San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-17
MISS
Al( AS
BY Doo@lAs GRANT
v DOUGLAS GRANT
9 ss4 WsA SERVICE INC

1 AVA &OpeidHu anu mani out IL
crazy if don't agree TO it. Meantime
get news of another kind so l lei
that 20 for day and then / ask Mrs
Copeland to wise me up to the lay
She tells me I'm this here Sarah Peck
from Shaftstown, that you know all
about me. and / worked in store
there. All right, I'm agreeable, and
wait to see what new monaker is go
ing to be pinned on me. Then You ex.
plain the little trick you want me to
turn here for you and / take it on, SO
I'm 'Alva' again. Now Mr.. Sloat tries
to palm off a phoney rock on me and
when call him for it he says I'm this
I Diamond Bess" somebody -or-other."
''Do you admit or deny that you are
the Hilker woman?" Bellows thun-
dered in his best courtroom style.
81 don't admit or deny anything
I amt on the stand yet, but when !
am-if am-it's going to be interest
ing for all concerned" Sallie smiled.
Il told you / wasn't any squealer but
but if you try to send me up for some
thing else there's few of you who'll
do stretches for-what do you mouth
pieces call it?-attempted conspiracy
with intent to defraud, amt it"
She had remembered case in
Shaftstown which Mike had explained
to her and now she plucked up courage
as she saw that the shot went home.
The attorneys lips were twisted in
an unpleasant smile and his cold, PEN
Grating gaze never left her eyes.
Would you be willing to face the lady
Mr.. Sloat mentioned, Mrs. Louis Della
pierre?'
"Would you be willing TO face me
with her and tell her how l got here
and what I'm doing in this house?
Sallie countered swiftly, advancing to-
ward her inquisitor. It's standoff,
amt it, Mr.. Bellows? A case where
we've gotta trust each other, like you
said yesterday? What's the odds who
I am? I'll lay low and work the game
on the old dame upstairs and then beat
it where you'll never"
Sloat uttered a Mortified ejacula-
ton but Bellows held up silencing
hand.
"What you propose is impossible
he declared. You said a moment
ago that when you woke up here
and were called 'Alva Copeland you
permitted the mistake to go on be-
cause in the meantime you had news
of another sort. What did you
meant"
"Say, if should happen to De this
Hilker woman and there was big
reward out for me, like Mr.. Sloat let
on, do you s'pose I'd be travelling
around the country without a pal
or two trailing?" Sallie grinned. If
you say that 'Alva Copeland PROPOSE
ton is off, well and good, don't
hold any grudge for being kidnapped
the way 1 was; you just help me to
make my getaway and I'll forget l
was ever here so long as you all for
get you ever saw me-"
Sloat started forward but the at
torney's manner changed suddenly.
THAT is q solution which had al
ready occurred to me for sas you say
it is n stand-off between us, Unlock
the door, Sloat. / must confer with
Mrs. Copeland, of course, but 1 have
no doubt that the matter can be ar
ranged to our mutual satisfaction. l
will send message later to your
ROOM"
Sallie encountered no one as she
foreboding at her heart. Bellows
iudnHtI udu CudHScu loO ouuutuis
at her proposition, his tones had
been just little too cordial and his
desire to rid himself of her presence
without discussing her suggested
getaway was significant.
Once alone in her room a fresh
horror gripped her. In that confer
ence which she had overheard Fri
day night between these people who
held her in their hands, DR.. Qualters
had declared that Sallie Peck would
never come to life again and the
menace in his tone, vague and subtle
as it was. had sent chill to the
girls very soul. If the innocent
shopgirl who hadn't been taken into
their confidence then regarding the
fraud they planned to practc. on a
wealthy, dying old woman could
never be allowed to escape from their |
clutches what chance would no
torious crook have. who knew their |
scheme and was allied with n band ]