Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-28
THE TIGERS TRAIL
By EDISON

~
call them. | can't tell you what
prompts them. | don't know my
self. Anyway, you a be sure that
| don't want you to take any position
unbecomipg a guest?"
"Then, tell me-what am | to do?"
He went on as if | hadn't question
ed him. perhaps Pm playing a
blind lead; but my instincts tells me
otherwise. 1t is simply this. Less
than a year ago, the detective agency
with which | have unofficial connec-
tions would have paid me the biggest
fee Of my lifetime to find this same
Peter H. Southley. Only his name
isn't that, or anything like it. 1t is,
in reality, Andrew Lasson."
you mean-that the old mar is
going under an alias?"
"Ill correct that a little. / don't
know that his real name is Andrew
Lasson. | dn't know that it isn't
Southley. Names don't much mat
ter, you know. At sundry times I've
been known through the West as
Amos Schmidt. His real name may
be Southley, and it may be Lassoni
and it may be something else. All
| know is for a long period of time
the man who calls himself Southley
was known as Andrew Lasson.
know that he landed in America for
ty years ago as Andrew Lasson.
What his name was before that, ]
don't know. know that about a
year ago inquiries anne from a GER
tain man in England to find at all
costs Andrew Lasson. The fee was
to be tremendous, most Of which was
to be paid a year after we found him
The mans name was Rodelick-at
least that's what he told us. His
signature was that of an old man
After a while his soma big, dark
good-looking man about thirty-five-
came to US personally. Well, we
started to work. We traced just
long enough to discover that Andrew
Lasson had moved South from New
York as Peter H. Southley wher
Roderick called us off. He said he'd
found his party himself"
Perhaps it was just some lega'
mix-up-heir to an estate, or some
thing? Southley is tremendously
wealthy"
Possibly. But l did get inter
ested. | never saw such a t~ireless
pair Of hunters as these Rodericks
were. And when you're down fol-
this weekend party | want you tc
keep your ears and eyes wide open
and of course, lips closed.
The journey to Southley Downs is
distinguished by some of the most
beautiful scenery in Florida, but
didn't look at it.
The porter showed me my seat al
the seaboard station, and it is unbe-
lievably true that ten minutes haC
passed before | ever noticed the dainty
little hat on a girl almost the length
of the car ahead. And it is a queer
thing that my first thought after
noticing it was that ten minutes hac
been wasted. There is no account
ing for the vagaries of the human
mind. 1t wasn't that I'm the kind
Of man that can stand before a shop
window and spend an enjoyable ter
minutes gazing at creations Of MILL
merry.
There was a feeling from the first
that if it should only be lifted off
it would reveal a great, lovely hear
of shimmering brown hair, archine
a face as pretty and piquant as the
eyes of man could wish to see. II
was just that kind of hat.
The train stopped at a station anC
a mar in the opposite row of seats
from mine left the train. His chain
was considerably nearer the front Of
the car than mine, so l slipped into
it. The girls profile was plainly Wis.
ible to me now.
She wore a little tailored suit o.
blue and her silken bag indicated {
weekend visit with a girl friend or
the shore. 1t was one of those pref
ty conceits that girls love, cut up in.
to a hundred delectable pockets fol
toilet articles. | could not watcl
her so intently now. | pretended
to gaze out of the window, but thu
panorama slipped by me without
leaving a single impression III my
memory. Then turning once more
our eyes met.
All at once I saw that her colol
was gone. | watched her home in
tently. The fatigue Of the journey
combined with some V strain
that | could not understand, were
having an actual, tangible effect OF
her physical being. | began to fee
glad that | was a doctor. Her posi-
ton had changed too. | had to lool
twice to see what she was doing.