The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-01
CHAPTER ViiL
The Pebble That started tho

L
about then that r. j. car.
Il stairs, wholesale drug sales.
man from Detroit. stepped out of
an elevator upon the third floor of
the Tribune Building In chicago
glanced about the lobby with the
air OF stranger and then some
what duhiously approached the
very dignlflcd elderly gentleman
Who set Al tho desk I'm the middle
of II. lie didn't quite think that
this was the editor NJ the paper
vet he couldn't be sure. Also ms
attention was little distracted ny
tho appoarance OF "A very good look
ing. tall smartly clad girl |ho,
with look ot one altogether AT
home In her surroundings, seemed
10 be waiting Tor down car.
In her presence he didn't want To
Pay anything. oven ask a question,
that would make him look Ike n
hick Having husEiiy mumbled
romeihing first which the man at
tho desk found inaudiblo ho shout
cd. rather by way of compensation:
81 want to sec somebody about
a watch that ! found
THE ground floor to the right Is
the classified ada
II haven't thought OF advertis'
ing e." Carstairs said, though per.
haps that is the thing to do It's
a very valuable watch and pretty
badly smashed. You see. ! found
Il on tho seat Of a taxlcaf'
A down car stopped Just then,
but the girl shook her head at the
. elevator boy and came up Il little
irroqolutely 10 the desk
Lets see the watch" sho said.
As he dug In his pocket for II
she led the way Ia . hanrh at tho
back OF the lobby and added. Come
over here and sit down.
iIo put the watch into her hand
ns he seated himself beside her
ITS platinum, you see,' he said,
"and those arc diamonds set In the
ring around N, so II must he worth
horrible lot OF money. And that
silver rlbbon--it's torn and dirty
but doesn't II strike you that that
red stain on II might be blood3
That was what made me think that
perhaps had better bring II
around and show II to somebody
connected with tho paper"
Yes: Il might he blood" she
sald In a hard. tight voice. hut
what she was staring nj was tho
monogram on the back OF the case.
They're kind OF funny looking
initials" he observed, "but I make
'em out Il. g.
Yes; ! guess so," she answered,
but once moro as though her atten.
ton had bounded forward Ia some.
thing else. Have you n knite?'
sho asked, ard on his producing II
sho swiftly pried open the back
cover, She held Il, to catch the
light, a little away from him and
snapped the lid down again without
saying whether anything more In.
formative had been found inside.
You say you four u In taxi.
cab? Did you get the number?
What sort Of a taxi was itY"
1T was a yellow" he told her.
"and I've got the number written
down somewhere
While he was finding the bit OF
paper in ono OF his waistcoat pock.
ets she asked him where and at
what hour he had hailed the taxi.
lie read tho number out TO her be.
fore he answered either of those
questions and noted that she did
not write II down. point which
strengthened his impression that
her questions we're what he would
have called Cameuflage for some,
thing ulterior 90 them. He did not
fairly get her attention until he
told her that he had taken tho taxi
at the corner Of SiXty.third street
and Stoncy Island avenue at Just
about 6 o'clock Al that she stared
at him,
ITS quarter TO eight now.
What have YOU been doing all the
time sinCe?" she demanded
The sharpness of the question
took him aback but he told her
that he'd had dinner at HIS hotel
after coming downtown, and had
then gone to his room for another
look az the watch and to make up
his mind what he'd better do about
Il ut wasn't until then that saw
what ! thought might be blood on
the ribbon When saw that I
thought I'd better so to somehody
about it--cither the police or "a
newspaper | finally decided to
come here"
She asked him crisply for his
name aud that Of his hotel, and
then she rose with swift spring
which somehow suggested 10 him
a sword coming out Of its sheath
and spoke first to the man at the
desk
Tell Fred II ne comes up, &c
come into the local room" she said
Then To Carstalrs: Excuse me
III be back In a few minutes"
She disappeared al that through
one Of the halt-glazod doors, tak
ing the watch with her, Carstairi
waited a long five minutes, then
again rather ill at ease, asked th'
man at the desk II he knew VIII,
that young lady was who had beer
talking TO him.
"Of course | know her" the an
swer was. WHY
We'll, it's all right then, | SUI
pose" C8rstairs allowed, she sal
ghe ,vaa coming rirht hack an