Evening star., 1924-10-26
An Experiment IN Resource
WAsI1BURN CHILD.
The Chronicle of Unusual Night of Distress and Danger

ping the brass key tag across his
thumb. went whistling toward the
elevator.
Here, boy" said he. emerging at
the. office floor. turn this key in at
the desk. Tell 'cm Room 272 was too
noisy. for me. Tell 'em I've left
X j: :: *
lie lit another cigarette and
strolled out into the warmth of
the summer night. AS soon as he
turned the street corner he quick ened
his stride until, in spite of the heat.
he was almost running. At the
Plantation Hotel he walked in across
the lobby with it's hundred CONNER
cial travellers, and in the manner of
one used to the exercise of authority
whirled the register toward him and
wrote: Joseph Is. Bushwhacker" in
n large, tlourishing hand.
Front" said the clerk. "Show the
gentleman to lis. Oh, no baggage?
Excuse ME. The room will be three
and a half"
TN make it worth it," the guest
said when for the second time that
evening a bell boy had dumped a
jangling. splashing mixture Of ice and
water from an agateware pitcher
into one of glass. had thrown a key
had closed the door behind him.
Luck with women" the adventurer
whispered, turning the pages of the
telephone directory. And resource. :.
That's the word. Hello. hello! Yes,
send me up a bottle Of beer. And
give me 2247 Western, please. Just
put that call across, will you?"
The answer came.
Hello he called briskly. 'This
the Occidental? Let me speak to
Room PA, please. Busy? Then don't
disconnect me. I'll wait till they're
through-Ha. the beautiful one is
still trying to find her L. V. Law
rence-Yes. Hello! This Room 274?
Her voice-This Room ga? Well.
this is the Plantation Hotel. Were
you looking for a gentleman? Yes.
Well. he says to come here quick as
possible. Take taXicab. Don't stop
in the Office, but go right up in the
elevator. Get off on the parlor floor.
Listen now. Turn to Your left. It's
Room llS Knock on the door"
He threw the receiver onto the hook
with bang.
shell bring the money all right"
he said. Its resource and ideas that
count"
lie closed the transom and shut the
windows.
II got look at her face" said he.
half aloud. Shell try her wits quicker
than she'd try her lungs. Hello! Here S
the hop juice. Go on now, boy. I'll pour
it out when I want it
He went to the window and gaped
down into the street, biding his time
calmly.
At last there came two timid taps
upon the door
The rascal, laying his automatic
weapon on the bureau. looked once more
at the general setting of the room.
We'll. come in - said he.
The door opened.
She stood there a moment. hesitating
and eXpectant. her chin raised. Her
eyes, 4 little redeemed, blinked with the
high flood of electric light. Just as he
had foreseen and planned, she showed
all the signs Of confusion.
Yes, this is the place" said he
brusque'y. and with a note of rough, but
compelling command. Come in
She stepped forward. He lodged
around her, slammed the door, locked
it and threw the key across the room.
1t was his challenge. He wished to
shock her. and, skilled in reading hui
man nature, counted on her to be silent
long enough for his purpose.
She did not seem. however, to pay any
prisoner; instead she stared around the
room, and when she saw no other man
there she gave a low exclamation of
disappointment.
He is not here" said the thief, snap
ping the ashes of his cigarette. You
might as we'll know the truth. / got you
here by a trick. l am a crook, using a
harsh name for ii. They call me Pay
master, because d few years ago / took
.l1f h,- hot
Now you can scream and make me do
something violent. Or we can talk the
situation over"
"A trick:'' whispered the woman. Mr..
Lawrence is not here:" The woman's
eyes wavered.
"Ive-stood-all-I can" she gasped.
He isn't here. That's ALL care
x :; x x
THE bed was directly behind her and
she sank back on to it. her eyes
only half-closed in Inconsistencies, her
hands outspread and the diamonds in
her rings swapping their CLEANS OF red
and green under the glare of the chan
delier.
This is lucky. too" said Pay
master beginning deity to remove
hearing ears. THE game is fairly safe
anyway. If anything happened to bring
anybody you'd have to explain how you
came here. It's my room. I'd say caught
you looking through the bureau drawers
You'd be embarrassed. Who is it you
want to find SO bad, I wonder?
Hello! here's the roll of bills in your
bag. Beg bardon, madam. while I
count huh! Only $50
mostly two and ones. That's bad.
Where's the nine thousand? I'm
stung. What's this-a pawn ticket?
No, a storage of furs. Pah. And the