The Pleasantville press., 1926-07-13
Shadows of the CITY
By EDWIN BALMER and GENE MARKEY
A SWEET JOB
;.sss ., = - ss<.
Copyright by W. G. Chapman)

danced-danced with certain pagan
abandon With start Bertram rec
ognized Hugh Coswell, the eminently
respectable president Of the Midwest
Trust company, the husband Of Arista,
and the father of three children and
he was not dancing with Arista-no,
nor with any of her friends. The
partner who elung to him was a
petite. Titian-haired young woman
whom Bertram vaguely recognized ;
some one had pointed her out to him
once, he remembered, and mentioned
her name. Suddenly the name bobbed
into his mind: "Sally Keddleston.'
Four other men, with partners, We're
dancing; they were all older than Hugh
Coswell; they were gray-haired, all of
them over fifty. Bertram knew two OF
them; men whom many thousands in
Chicago knew by reputation, at least !;
by good reputation. And each man
held in his arms a yellow-haired or a
brunette Sally Keddleston of his own.
Bertram's friends smirked when
they recognized him; and they waved
and called cordial-too cordial
greetings,
Confused for the moment, he brought
his gaze about to the table as a
waiter placed a cocktail before him.
Dinner. sr?' the man asked.
Dinner" replied Bertram mechan-
ieally Evidently, serving so few peo-
pie, the establishment offered pre-
pared meal.
Suddenly Bertram recollected the
pearls which-so Kitty Hewitt had
sald-Hugh had bought in New York,
and not for Arista. Glancing toward
the dancers, he looked for pearls upon
Sally Keddleston. Jewels she wore,
plenty of jewels, but no rope Of pearls.
Once more, as he watched, Kitty
Hewitt seemed to read his thoughts.
"He's not given them to her yet,
guess" she murmured. THAT makes
it little easier"
"Jove!' he exclaimed with sudden
pleasure as Kitty Hewitt stepped into
rhythm of the dance; for she was
quite the most superb dancer he had
ever encountered AS they circled the
little room to the softly played melody,
"Marcheta,' he thought how lovely
this girl really was.
AS the dance music stopped and
they returned to their tables, Kitty
Hewitt spoke: ITS hot in here. Do
you mind opening one of those win
dows?"
There were no walters in the room
and Bertram himself crossed to the
middle window, unfastened the catch
and opened ii a few inches. AS he
seated himself opposite Kitty Hewitt
again, he saw that she was turning
her vanity case, OPEN upside down.
A pale yellow powder spilled out
and lay in a conical pile on her plate.
81 put in a whole box" she ex-
planned, "and it broke"
That's funny-looking powder" he
said.
The music had begun again, and the
people at the other tables were dane
ing. Kitty Hewitt rose.
"Come along" she smiled.
"Shall we dance" Bertram rose and
came round the table to her
"Oh, just a minute, first," she inter
rupted. please give me a match"
"a match?" He stared at her. She
did not smoke, he knew. What then
ooh, here's one" She had caught
up box Of matches from the table
and glanced quickly round the room
The prominent men and their partners
danced on merrily, intent upon their
own affairs. Suddenly Kitty Hewitt
struck match.
"What are you doing7" demanded
Bertram.
"Stand back ~ she warned him. and
flung the burning match upon the pow.
der on her plate. For second II
flickered there, as Bertram watched
spell-bound. then binding explosion
filed the room.
"Flashlight!" Bertram heard him.
self gasp. Two women screamed; q
man shouted hoarsely; the dance mu-
! sic stopped; and as dense cloud OF
flashlight powder smoke rolled across
the ceiling. panic paralyzed the
| dancers.
"Who did thatT' Hugh Coswell's
frightened voice Everybody quiet
| What"
A window was opening Of Itself
that is, was being pushed up from the
outside-the window Bertram hat
I partly raised, and as the people stand
Ing huddled on the floor stared in ter
| ror a man stepped over the sill ant
into the room.
He was q tall. slender young man
in checked suit, with black velours
hat slightly tilted over one eye. This
face was pale and square -jawed, witt
cold blue eyes and hard, straight
mouth. Something vaguely familiar
about these features Then, with 8
start. Bertram recognized him. L
was the youth upon whom he had op
Grated whose life he had saved, thai
amazing night six weeks before
Eddie Pellen, Eddie the Immune"
woman-it was Sally Keddestor
screamed shrilly again.
Easy, there p Eddie the Immune
spoke harshly "And stand where yol
are"
A curious smile twisted one corner
of his mouth. "Don't get excited, w,
just took a flashlight of the bunch o.
you. in fact we took two pictures. n
different angles, from the same flash
and our cameras are reliable Every