New Britain herald., 1926-02-16

Suu NColtIud dSi -bl' Itdllu'
 "Who was it"" he asked.
 T don't know. l thought it was queer at the time. A man called | and asked for you. said you had | left town.'
 Was that all?"
 "Oh, no. He said, Oh, is that sop and then I told him that you would be back ill day or so. He said, oh, he will, will he?' and hung up"
 And that was all he said?" "Yes. that was all. It was just the way that he said oh, he will, will he?' that struck me as being queer"
 Jimmy had risen. What do you imean, Mrs King, when you say it sounded quecr""
 l "Why, IT don't just know how i 10 eXlain it. The man sounded dis appointed, in way. when I told him i you were coming back. No, not eX- acuy that either. Not disappointed, l but sort of surprised. Il didn't like his tone"
 You mean he sounded as If he expected l had left town and was rather taken aback to learn I was returning. Is that it?"
 "Yes, you've put it just right. I suppose I'm foolish to imagine things like that. It might have been "a good friend of yours-although I should think he'd have given his name"
 ! Jimmy was on his way up the stairs. "T don't think you're imagin- ing anything, Mrs. King. l don't know who it was that called, but
 you may be sure it wasn't a friend"
 He turned away. I'm going to take bath. Is there plenty of hot
 water?"
 "Ycs. Mir. Rand. And you'll find
 liniment in thc medicine chest"
 By the way" he added, q ex-
 pect Lieutenant O'Day, a police off
 cor, When he comes show him to my room, please, And--oh yes, Mrs.
 King, the next time you get a queer
 telephone call for me will you notify
 the chief operator and ask her to try to trace it?"
 He was gone up the steps leav- ing his andlady-hands locked to- . gcthcr in her large apron pocket mouth agape-agonized with curi- osity.
 I And now tell me all about thi, ? little party you had, me lad" Lieu. l tenant O'Day, comfortably seated 1T l an armchair, removed fat blacl y cigar from his cap and asked for { l match.
 s Its against the regulations t smoking on duty before midnight q but I was never one to look a regu y lation in the eye when my systemi ] crying out for the weed. Rand !. don't take things too-what is it ] now"-too literal"
 { Jimmy, propping himself up ol s the bed with couple of pillows !, q bathrobe covering his pajamas ant . his feet thrust in q pair of felt bed . room slippers, laughed and lit Il cigaret for himself.
 | Its not the breaking of regula n lions that counts so much, lieuten n ant, but the spirit in which they'r l broken. I'm glad to find that yo' Q don't take things too literally.
 But here's what happened" an r he told O'Day of the adventure h O had just been through, beginnin @ with the first of those premonition p. that had made him so nervous an ,- ending with his flight from the ma Q with the gun.
 ii "I got off pretty easy at that" h it finished exhibiting his torn ca o Just this and a bruised shoulder d And what do you make Of it? t asked O'Day.
 II "Tn tell you after you give ri
 your opinion"
 ,y O'Dav puffed collectively on h te cigar. "Hm-m-m. Did you say th ar fellow with the gun came runnir 10 from the direction of this hout al here?%
 as "Yes. Evidently he was partn An of the other man" E. Yeah, no question about tha t- Well. Rand, it might have been ad holdup. The smaller fellow with Il he gun went around the block 10 he; h. you off at your house and the oth la man trailed you. They had VI as headed off both ways, The trout
 Is you upset their plans by not wal sl ing. You got away with fl becau
 you surprised this guy off his fec tie "You say you think it might ha
 been 8 holdup, but doesn't 1t stri