San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-07
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meath her hand and. she found her
self in dining ROOM. She gave
scarcely glance at the massive fur
niture and great crystal chandeliers
but turned anxiously toward the wall
at her right on the farther side Of
which that conference was taking
place. Curtains hung over an arched
entrance-way and drawing them noise
lessly aside Sallie discovered pair of
folding doors.
She listened once mo but only
that maddening monotone of voices
reached her and in desperation she
pressed against the doors and pushed
them apart for the barest fraction of
on inch, then let the draperies fall in
place behind her.
Perfectly satisfactory ms far as the
girls record is concerned" a mans
voice which she had never heard be-
fore uttered the words in subdued but
rich, carrying tones. "Orphan, no liv-
ing relatives known, shop-girl, popular
sex except the old Brennan woman
with whom she made her home; be-
lieved to tave been engaged to"
"Oh, for heavens sake, cut all that
and let us get down to brass tacks,
Bellows" 1t was Enthusiastically
SlOat's exclamation. "Sallie Pack is
dead and buried! Wasn't her funeral
yesterday
Sallie reeled and clutched the
heavy curtains for support. Sheer
horror overwhelmed her for a moment.
but a sharp cry from Mrs. Copeland
brought her back to her senses.
wheeler. How can you be So
so inhuman! How can you speak so
callously of the-the dead"
well, we've got to face the facts
as they stand, haven't We, if we're
going on with this?" Sallie held her
breath and peering through the crevice
between the doors she saw that Sloat
had halted sullenly beside Mrs. Cope
lands chair. "We don't care any
thing about the girl or her past as long
as there is nothing to reach out from
it and interfere with us now, and it
can't if it was sealed up yesterday
in that gravel
Salle felt the horror rising again
but back of it fierce resentment
that burned it up as though by fire.
Shed show that beast in there that
she was very much alive before she
was through with him.
"Graves sometimes open, Mr..
Sloat.' The judicial tones of Bel
lows replied. Il was about to get
down to brass tacks,' as you term
it, when you interrupted or perhaps
we had better say brass buttons. The
young man to whom-er-the late
Miss Sarah Peck is reputed to have
been engaged, is member of the
local police force, a detective SER
geant, in fact. His name is Michael
Curtis and his record, though broken
by overseas service, is compare
lively brilliant one. If any doubt
should enter his mind, even now
that the funeral is over, he may prove
q positive menace to u.s."
"Y0u could have him broken,
couldn't you?" Sloat demanded coolly
and Sallie clenched her hands.
"Of, course-and give cause to
those whose influence I would be
compelled to employ-for wonder why
I, the personal attorney for prom
inent family who were minor victims
VI Uudb CdtdStEOput, chouiu dcolic tuS
removal of this obscure young Off
cial, particularly if there were any
hint of trouble in the future from the
young lady upstairs"
'rThere will be none" Sallie's stout
heart quailed at the implacable hard.
ness of the third masculine voice
which entered the conversation. Could
those be the suave, unctuous tones Of
DIR. Qualters? II can answer for that.
Whether Mr.. Sloat's rlans succeed or
fail that grave can never be permitted
to give up its dead"
The level, Unconditional tones made
the monstrous utterance all the
more horrible and sickening nausea
swept over the listening girl but she
fought back desperately, for the law
yer was speaking again.
what do you think of the girls
possibilities, Mrs. Copeland? You
had an opportunity to study her to-
day. In the event that she proves
tractable, can she be trained SO that
she will pass muster?'
'She is common little creature
slanG, half-illiterate, but / should