Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-12-07

had just said proved 20 be open to
misconstruction, and if he had said
any more he would have spoiled it.
For the man facing him was staring
at him in mingled disgust and sur
prise.
You're in partnership with the
boss !" came the astounding words
We'll why in hi didn't you say all
that in the first place, instead o.
beefin' around? That's no way to butt
in, and me thinking you was some
dick on the job Got anything to
| prove that you amt pullin' something
cute on me?"
"Do you know Fells writing?' asked
Gramont, with difficulty forcing him
seaf to meet the situation coherently.
Jachin Fell-the boss
81 know his snitt, all right"
From his pocket Gramont produced
a paper-the memorandum or agree
ment which he had drawn up with
Fell the previous afternoon, relating
to the oil company. The other man
took it and switched on an electric
light bulb overhead. In. this glare he
was revealed as a ratty little indi-
vidual with open mouth and teeth
hanging out-an adenoidal type, and
certainly a criminal type.
It crossed the mind of Gramont that
one blow would do the workout he
stood motionless. No sudden game
would help him here. The discovery
that Fell was 'the boss paralyzed
him completely. He had never dreamed
of such contingency. Fell, of all
men!
joachim Fell the eboss' of this estab-
lishment! joachim Fell the man high
err up-vthe brains behind this criminal
organization! 1t was a perfect thun-
derbolt to Gramont. Now he under
stood why Chacherre was in the en-
ploy of Fell-why no arrest of the
man had been possible! Now he per-
ceiyed that Chacherre must have told
the truth about coming here on busf-
ness for Fell. Reaching farther back,
he saw that Fell must have received
the loot Of the Midnight Masquer,
must have turned it over to Lucie
Ledanois-
Did she know?
"All right, Mr.. Gramont." The ratty
little man turned to him with evident
change of front eve amt takin' no
chances here, yunderstand. Got quite
a shipment of cars comm in from
Texas, and we're tryin' to get some o.
these boats cleaned out to make room.
Bring out any orders?"
Gramont's brain worked fast.
By overcoming this guttersnipe he
might have the whole place at his
mercy-but that was not what he
wanted He suddenly realized that he
had other and more important fish to
/ fry in New Orleans. Gumberts was
/ there. Fell was there. What he must
Go demanded time, and his best play
was to gain all the time possible, and
to prevent this gang from suspecting
him in any way.
did you see Ben Chacherre? he
countered.
"Uh-huh-seen him just after he
come. Gumberts will be out day after
tomorrow, he said The boss is framin'
some sort of deal on a guy that he
wants laid away-some guy name O.
Hammond Chacherre is running it.
He fggers on gettin' Hammond on ac-
count of some car that's bein' hunted
up
Gramont laughed suddenly, for there
was a grim humor about the thing. So
Jachin Fell wanted to ''get something"
on poor Hammond And Chacherre
had seized the golden opportunity that
presented itself this afternoon-in-
stead of getting Hammond for the
theft of a car, Chacherre had coolly
fastened murder upon him!
"Ben is one smart man; / expect he
thinks the gods are working for him."
said Gramont, thinly. $50 you don't
know what happened today, Ell? Well,
it's great news, but I've got no time
to talk about it. They'll tell you when
they get back"
"Where'd they go?" demanded the
J other.
"Houma Now listen close! Cha
cherre did not know that I was in
partnership with the boss, get me? I
didn't want to tell all the crowd in
front of him, Between you and me,
the boss isn't any too sure about
Ben"
i "Say, I get you there!" broke in the
other, sagely. 81 tells him six months
ago to watch out for that Creole guy !"
Exactly. You can tell the boys
about me when they come back-I
don't suppose Ben will be with them.
Now, I've been looking over that place
next door"
"Oh!' exclaimed the other, sudden
i ly. "Sure! The boss said that one Of
his friends would be down to-
'I'm the one-or one of them," and
Gramont chuckled as he reflected on
the ludicrous aspects of the whole af-
fair "I'm going to Houma now, and
then back to the city. My cars over
next door. Mr.. Fell wanted me to
warn you to lay low on the lottery
business. He's got notion that some
ones been talking"
"You go tell the boss" retorted the
other in an aggrieved tone, ito keep
his eye on the guys that can talk
Who'd we talk - here? Besides, we're
workin' our heads off on these here
boats. Memphis Izzy is attending to
the lotte1y-he's got the whole layout
up to the house, and we amt touching