Elbert County tribune., 1921-10-14

what had become of the spoils?
l could ask these questions. but not
one was answerable. They merely
mocked 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 hotelf
'Hullo."
mans voice spoke huskily. "This
you, Daly?'
Yes" hastily, instantly aware OF
who was on the other end of the wire,
yet feeling 1t best to dissemble until
I learned the purpose.
"Who is speakng?"
"The fellow you biffed with a bottle
tonight No, 1 amt got no hard feel
ings Besides, got something else to
think about than cracked dome Say,
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
matter for the girl as well as yer
self. I'm playing square as long as
you do the right thing, but / know
who the dame is, an am liable to
squeal If l get raw deal; that's put
ting it straight, Harry"
"You know who she is, you say?"
Sure l do. Old Pierre, over at
Perond's, told me. He never forgets
face. or a name. that old duffer.
He knew you the minute you blew in,
and he knew her. too; she'd been there
before summing"
"Who is she, then?"
That's all right know; but
amt fool enough to blow 1t over the
wire. If you'll come over here and
have talk, I'll spill a few things in
your ear that'rI make you wise"
where are you?"
"At Costigan's."
whats become of your partnerT
who's that-Wnldron? He amt no
partner of mine. Say you must have
handed that guy some jolt. The last
l saw of him, he was laid out on u
bench in Perond's back room breath
ing like stuck pig, dead TO the world.
| Will you come over here?"
What have you got to tell me?"
well, there's the DANES name for
one thing. I'll bet you don't even
know who she is, or how she's string
in you. Then I'm on to where part
of that boobies pianted-anyhow I've
got a hunch. If we turn 1t up, I'm
still strong on the fifty-fifty PROPOSE
tion."
| | turned it over swiftly in my mind,
| the receiver still at my ear. / felt no
particular fear of Harris; to be sure,
in all probability, he was only feeling
about in the dark, hoping In this way
4 to learn something of value. yet it
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 kind
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 did obtain it.
AS to his boast that he knew where
the stolen money was concealed,
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
Perond's before; Pierre was fully as
likely to recall her to memory as he
was to remembe.' DAILY, and Harris
could never have made so shrewd a
guess. unless he had really been told
the facts. Another thing gave me cour-
age to go to Costigan's / was still
accepted by these people as Harry
DAILY, crook. would undoubtedly be
so received, so treated. Under these
circumstances there could be no per-
sOnal danger; | 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 to diplomacy.
"All right" / said. "Pll run over
there; If you want to play fair, I'll
meet you half way"
| "Oh, I'm on the square, old man,
anu fe Sot Sono boou uoPcr hc III
| sisted "I'll blow 1t when you show
up"
/ returned the receiver to the hook,
uncertain whether or not i had de-
cided rightly, yet determined to carry
out the experiment Above all else
wanted to learn who Marie Gessier
was. Nothing else mattered so much,
for on this discover all else hinged.
II violence, or treachery, was intended,
l would be found prepared, and well
able to defend myself.
The neighborhood into which was
venturing induced me to take a taxi,
| and wffhtn fon rninufes I was de-