Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-13
nited Looters, Inc.
q By Ralph Cummins Il

/ OF the escape from reaching the Syndi-
cate to their agent at the Metropolitan.
Was there any way in which / could
help?
Several times l had thought Of at.
tempting to extract information OF
Syndicate affairs from Alstan Bourke,
but one glance at her firm chin and
steady eyes told me how impossible of
success such a course would be. Now,
with failure confronting me, would it
not be well to have Miss Bourke re,
moved? But to do that l must denounce
her as criminal, and even the success
of my enterprise would not allow me to
do that.
Next morning I felt miserable, but I
was moved to see that Miss Bourke
also was worried There were dark
clouds under her eyes and her cheeks
did not glow with their usual color.
And several times / was sure that / saw
a puzzled question In her eyes as she
looked at me.
1t was early in the forenoon when the
telephone bell rang. heard Miss
Bourke's crisp voice, an instant of ST.
lence and her quick reply to a question.
Mr.. Evans is out just now. Is there
, a message"
Another silence, then
"a telegram? I will take it,"
l sensed her movements as she reached
for pencil and rustled a slip Of paper
| within reach.
whats that? A code? l
thought"
/ was interested. Evans had received
a number of code messages, but so far
l had been unable to see one of them or
to overhear anything that would give me
an inkling Of their purport And the
reason that [ was so interested was the
/ fact that in every case the message had
been received by Miss Bourke. That fact
might mean something.
I She did not repeat the message. After
n moment I heard the receiver click upon
the hook and I glanced across at the
girl I wondered If she were able to
read that code.
/ l looked directly into her steady gaze
She was crumplng the slip of paper IN
/ her fingers, but / could see that she had
/ forgotten the message There was a
strange, new light In her eyes as they
met mine. Was 1t pity? Well, If II was
/ PITY smiled and I know that / let my
heart speak through my smile.
! My careless attitude brought a change
/ worried
/ frown creased her brow Her glance
shot through the window to where Evans
was leisureIy approaching
Then, with her quick graceful stride
she crossed to my chair and stood be-
side me-
who are you?" she demanded. and
! there was softness IN her voice thai
/ was like caress
! rose to face her and nv smile grew
Well might I smile. or even sing. for
was reading unbelievable things Is heI
expressive eyes
"Just poor heart weary slave"
+ bantered. Just searrher Of life mys.
/ teries-who IS now solving the biggest
/ problem Of them all"
Her ewes narrowed and her Iips tight
cned. Slowly she raised the crumpled
/ piece Of paper and while her level gaze
/ held me she tore Il into little rieces and
/ tossed 1t into the wastebasket witt
the hint Of a smile upon her Iips she
. turned back 10 her desk Just as Evans
/ limped into the room
But my eyes saw nothing OF the vauIt
plans before me Something that had
read in Alstan Bourke's ewes had
changed my whole outlook on life. wa,
IL a flashing spark Of tenderness that
had iilumlned her face and had set fir,
to my lonely heart?
As nearly as could figure # tina
message had concerned me Had Il beer
/ a warning 10 Evans that I was an agpn,
Of the United Syndlcate7 Or was tn,
message intended for Miss Bourke #.
contents exposing my claims to beinc
/ Sam Derby?
Whatever the message. Il had beer
something that meant danger TO me
/ And Miss Bourke had suppressed It'll
She was her usual self that night but
I could make no opportunity to SNEAK
/ TO her alone At dinner suggested a
picture show, but she refused with a
glance In which I imagined that I read
| n warning.
| fingered upon the porch for half.
/ hour. hoping that Miss Bourke would
/ come out. But she seemed very busy in
/ the office Several times 7 heard the
/ telephone bell ring and heard her quiet
/ voice talking Once she called Evans in
At last I lit cigarette and started
/ down the street At the corner paused
and looked back Under the street light
above I saw the indistinct form of q
man Something about his attitude
struck me. / scrutinized my surrounding
carefully. Across the street from the
/ Evans place a man was sitting on a
! pile OF lumber trying 10 read a paper
| by the feeble light from the street
/ globe. Upon the corner near me n man
In greasy overalls was tinkering with
a motorcycle.
/ The Evans house was being watched
Why? Was It Miss Bourke or myself
who was under surveillance? I deter.
mined to find out and struck out at 8
/ brisk walk down the street.
But, although 7 wandered openly for a
| dozen blocks I saw no sign of being fol
lowed. When I returned by way Of the
winding roed that passed the rear saw
two more men who obviously were kill
/ ing time.
When I turned the corner I saw that
! the man with the motorcycle had moved
down to the Evans gate. As approached
n messenger on n wheel came tearing
up the street and stopped beside the
man at the gate, who rose at once and
engaged the boy in conversation. But
as the man left his machine / saw him
slam his hu1b horn cara1nssIv with his