Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06

Bradley sprang up, his right hand
instinctively going for his pistol. But.
as he saw the weapon almost in his
face. his hand dropped,
"Cliffordv' he breathed, huskily. "I1l
get you for this
Give me those letters"" Clifford or.
| dered. ~
Not to a housebreaker and stick-up
| artist Bradley gritted. defantly.
"I'll take them. then. If you make
any movement to resist, this gun will
blow you over the walls of kingdom
Gomez
| His weapon pressed against Brad
| ley's chest. Clifford thrust his hand
into an inner pocket Of Bradley's coat
| and drew out a packet of letters, held
| together by an elastic band.
| Keeping Bradley covered, he slipped
off the elastic and counted the let
tiers. There were 10, as Mrs. Fownes
| had said. He drew out a letter and
glanced at the writing-the letter was
| in Mrs. Fownes' hand. Without ques-
| ton, these were the 10 letters Mrs.
Fownes had written in her folly.
Clifford slipped the packet into his
| own pocket. Bradley had moved a
pace backward and was standing with
his left hand upon his desk near a
double row of push buttons; though
Clifford noted this, he attached no i'm
portance to it.
i've got you Bradley-oh, I've got
you." he cried. What a game you've
| been playing! But you're finished,
Bradley! I've got you"
Brad1ey's face remained mask.
Clifford turned upon Mary.
"And you in this. Miss Regain!
| h,x ofrSvs 1rrvA
| tempt TN 1t with crook like Brad
ley. I once thought there was fine
stuff in you; tried to help you be
come your better self. And the enc
of it isl find you tied up with
| Bradley
Clifford had expected that Mary
would burst out against him, for he
knew the fire and courage in her
But she did not. He was amazed by
the look he saw on her pale face
| Why--why-it was almost as II she
were glad!
His wonderment was cut into by
Bradley's voice.. s
Clifford. il you don't want to make
a fool of yourself you will hand me
those letters"
Clifford gasped.
"You admit that these are the miss
| ing letters?" he demanded.
Certainly"
Then I'll keep them as evidencer
II see I've got to make a little ex
PLANTATION to keep New York from
laughing at you.'' Bradley's voice
| was tauntingly bland. 81 was en-
gagged by Mrs. Fownes to recover
those letters from certain parties who
were trying to blackmail her. My
fee was to be $4,000, II succeeded
| l gained possession Of the letters ar
hour ago. and"
That's a lie.' Clifford broke in.
And" the bland voice went on, IT
sent a note to Mrs. Fownes. request
| ing her to call for her property"
That's another lie!'
I'm trying to be patient with you
Clifford. You spoke of evidence.
have a bit I'd like to show you. It's
In my desk. But you might suspect a
trick. I suggest that you disarm
me. You'll find my gun in my hip
| pocket"
Clifford hesitated. There was some.
thing disquieting about this. But he
took Bradley's automatic.
Now keep both guns right against
me-" Bradley continued, land shoot
your consent, l wish to open the top
drawer of my desk and hand you a
bit of evidence"
Go ahead" consented Clifford.
Bradley moved to his desk, opened
| a drawer and drew out a sheet of
paper.
THAT. Clifford. Is a carbon copy of
the letter I sent to Mrs. Fownes.
Read It,"
Clifford glanced at Mary Regain; he
sensed bewilderment in her look.
al he ,f~ hA 80
ward him, Clifford feared no violence
from her. He took up the letter. 1t
was typewriter, was dated that day,
and read:
MY Dear Mrs. Fownes:
II have secured possession of those
documents you so much desired to
see, and am holding them at my resi-
der1ce subject to your convenience.
However, I shall be glad IL you can
relieve me of their custody at once.
Very truly"
Clifford looked at Bradley.
That letters pure bunk"
What Is in the letter." Mary
Regain demanded.
Cliford handed 1t to her. It seemed
to him that there was puzzlement in
her look. But she said nothing.
THAT letters pure bunk!" repeated
"It is evidence" replied Bradley.
THAT carbon and its original would
be proof in any court-h you ever got
me there-that was engaged in a
professional enterprise"
ITS easy to fake a letter.
Precisely" Bradley agreed, blandly,
''One proof of it's genuineness would
be the acknowledgment of it's receipt
by the person to whom 1t Is addressed
Now Mrs. Fownes lives but a few
minutes away. She may not he at
home: but when she does come home,
her first act would be to hurry right
here. would 1t not?"
''Yes-if the letter was sent to her."
Then let whether she appears be
the test. Suppose we wait half an
hour. You can spare that much time,
rather than make blunder. And
you have the letters, and can't nos.
sibly get them away from you,
Clifford felt that there might be
some trick to this. But the proposal
was one that could hardly be denied.
At Clifford's "All right" Bradley
took chair and Clifford sat down at
the deslx