San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-30

I "Why, Bryant" Ranger stared dt
him. "What are you doing here"
The secretary almost instantly re-
covered both his physical and mental
balance.
II was just about to knock" he
said, coming forward in his usual der
erential fashion. inspector Bailey
has telephoned that they have another
girl they would like you TO look at.
An aphasia victim, they found wan
dering round Washington Square this
IAN aphasia victim ?" Rangers eyes
glinted with the reawakened hope. so
many times dashed in the last few
weeks by similar calls upon him Tor
Identification. Certainly" lie
snatched up his hat. 'I'll 20 right
down. Does the inspector really think
it could possibly be hope" ..
But Juarez Charlie threw himself
in his way as he was hurryins to-
ward the door.
snow, look here, Lorry," he
drawled, whats the use of getting
yourself all excited over what's only
another false alarm? If somebody
has to go down and give her the once
over, let Bryan there do it. / want
you to come out with me and buy
hat"
BUY q hat?"
"Yes: that was part Of the message
I was instructed to give you, but /
hadn't come to it yet, you kept break
ing in on me So"
"a part of the message?" Ranger
eyes him doubtfully. Was the man
daft?
"Sure!" Charlie nodded. 81 was
to say to you, Hope is alive and well :;
send her a hat" 80.
The private secretary turned with
a start.
"Hope:" he exclaimed. "Do you
mean to say, Juarez, that you have
news of her?'
Just what you heard" Charles
habitual nonchalance was bit
stressed. 81 was told to tell Lorng
here that his daughter was alive and
well and that he was to send her a
new hat"
Yes; but who told you?" demand
ed the secretary excitedly. Didn't
you hold the messenger? If we can
make him talk"
Exactly" Charlie slanted his eye
brows in an ironical grimace. IF
But as I've been trying to explain TO-
the boss, Frank, I've no more idea
who sent that message than l have OF
who invented apple pie. All / can tell
you is that found it chalked up on
the front stoop of my boarding houSt
when / came out this morning. with
no signature or mark of any kind to-
let me know where it came from.
at was done In hobo language-the
kind of signs you see marked up on
box cars and fences and freight houses
and the sides of barns when you are
out on the road"
"Oh-h." Bryan's tone indicated that
for him the matter was dismissed. He
turned to Ranger. "The sort of stuff
we are getting constantly from cranks
and notoriety seekers. This is prob
ably some yeggman's idea Of a joke
mo" disputed Charlie. because
of that part about the hat
''The part about the hat? Why
that's the very thing that clinches il
as absurd" sneered Bryan. would
Miss Ranger be likely in commum
cation of this sort to ask her father
for hat? I'm surprised. Juarez, at
a fellow of your shrewdness taking
any stock in such an obvious fake.
'Oh, / don't pretend to be ANYTHING
but pitiable moron" disclaimcd
Charlie modestly, land you are pos
sibly quite right when. you say tina;
Miss Ranger would never think of
asking for a hat. Still, j can see how
a thing of the kind might come III
very handy to the folks who have got
her. How SO, you ask? Well. this
way: Suppose they'd send back n
photograph of her with that hat on?
1t would be pretty good proof
wouldn't it?-that she was just what
they said she was. alive and we'll
about as good proof as anybody would
want.
so that's why I say" he observed
pointedly, that you'd better be chas-
ing down to headquarters, IL anybody
is to go. and leave Loring to attend
TO this more likely lead and get the
hat on its way as quickly as possible
Savez now, Frank
That's my opinion. too nodded
Ranger, with an intimation not to be
misunderstood, and the secretary,