The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-10-20


will soon shut your mouth !"
"SoY queried Gramont, his brows
lifted. "You seem much in Mr. Fell's
confidence, Ben. But think I'll leave
you tied up a little while. Memphis
Izzy Is going down to his summer cot
tage tomorrow, isn't he? I'll be there
but you won't. BY the way, 1 think
I'd better look through your pockets"
Ben Chacherre writhed suddenly,
hurting a storm of curses at Gramont.
The latter, unheeding the contor-
lions of his captive, searched the man
thoroughly. Except for roll Of
money, the pockets gave up little Of
interest. The only paper Gramont Sc
cured was a fresh telegraph blank.
He would have passed this unheeded
had he not noted snaky fitting Of
Chacherre's eyes to 1t.
"Ahl' he said, pleasantly. "You ap-
pear to be interested in this, Ben.
Pray, what is the secret?"
Chacherre merely glared at him, and
a sudden exclamation broke from him.
He held the bit Of yellow paper to
the light at varying angles.
"It's the most natural thing in the
world" he said after moment, "for
Ia man to walk into telegraph Office,
write out a telegram, and then find
that he's torn two blanks instead Of
one from the pad on the desk. Eth?
I've done it, often-and I've always
put the extra blank into my pocket,
Ben, thinking 1t might come in handy;
just as you did, Ell? Now, let's see!
"You were excited when you wrote
this, weren't you? You'd just thought
of something very important, and you
took care Of it hurriedly-that made
you jab down your pencil pretty hard.
Who's Dick Hearne at Houma? An
agent of the bang there?"
Chacherre merely glared, sullenly
defiant. Word by word, Gramont
made out the message:
Burn bundle under rear seat my
car. Have done at once"
Gramont looked up and smiled
thinly.
"Your car? Why, you left it in the
garage at GuMberts' place, Ell? That
little roadster Of Fell's, with the extra
seat behind. If you'd been just little
bit cooler yesterday, Ben. you would
have made fewer mistakes. 1t never
occurred to you that other people
might have been there in the bushes
when the sheriff was murdered, chr"
Chacherre went livid.
/ SIT was another mistake to throw
away your knife after you killed him."
pursued Gramont, refectively. "You
should have held on to that knife, Ben.
There's no blood, remember, on HAM
mond's knifea hard thing for you
and your friends to explain plausibly.
Yet your knife is heavy with blood,
which tests will show to be human
blood. Also, the knife has your name
on it; quite handsome knife, too.
On the whole, you must admit that
you bungled the murder from start
to finish
Chacherre broke in with frightful
oath-a frantically obscene storm Of
curses. So furious were his words
that Gramont very efficiently gagged
him with cloths, gagged him hard and
fast.
II think that I'll send another wire
to Dick Hearne on this blank which
you so thoughtfully provided. I'll or
der him, in your name, not to burn
that bundle after all; I fancy it may
prove of some value to me. And I'll
also tell your friend-I suppose he
has some familiar cognomen, such as
Slippery Dick-to meet Henry Ora
mont at Houma early in the morning.
I'd like to gather Dick in with the
other gentlemen. I'll mention that
you were kind enough to supply few
names and Incidents"
| At this last Ben Chacherre writhed
anew, for It was shrewd blow. He
and his friends belonged to that class
| Of crook which never peaches" If
| by any mischance one of that class is
| Jailed and convicted, he invariably
takes his medicine silently, knowing
that the whole gang is behind him,
and that when he energies from pris-
on he will be sure to find money and
friends and occupation awaiting him.
To know that he would be placed,
in the estimation of the gang, in the
same class with stool-pigeons, must
have bitten deeper into Ben Chacherre
| than any other lash. :
Gramont, meantime, was writing out
the telegram to Dick Hearne. This
finished, he got his hat and coat, and
from the bureau drawer took an auto
matte pistol, which he pocketed. Then
he smiled pleasantly at his prisoner.
'This evening, Ben, think that I'll
attend a meeting Of my post Of the
| American Legion. You don't belong to
that organization by any chance? No,
| I'm quite sure you don't. Very few
of your exclusive acquaintance. do be-
long. Well. see you later! Work on
those bonds all you like-you're quite
safe. I'm curious to see what is in
that bundle under the rear seat of
your car; have an idea that it may
prove interesting. Good afternooni'
/ Nraraa1k o1ocod kha door o.,a lofx