The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1921-04-14

besides, I'm not quite ready to com
NIT suicide" And then to me. "Jim-
mic, suppose you go and tap on the
door and tell the ladies' we're pulling
into Portal City"
/ hung around while the boss was
telling Mrs. Shella and Maisle Ann
good-by, and | was In the baggage
room, digging up the put-on stuff, at
the good-by minute. hut / guess they
didn't quarrel any-the boss and Mrs.
Sheila. She was laughing n little TO
herself as | helped her down fror
the car, and when | asked her where
she wanted to go, she said | might
ask n of the porters to carry the
traps, and we'd walk to the hotel,
which was only o few blocks up the
main street.
She tool Malsie Ann on the other
side of her and let two of the blocks
20 by without saying anything more,
and then she a that quiet little
laugh again and said, "Your Mr.. Nor
cross amuses me, Jimmie. He says
have no business TO travel without
a guardian. What do you think
about it,"
] told her / hadn't any thinks com
ing, and she seemed TO take that for
n joke and laughed some more. Then
she asked me II I'd ever been in New
York, and | felt sort of small when
had to tell her that / had never
been east of Omaha in all my life.
With that, she told me o to worry
that II | stayed with Mr.. Norcross
I'd probably get to go anywhere |
wanted to.
Something in the way she said II
made It sound like a little slam on
the boss, and of curse l wasn't GO
ing TO stand for that.
There is n thing about 1t: the
boss will make good wherever he
goes" l hit back. you can bet on
that"
II like your loyalty" she flashed out
1t is Il fine thing in n day that Is
much too careless of such qualities.
And | agree with you that your Mr..
Norcross Is likely to succeed more
than likely, If he will only learn to
combine a little gentle cleverness with
the heavy hand"
II don't think you nave any cause
to blacklist Mr.. Norcross," | said.
Hasn't he been right good and broth
erly to both of you this evening?s
"Oh, didn't mean that" she said
real earnestly. But In the stateroom
In MIR. Chadwick's car: the ventilator
was open, you know, until Maisie Ann
got up n shut 1t, and we couldn't
very well help hearing what was said
about the kidnapping. Neither Mr..
Chadwick nor Mr.. Norcross seemed
to be able TO account for It,"
"Can you account for IT." | asked,
bluntly enough, l guess.
At this she smiled and said, at
would be rather presumptuous FOR me
TO try where Mr.. Norcross and Mr..
Chadwick failed, wouldn't II? But
maybe can give you just a wee little
hint. You saw the two men who went
over TO the auto and smoked while
they were waiting for the other two
TO come back? II am not mistaken.
| have seen them many times before,
and they are very well known here in
Portal City. One of them, the smaller
one with the derby hat and the short
overcoat, was either Mr.. Rufus Hatch
or his double; and the other, the
heavy-set one, might have been Mr..
Gustave Henckel, Mr.. Hatch's partner
In the Red Tower company"
This didn't help out much, but you
can bet that made a note of the two
names.
"Iou are going back 10 Mr.. Chad
wick's carr" she asked, when she was
telling me good-by and thanking me
for coming up to the hotel with them.
/ told Der ! was, and then she came
around TO the kidnapping business
again of her own accord.
"You may give Mr.. Norcross the
hint / gave you, II you WISH" she
said; 'only you must be a good boy,
Jimmie, and not drag me into IT,"
II see" l nodded; "Tll tell the
boss, when ] get a good chance, and
you can bet your last dollar he won't
tangle you up in 1.-THE isn't put to-
gether that way"
well, then, goodnight" she smiled,
giving me her hand, And with that
she sort of edged the little girl into
the elevator before we could get a
chance TO shake hands, and / heard
her tell the boy TO take them up to
the mezzanine landing.
BY and by, l went down TO the sta
ton and began to hunt for the Alexa.
The boss and Mr.. Chadwick were
facing each other across the table,
which was all Uttered up with papers
and maps and reports, and they hard
ly noticed me when | blew in and
sat down n little to one side.
Just after ! broke in, Mr.. Norcross
jumped up and began TO pace back
and forth before the table. with his
hands in his pockets.
mo, ! can't see II, Uncle John"
he said. still sort of stubborn and de-