The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-04-22

!
seemed as though a deadly fear, cold
and numbing. settled upon her and
robbed her of even the power of
movement. She was caught! If it
was Pinkie Bonn and the Pug, and
II this corner hid the secret panel as
she still believed it did, this was the
first place to which they would come,
ana they would find her here amongst
the clothing-which had evidently
been the cause of deadening any
sound on those stairs out there until
it was too late
She held her breath, her hands
tight upon her bosom. There was no
other room-the footsteps were al
ready crossing the threshold from the
head of the stairs. And then a voice
reached her-the Pug's. 1t was the
Pug and Pinkie Bonn.
Strike Light, Pinkie! Dere's no
use messin' around wild a flash. De
old geezer II be back on de hop de
minute he finds out he's been bunked,
an de quicker we work de better
A match cracked into flame. An
air-choked gas jet, with a protesting
Gray's drawn face relaxed a little,
and a strange, mirthless smile came
lowering over her lips. What was
she afraid of? The Pug, was the
Adyenturer, wasn't he? This was
one of the occasions when he could
not escape the entanglements of the
gang, and must work for the gang
instead of appropriating all the loot
for his own personal and nefarious
nd hut he no
The White Mou need not fear him,
even though he appeared, linked with
Pinkie Bonn, in the role of the Pug!
So there was only Pinkie Bonn-to
fear.
Rhoda Gray took her revolver from
her pocket She was well armed
and in more than a material sense.
The Adventurer did not know that
she was aware of the Pug's identity |
Her smile, still mirthless, deepened. |
She might even turn the tables upvn |
them, and still secure the stolen |
stones She had turned the tables
upon Pinkie Bonn last night: tonight,
if she used her wits, she could do it
again!
And then. suddenly, she stifled an
exclamation, as the Pug's voice
her again:
'Fwot are youse gapin' about? Dere
amt anything else worth pinchin'
around here except wot's in de old
gents safety vault. Get a mcve
onI We amt got all night It's
de corner behind de washstand. Give
us a hand to move de furniture"'
It wasn't here behind the cretonne
hanging Rhoda Gray bit her lips in
a crestfallen little way. Well. her
had been natural enough,
hadn't it? And she would have tried
every corner before she was through
If she had had the opportunity.
She moved now slightly. without
sound, parting the clothing away
from in front of her. ana moving the
cretonne hanging by the fraction of
an inch where it touched the side
wall of the room. And now she
and discolored celluloid eye-patch,
and his ingeniously contorted face;
and she could see PinlSie Bonn's pas |
ty-white, drug-stamped countenance.
It was not a large room. The two
men in the opposite corner along the
wall from her were scarcely more than
ten feet away. They swung the
washstand out from the wall, and the
Pug, going in behind it, began to
work on one Of the wall boards
Pinkie Bonn, an unlighted cigarette
the waashstand watching his COM
panion.
a nlinutep -ed-another. Tt was
still in the room, except only for the
distant sounds of the world outside
4 clatter of wheels upon the pave
ment the muffled roar of the elevat-
ed. the clang of a trolley bell. And
Then he Pug began to mutter to him
self. Rhoda Gray smiled a little
t would appear, who experienced diff
su1ty with old Jake Luertz's crafty
hiding place!
Say. dis is de limit" the Pug
srowled out suddenly 'Dere's more
damned knots in dis board dan I
ever saw in any piece of wood in me
life before. AM He drew back
abruptly from the wall twisting his
head sharply around. Dye hear dat
PinkieH' he whispered tensely.
Quick! Put out de light Quick,
Dere's some one down at de front
1oorI''
Rhoda Gray felt the blood ebb from
her face. She had heard nothing
save the rattle and bump of a wagon
along the street below; but she had
had reason to appreciate on a GER
tain occasion before that the Pug
alias the Adventurer, was possessed OF
sense of hearing that was abnor-
nally acute. If it was some one
alse-who was it? What would it
mean to her? What complication
lere IN his room would result? What
The light was out. Pinkie Bonn
had stepped silently across the room
o the gas jet near the door. Her
yes strained. she could just make out
he Adventures form kneeling by the
vail, and then-was she mad! Was
he faint night-Hght of the city fill
ering in through the window mock
ng her? The Adventurer. hidden
rom his companion by the washstand
vas working swiftly and without a
sound-or else it was a phantasTn of
hadows that tricked her! \ door in
he wall opened; the Adventurer |,
,, Sr,s hi |