Then what?"
II want ten thousand" said Haddon
bluntly: III there's hundred thou
sand IT'S all one to me. Keep all you
can get or leave it in the bank"
That's funny" observed Ashe
thougi,tfully. How does 1t happen,
he asked abruptly, that you need ten
Thousand 50 badly and in such
hurryF'
For a moment Haddon made no an
swer. Ashes eyes studied him with
| wonderful keenness. He wanted Had
don to talk. He felt that in a way his
whole future might hang upon a wore
from Haddon's lips. And in the end
Haddon answered.
II have told you that my business is
my business and not yours. But want
you to know that you are in no posi-
| ton to fool with me. allowed myself
to be tempted into speculation that
looked good. 1t was rotten; lost
well, more than / could afford.
I've got to get 1t back"
II see," said Ashe.
And he thought that he did see that
Haddon was lying. He did not believe
that Haddon had done the thing he
hinted at. Haddon was not the type
of man to speculate, to plunge beyond
safety, to get into water over his head,
to embezzle money to gamble with.
Haddon was In no sense gambler
In business deal Of any sort he would
do just as he was seeking to do now
be sure of the ground underfoot; be
sure that there was safe way out.
Haddon was not the man to take
chance. And yet he was taking
chance now. II Ashe sought to rob
the Lockworth bank, II he failed and
were apprehended, then Haddon stood
in a fair way of being implicated as an
accessory before the fact. Haddon was
lawyer and knew just what that
meant. 1t meant ruin. And yet he was
doing it He was driving strongly
against the current of character and
habit, and that the fight had been hard