The Washington times., 1923-01-27

pipe.
Yes I jerl1ed, with sense of
relief at hearing myself con-
fess it.
"Still we've no proof that he
isn't doing you service now and
then when heand you-least
suspect it,
Mr.. Lacy looked up as he spoke
and the utter concentration OF
his face astounded me. could
see that he was actually inside Of
a problem, and hardly aware OF
me or of his surroundings.
You don't think West is the
sort to lose his nerve. do your
he asked at last. HE wouldn't
be smoked out-bluffed from his
position-or actually bullied into
giving you any information. could
he?"
The Full Situation.
There's only one piece Of in
formation I want from him at
this particular moment" re-
piled. And it's about the last
thing he'd ever reveal to me con-
sciously and deliberately. / want
to KNOW want above every
thing to know how it is that
(
Dick and Dad Lee know where
Jim is now"
'They know that?" demanded
Mr.. Lacy abruptly.
dad Lee says they do"
You must make sure. OF
course West won't tell you how
he got his information. He isn't
going to take you to the source
of a stream that's carrying such
rich deposits his way. That's
not to be expected. You're sure
you've no idea? There's no one
close to your husbandLno one
who might know ana double
cross him?"
There's no one who could
double-cross him." protested.
Since Mrs. Cordova came up
from Mexico not even Mabel
Storrs-the woman I'm so fond of
knows precisely where Jim is.
Now, when Mabel writes Jim
about office matters her letters
must go through Mrs. Cordova.
You see how Jimmy has guarded
against a leak. ~
He has guarded well, said
Mr.. Lacy CURLY. But there is q
leak. You don't suspect this Cor
dova woman? Your account of
her has made it clear enough
that you're heartily out of SYM
pathy with all she does-and all
she is. Evidently Miss Storrs,
who has your complete confidence,
likes her as little as you do.
Now, I've enough faith in your
Judgment to bank on Miss Storrs
and to put large question mark
after any rating of Mrs. Cordova."
MRS. Cordova's interests are
closely linked with those Of my
husband" I acknowledged. "She
has too much at stake to be any
thing but honest"
HAS she? Let's hear about IT,"
smiled Mr.. Lacy, with a terseness
that made me feel he was on the
trail of something definite. / felt
it wise, therefore, to trust him with
the story of Mabel Storrs' bitter
Tampico experience and the theft
which the man she had hoped to
marry had so planted" that it was
traced to her.
Then Mr.. Lacy astonished me by
getting abruptly to his feet and
striding to the other end Of the sun
parlor.
At last he turned and marched
toward me with a peculiar effect
of forcing himself to what he had
to say. Abruptly he came to
stand just in front of my chair.
"How much do you know OF Mrs
Cordova's movements from the
time she arrived in this country
until the time you met her?"
"She came to Jim's office the
day she arrived, presume. She
had a letter to Virginia Dalton, and
the next thing know of her doing
was to go to Pat with it the after
noon of the day I met her. She
couldn't get Virginia on the tele-
phone and she didn't want to stay
alone at a hotel"
MRS. Harrison-forgive me-
may seem like a prosecuting attor-
ney or witness. But must ask.
Did Mrs. Cordova bring a letter to
your husbands sister and-none to
your" jerked out Ralph Lacy.
ooh, no." I agreed. strangely re-
lieved that I-could answer this
way. mine came lataR."
Later"
"By mall" explained.
"Have you that letter." Ralph
Lacy questioned.
For moment I could not bring
myself to answer.