Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27

she would demand the keys to the
house.
AS for Jimmy, she had planned just
how she might lose him.
Almost any house Of any age ,as
past and the one that Jane s,ad
known all her life as the place where
the family moved to, come May. was
no exception. In the first place It
was almost two hundred years old.
It's first owner had been a sea captain
also slave smuggIer, 1t appeared.
Anyway, when James grandfather had
bought the house and engaged men
to remodel it, a secret staircase had
been discovered, masked by a panel.
Jane planned to smuggle her late
slave in there, and then abandon him.
Johnson would free him, after she had
got away.
1t was, Jane hah believed. a per-
fectly good plan. But like most plans,
it was subject to change. AS the
car swung out of the garage Jane
just managed to swing aboard. She
swung a silk-shod extremity over the
cars door. followed it with another
and ricocheted into the seat beside
Johnson. Johnson ignored her abso-
lutely. He did say somethine-but
not to Jane-at the sudden appear.
ance of another car. swinging in from
the State road and bearing down upon
them
The searchlights of the other car
picked them up and johnson bent low
over the wheel. in a manner incom-
prehensible to Jane.
The fact was that. he expected a
fusillade from behind.
This would still have been incom-
prehensible to Jane. She believed
she knew all about Johnson. But she
didn't know the half of it. II she had
been told that rum runners we're in
the car behind she would still have
been bewildered
What do they want of Johnson"
she would have asked.
Johnson could have told her. They
wanted two things. First. his life,
and then a package that bumped
around between his feet.
They wanted his life because John
son knew a shade too much about
them for their comfort and because
he had been fool enough--es he was
now realizing and bitterly repenting
to try to hold them up.
From the time when her family had
moved back to Boston, johnson had
been getting what Is usually referred
to as easy money. A bit of money.
that Is. that required no effort on
his part. All he had to do was to
permit the smugglers of contraband
TO run their boats in shore and load
their cars on the grounds. All with
no great risk to Johnson
X
THEN he had begun to notice that
packages too small to contain
liquor were coming ashore. Suddenly
he saw hight. The gang was running
in drugs. Each Of those small pack.
ages was worth thousands.
And they only pass me a hun.
dred at throw Johnson had as
sured himself bitterly. THE tight.
wads.
This had ranked. But he knew that
they were bad actors. So. though
sore. he had kept silent until this
same night a particular heavy ship.
ment OF these small packages had
come ashore, arousing his cupidity
anew.
What sort Of stuff ia in those pack
ages?" he had asked of the man with
a hard hat and harder face who was
the local leader Of the gang. 1t was
In his mind that he was Just sort of
feeling his way-that's all. But the
leader had given him a swift. menac.
ing look.
A few moments later johnson heard
him mutter something about some
body getting bumped off the first
thing they knew; and Johnson had alb.
sented himself swiftly from the scene.
When he returned they had gone
In haste apparently, because he STUN
bled over a small package. He picked
1t up and glanced at it. A second
later he had decided that he was go
ing away from here and at once-be.
fore the gang discovered their loss.
He had slammed his few BELONGINGS
into a suitcase and was ready to 60
when he had a horrid qualm Not Of
conscience. but of doubt.
Surprising the stuff wasn't drugs
after all?
The wrappings were heavy. but he
tore at them and was treasured. Tiny
vials-hundreds Of them, he guessed
were disclosed wrapped in paper and
had not stopped to tie the package up
again. He had placed it between his
feet and thrown in his gears.
Now he had forgotten 1t. He was
hardly conscious Of James presence.
He was actuated only by an instinct
to save his skin. He turned and
twisted desperately. striving to shake
off the lights Of the pursuing car and
then. succeeding. turned and shot
straight down toward the sea.
II X X \
EOR an awful moment Jane believed
him insane. He was headed
straight for the boathouse. But as 1t
seemed he must strike it, he jammed
the emergency.
The next second he was gone. leav-
ing Jane with her pretty mouth at its
widest. But it shut swiftly when she
heard an engine catch. at the end Of
the pier. ~
Why" she thought. hes got my
speed boat-and he was supposed to
have taken 1t out Of the water a
month ago.
The searchlights Of the pursuing car
bore down upon her. To her that sug-
gested Jimmy in pursuit. She shifted
quickly over to the drivers seat and
threw in the gears.
As the car lurched forward a shot
shattered the windshield. Jane turned
Wen. Of all the nerve"' she gasped
The other car swung abreast Of her
and-why, it wasn't Jimmys coupe at
all. but a long, underslung touring
car. Two men leaped to her running
board, automatic revolvers In their
hands.
well, you double.crossing crook
enaYled one. we're" There he
stopped short to google Internationally
Where's Johnson he demanded
abruptly.
II don't see as that is any Of your
business" began Jane loftily.
"Oh, it isn't any Of my business"
broke in the other, and showed his
gun under her nose.
Evidently this man was not to be
managed by the methods she usually
found adequate.
What did he do with the stuff?" he
demanded.
II don't know what you mean