The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-08-19
: Ole
GREEN CLOAK

Well have no time to lose even as ii
is. Ashton will have cooled down by
dinner time, and when he's cool
enough to let his mind begin working
again, he'll become dangerous"
Already he was struggling into his
overcoat 1 turned to go to the other
room for mine, when he called me
back and sent me to the telephone.
II think we had better have taxi"
he said. It'll save some precious time
and will enable us to take some of our
traps up to the hotel with U.S."
"Traps?" l inquired. "Some of our
instruments, do you mean?"
He nodded. "The chronograph and
telephones" he said Il fancy they'll
be all we'll need for any real test
we shall want to make, but it will be
we'll to take something else for the
purpose of diffusing attention. Here,
this piece of heavy artillery will just
serve the purpose. It's rather cum
bersome, but that makes it all the
better"
The instrument he indicated was
one l had never seen before, it hav-
ing come in only that day from he
model makers. The doctor was al
ways devising new instruments of one
sort or another. This one looked in
teresting, and l should have ques-
toned him about it had not my mind
been so full of other things.
You'd better telephone at once" he
concluded. IF this sleet storm keeps
up, the wires are likely to be down
before night"
Both of us, think, would have
been a little surprised if we could
have known how true that prediction
was and how vitality it was going to
concern us.
"You are going to make some tests
up in our rooms in The Meredith?"
asked.
II imagine" he said soberly, though
his eyes sparkled with excitement as
( he spoke, Il imagine that our rooms
will be about the only place where we
will be secure from interruption. |
could see it in Ashton's eye that he
meant business, and Pm pretty sure
that if we attempted to come back
here after dinner and bring anybody
with us, our little party would sustain
rude interruption"
All the while he spoke, he was busy
gathering things together, and as soon
as had finished telephoning, helped
him. Haste spoke in every movement
he made. and it was not long before
was thoroughly infected with his
excitement, although l had only q
vague idea what it was all about.
Not until we were seated in the cab,
with a suitcase full of instruments at
our feet, did he say anything that
tended to clear up any part of the
mystery.
at was a great piece of luck" he
observed then, ''we were able to send
Ashton away in such rage. 1t won't
occur to him for some time. to begin
making inquiries about The Meredith"
you mean," l exclaimed, that the
address four-seven-0 Woodland ave-
nue. was given in good faith. by real
Jane Perkins, who is actually en-
ployed there?"
He only laughed and told me to wait
and see; but the infection of his voice
and the eager expectancy in his eyes
made it clear that that was what he
did believe.
"But," I protested, "even If it were
possible to imagine Jane Perkins as
having any possible connection with
the crime, it is inconceivable that she
would so and risk answering the adj
vertisement in order to reclaim the
cloak and then give her own address"
He vouchsafed no word Of explana-
tiontion or argument, but could see
that my objection had not shaken him
in the least. So, perforce, waited
with what patience could assume to
see what would happen when we
reached The Meredith.
The doctor turned over our bag to
hallboy, with instructions that it be
taken to our apartment. Then he led
the way straight toward the dining
room. 1t was barely six o'clock, full
hour earlier than we usually dined
and the room was almost empty.
st won't entirely destroy your ap.
petite to sit down to dinner in tweeds
will it?' he asked. "We really haven't
time for frivolities of that sort this
evening"
ITO BE coNTINUED.)