The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-08-06

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latch. and We stood motionleSs in the
drizZle. BY that time was ready
/ with Il suggestion. but by good fortune
he took the initiative.
I'VE better slip out of here alone. /
reckon" he whispered. "rll. 20 up
this way. and then you take sneak
through the lumber yard. Likely Wen
catch the same. ear going down. If we
don't, look me UP ut Costigan's place
You know where that is?'
sixth avenue. isn't it,"
"Sure. Ask for Parker, and ii will
be all right. If ] ain't in, leave note
where l can hunt you up. | got 10
keep my eye on Alva tomorrow, so he
don't get away with the stuff"
You expect him to draw
Not before night: but. just the
same. | want to know for sure. You
wait here five minutes, for Eve got the
/ longest trip to make. You'll show up
all right?"
you can't lose me; it looks too
good
He chuckled and pat:cd me on the
shoulder in an excess of friendliness.
evidently feeling to some extent the
whisky he had been imbibing so freely.
That's the talk, DAILY. Well. so
long"
He slipped out through the gate into
| thesdark of the alley, leaving it slight
| 1y ajar for me TO follow. | sheltered
myself behind the high board fence
| and listened Ia the soft sluSh of his
1 feet in the mud. The sound vanished.
and all about WAS silence and dark
ness. I waited only long enough to he
sure he was safely out of the way, and
then followed, eager 10 be off. One
thing was certain, | would make no
effort TO join him on the car; | would
use the remainder of the night to de-
eide the future, working out the prob
lem alone.
To make certain that | avoided any
possibility of encOuntering the fellow
again. l passed directly through the
deserted lumber yard before emerging
upon Cans street. This thorOughfare
light showing in the houses, or a
moving figure visible as far as L
could see in the dimness Of the street
lamps. The rain was steady. the pave
ment shinmering with moisture, the
only sound the patterins of the drops
as they fell. If any policemen were
abroad | saw no signs, and, with col
lar turned up to my ears. / chose to
walk rather than seek the block to the
east and the possibility of a street car.
The factory district ended in row
of houses, dark and silent at this hour.
but the walking was good, and l
pushed forward briSkly, so buried in
thought as to become practically in
sensible to the unpleasant surround
ings. The night had been full one,
far exceeding my expectations, yet
left me more puzzled than ever as TO
my own duty. So far | knew Of no
act of crime with which these men
could be connected; they were mere
ly proposing future attack on neu-
trail government. If, however. | con-
would not only be in ample time to
circumvent any danger Alva and his
gang might contemplate, but also gain
ample evidence for their conviction
and expulsion from this country In
addition to this I would be in position
to block the daring plans of this inter-
national thief. Altogether it seemed |
to me that the wiser course for me to |
pursue was to wait, and watch. ready |
to act at any moment, but keeping my |
own council until certain that the |
specific moment had arrived
Nor was / Oblivious to the strange |
impression left upon me by my en-
counter with Marie Gessler. She had |
interested me oddly, and l could not |
drive her memory from my thoughts. |
Our moment of conversation had been
peculiar, and her words and actions |
remained as constraint. Why had
she stood there, her hand on the door,
and talked to me In that hooking |
way? Had she a purpose, an aim7 |
Did she believe my explanation? or
was her suspicion aroused into a de-
termination to verify it in some way?
Although could not decide. yet doubt
less the latter theory was the most
probable. That was why had been
pledged to call at "247 lie Compile
street." and ask for "Miss Conrad"
This was the same place where Harris
had secretly met Krantz. Evidently
1t was another headquarters for these
precious villains. Once there. and
safely in their power, the truth OF my
identity could easily be established.
Was that her idea? az.s