San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-17

decree, but had suggested an ex-
| pedient which was open for discus
sion. "Well, if that is the only re-
course, am for it. But to give up
without struggle at this stage, to
charge off SO promising an enterprise
as a dead loss"
Higgins wrinkIed hand fumbled
up to his chin. He showed that in
spite of himself, Bristow's arguments
had given him pause to think.
You talk like you had something
already up your sleeve" he squinted
shrewdly through his glasses.
"Judgin' by recent performances,
faint probably worth hell room. But
I'll listen. What's your big idea,
Doc? Spring it."
Bristow laughed deprecatingly.
"You could hardly dignity it by call
ing it an idea. Just suggestion
that's been floating around in my
mind while we've been talking. It's
scarcely formed yet. 1t will take
you to put it in shape, and work
out the details"
Bristow paused the wink of an
eyelash, and then plunged. My
idea is. return Hope Ranger to her
father"
If he had been seeking to create
a dramatic effect, he could not have
succeeded better. Miss Copley's low
cred lids shot up. She expelled her
breath in a gasp that sounded like
a hiss. Higgins reared back in his
chair.
Bristow ignored it.
Suppose them" he was talking
directly to Higgins, "instead of
working under cover, and following
our original plan of getting all we
can out of Ranger, and then putting
the girl out of the way, we come
boldly into the open? We notify him
that we have reason to suspect his
daughter is held here as patient.
We give him and his wife the OPP
portunity to identify and observe
her. But we do not let her see or
speak to them. We explain that tthe
shock might be disastrous in her
present condition. Meanwhile. we
are doing everything possible. for the
girl. We enlarge her privileges. give
her the tcndercst care, distract her
mind. buoy up her spirits. and
eventually cure her. Don't you i'm
agine that her parents will be so
grateful. that no fee [ could name
womb seem exorbitant?
more than that. / can easily con-
vince them that she will require con-
slant. trained supervision to prevent
a recurrence of the neurOsis. Alder
man. we can capitalize that girl into
an annual income. I'll occupy the
position of family friend and bene-
factor, with all the business and So
cial opportunities that the term i'm
plies"
"All very nice" Higgins ran his
fingers through his struggling, gray
hair. "Got some points. too. But
how the devil. Doc. are you ever go
ing to explain her bein' here. or square
this up with your passin' her off as
Anita's sister,"
ooh. that" He examined his fin
ger nails. "Why. Anita will simply
have to disappear. Go to Toxic. or
Bucnos Ayres. or some other charm
ing place and enjoy herself. Then
we can very plausitlv say. that we
were imposed upon by one of our
nurses. who introduced the dazed girl
here as her sister. Our suspicious be-
came aroused: but before we could
question the nurse. she got frightened
and took French leave. We can frame
up n suicide for her. if it's necessary"
The Copley woman's agitation.
which had been steadily rising, sud
denly broke all bounds. She flung
herself forward TO face Bristow. her
featured contorted. her eyes burning.
$50 that's your beautiful scheme.
is it," The low. restrained speech
which she so carefully affected gave
way to her natural coarse shrllness.
I'm to be the goat. and shoulder all
the blame. am 1? I'm TO he conven-
iently shunted out of the way. so that
Won can carry on. your love affair?
Well. not by a damn sight, Harvey
Bristow :"
II ought to order you into a strait
jacket" He looked at her with, cold
scorn. "You're candidate for the
violent ward. with your historical
Gclusions. It's all too absurd to an
swer.
alderman. I ask you." he ap-
pealed to the old man. "who was it
that first proposed this abduction?
Whose idea was it? We all remember