Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-10

The Swede's sullen eyes bored into
him. Before that frank and engaging
smile his doubts lost force. II got to
, take chance. Might as we'll be with
you as any one
The Wyoming man struck q match.
held 1t for the use Of his guest, then
lit his own cigar. For a few moments
they smoked in silence. Kirby leaned
back easily against the head of the
bed. He did not intend to frighten the
rancher by hurrying him.
when Cunningham worked that
crooked irrigation scheme Of his OH
Dry Valley. l reckon I was one Of
them that hollcred the loudest. Prob'ly
l talked foolish about what all l was
gonna do about it. I want BLOWN :
off hot air, either. If Id got good
chance at him. or at Hull either, I
would surely have called for a show
down an gunned him if l could. But
that wasn't what I came. to Denver
for. l had to arrange about gettin'
my mortgage renewed"
lie stopped and took nervous puff
or two at the cigar. Kirby nodded in
a friendly fashion without speaking. He
did not want by anything he might say
to divert the mans mind from the track
it was following.
Il took the room at the Wyndham
because the place had been recommended
to me by neighbor of mine who knew
the landlady. When l went there I
didn't know that either Cunningham or
Hull lived next door. That's God $
truth. l didn't. Well, l saw Hull go
in there the very day l got to town.
but the first ! knew yore uncle lived
there was ten or maybe fifteen minutes
before he was killed. wouldn't say
but what it was twenty minutes, come
to that, l wasn't payin' no attention
to time.
Olson's eyes challenged those Of his
host. His suspicion was still smolder-
ing. An unhappy remark. a look Of
distrust. might still have dried up the
stream OF his story. But he found IN
that steady regard nothing more damna-
tory than keen. boyish interest.
maybe you rrco.lect how hot those
days were. Well, in my cheap, stuffy
room. openin' on an airshaft. it was
hotter n hell with the lid on. When
couldn't stand it any longer. 7 went
out into the corridor an down it to the
! fire. escape. outside the window. 1t
was lot cooler there. | lit n stogie an
sat on the railin' smokin'. maybe for a
quarter Of an hour. By.an'-by some
one come into the apartment right
acrost the alley from me.
II could sec the lights. come on. It
was a man. ] saw him step into what
must be the bedroom. He moved around
there some. couldn't tell what he was
don because he didn't switch on the
light. but he must "a been changin'
to his easy coat an his slippers. |
know that because he came into the
room just opposite the fire escape
where | WAS sittin' on the rail. lie
threw on the lights. an I saw hin
rlan. it was Cunningham. the old
crook. who had beat ne outa fifteen
hundred dollars
Kirby smoked steadily. evenly. Not
Il flicker of the eyelids showed the cy-
element racing through his blood At
last he was coming close TO the heart of
the mystery that surrounded the deaths
OF his uncle and his valet.
II reckon ] saw red for minute. ="
, Olson continued, "1f I'd been carryin'
gun might "a used It right there an
then. But hadn't one, lucky for me.
tle sat down in big easychair an TOOK
Il paper from his pocket. 1t looked like
some kind of legal document. He read
it through. then stuck it in one O. the
cubby holes of his desk. I forgot to
! COY n' WIS SHloNlu HI NOT StOSie
like ] was. but big cigar he'd nm
wrapped from silver paper after takiu
i. from boxful."
He lighted the cigar after coming
! Into the small room Kirby said. IN
! the voice Of a question.
Yes. Didn't say so? Took it from
a box on 4 stand near the chair. Well.
when he got through with the parer he
leaned back an kinda shut his eyes like
he was thinkin' somethin' over. All OF
a sudden ] saw him straighten up an
get rigid. Before he could rise from th'
chair n woman came into the room an
after her man.
THE man was Cass Hull"