The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1922-05-03
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
A Voice ON the Wire

A Voice on the Wire
1t so happened that Harry Archer
and his wife were standing togeth-
er at the top of the veranda steps,
and that Julius-Katherine'S black
servant and trusted chauffeur, who
had been with her since her child
h0od--appeared at that moment IN
the doorway, sc he seized upon the
double opportunity.
Julius" she called calmly, and
when the black came nearer added:
MIR. Belknap will want you to take
him to the 10:40 train" Then, with
barely a pause in her speech, and
this time addressing the Archers:
"Such unpleasant news, Belle. Mr..
Belknap has just told me that he
must leave us tonight. Isn't that
too bad?"
There were expressions of sur
prise from every direction, for the
entire company had heard the an
nouncement. Those who were seated
hent forward in their chairs as if
to utter a word or two of protest.
Tom Clancy and Danford Demming,
who were standing, moved nearer to
the group on the steps, and Belknap,
st the bottom of them, smiling, UNI
perturbed, shrugged his shoulders
and drawled with deliberate distinc-
t%jveness:
Really, l had no idea that / was
SO popular. You know, l felt rather
like an outsider-being such a
stranger among you-and probably
/ put too much emphasis upon the
m that | received to go to the
city tonight.
"But-er-now that both Mr. and
Mrs. Harvard have urged me to
stay, and-well, | have changed my
mind. / won't go. / couldn't think
of it under the circumstances. Jul
JUS, | won't need you after all; you
need not bring the a around. Har-
ward, if l may, l will use your tele-
phone"
He nodded genially, and without
awaiting permission, assembled the
steps and went into the house.
While the others were variously
expressing their approvals of Belk-
maps change of mind, Katherine
turned her back to them, pinchine
her under lip between her teeth and
tapping one foot impatiently upor
the concrete walk; and then, with q
quickly spoken word of excuse she
turned away and passed from sight
around the corner of the house.
She was suddenly convinced thai
It might be important to know
TO whom Conrad Belknap desired *
talk by telephone-if, indeed, he in
tended to make use of the wire a
all; for, of course, she knew tina
there was no necessity for him to d.
so IN order to stay on at inquest
Still, If there was somebody who wa
available to him by telephone in sucl
an emergency, it was up to her t.
know who the person might bean,
ecaus h mar was a card-sharper
a swindler, and-she had no doubt a
ala crook, any method that sn,
might employ in contesting his eff
trontery and insolence would be fail
hatherlne's former experiences as
Observation-Disclosures detective stoo,
for her just then; she had not bee
called Lady Kate of the Police" il
the days of "Alias the Night Wind
for nothing.
she Judged from Belknap's name
that he really did intend to teIenL
me to New York to somebody; an
Tor her to know who that "~somebody
might be would supply one item. 2
least, In discovering his identity-fo
she was thoroughly convinced that h
was not what he had madt himsei
appear to be, at inquest.
There were several t~elephones !;
the house, and katherine assumed ths
Belknap would seek the one in he
husbands den, because of it's secusio
She certainly hoped that he would ;
so, because that instrument name,
ed to be on the same wire that CON
municated with her own private roor
When at inquest Katherine was
the habit of making as much ,,sa
Sings den, and the little room Of
from 1t where the card-playing he
had been INDUCED in, as of her ov
boudoir, and for the sake of convie,
&c the two telephones had been co,
nected as ont, the instrument in 81
den being the extension.
The instant she turned the corn
OF h house she quickened her nae
ran up the steps at a side entranc
assembled the servants stairway to Il
second floor, and entered her oy
suite, where she closed and lock,
rne door after her.
Very gently, SO that there mig
De no warning click upon the w;
she lifted the receiver from the ho
and pressed it against her ear. Tn
she smiled, breathlessIy, for she h
hurried greatly, and she was the
IN time TO hear a voice say {"
three-two-o." She listened in at n
the moment when the operator "
repeating the last of the numb
asked for. Harvard entertained
many guests at inquest who ou
frequently made such constant 4
of the telephones that connect
through the two-trurk switch bos
in the buffers room that, for
w convenience, be had long .
put in an extra direct wire fr,
the exchange for his own and IA.
erine's nses.1