Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-15
The Crooked Angel GU za""n Macdonald

may as we'll go away, for I've expressed
it to the bank at home"
His eyes had fallen on the beginning
oil my speech. Now he looked up. Il
called you a clever girl" he reminded me
gravely.
Yes, after I had outwitted you" I
opened my bag and took out the penny
necklace and Ounce cap. Here, you may
have your gifts backl Keep them to re-
mind you that at least once a woman
made a fool of you. Mr.. Asp!" I was so
beside myself that / forgot the danger
81 slanderous accusation.
How long have you-known me?" he
asked courteously.
You dare to admit it?" l was amazed
at the man.
OF course not. But you said you
knew me-"
so I do. I saw in the Carlton woods
that you would lave snatched my neck
lace if there hadn't been so many people
about"
Pleased" He held up a long slim hand
in protest. Anything but a snatcher.
That's so-cheap."
"Snatching a handsome pearl necklace
is not cheap" I blazed. And you want
ed to. l saw 1t in your eyes. That's why
had on a string of beads that night
you chloroformed me and made the ex-
change. You should teach your eyes to
behave, Mr.. Asp. And before you pin a
Ounce cap on a girls head again you'd
better make sure you aren't the Ounce
yourself. 1 dare say it was quite a little
work to make that necklace of pennies,
for it's so crude
Nothing faxed the man. Not so much
work just to punch those holes.'' He ex-
amined the thing t~houghtfully. But
tell me, why didn' you urn this over to
the local police2" he asked interestedly.
Why should ~"
They were evidence of a Sort
"A poor sort or you'd never have left
them
True. taken alone. But he grew
meditative-"don't you think it was I'M
wise to leave Denver taking with you the
only evidence which might-might mind
you, have led to the arrest Of q criminal
who may be a woman?"
What do you mean?'
Simply that 1t might be hard to ex-
plain to a jury, If 1t were ever to come
out. Especially, as you were the only
person in the hotel with jewels of value
who die not lose them. And your giving
these back to me-even that would look
strange-if 1t were known"
Il didn't know they were import
ant" I gasped.
liz Y itlpOl JdIlL III liz III
stract because the Asp always leaves
something" he replied pleasantly, but
coupled with a definite suspect, such as
you had
Knight have-been-wrong in my
suspicious
AN investigation couldn't have hurt
anybody. As 1t is, by Withholding what
might have been important clews you
have made yourself accessory, If not to
the act-at least after the fact"
You could be made to admit that you
believed me to be a thief" he went on In
his quiet way. "Yet you were seen sitting
with me in the woods near the Carlton.
There might be folks who would recall
that, and that I addressed you in the
dining room on the morning after the
robbery. They might imagine. even, that
there was something stealthy about all
this. The imagination works amazingly
on the witness and All, here
come your friends. clearly curious. Bet
ter introduce me. l am Mr.. Norton.
Thank you for these" He slipped the
clews into his pocket. you are q most
helpful little confederate"
I suppose if I'd had a minute to think
1 wouldn't have done it. But when you
aren't old, an orphan, and a widow, with
nobody to go to for advice, it's q terrible
thing to have a cool, we'll bred jewel BAN
dit inform you that you are legally his
confederate and suggest that you intro
duce him to your friends.
MY friend. Miss Locke, Mr.. Norton" /
heard myself saying. And Captain Vic
tory" Both Ethel and the Captain were
clearly surprised. And a devil seemed to
take possession Of me. 1t was none of
their business. Now that I was In for 1t,
I made up my mind to do it right.
as l.,a.v NHr hTArtNxz +l~o ,1s-,,+A r -.-
him in Denver, but I couldn't place him.
He Just reminded me that we met in
Miami" 1 knew Ethel couldn't check
me up on this.
There was something really thrilling
/ n the situation. A great detective and
a great bandit chatting amicably to-
gether-and /, Leona Stafford Cromwell,
holding a mans liberty in my tied hands,
Somewhat of the lure of the outlaws
life must have penetrated my generations
OF respectable ancestry, for my pulses
were racing. Every nerve Of me was
tingling with a strange new excitement
So this was what 1T felt like to be q
crook Nc wonder a man LIKE Won
dered what his first name was
/ felt, I regret to admit, elated. The
very audacity Of thing fired me. 1t was
like being in an exciting game, not
knowing how 1t was going to n and
: playing with the wrong man; but I was
in the camel And it was more exciting
than If l had been on the other side
where there was no danger.
S 1t seemed to me that Captain Victory
Y eyed Mr.. Norton from time to time with
l suspicion. Once / caught q curious
9 CLEAN in his eyes. Both men were bril-
liant takers and gentlemen, in the cul-
tural sense.
2 l silently enjoyed myself.
The sandy haired man attached hin
self to me during the remainder Of The
. day In the proprietary way Of sand,
Z haired men. They don't ask permission
They go ahead, And by the middle O
: the afternoon I didn't care at all that
was his confederate. / gloried in 1t.
What are you thinking OFF" he asked
{ leading me toward a hot dog stand down
: the beach.
II was wondering if I had always beer
. q potential crook" I said. MY peopl
are intensely respectable"
Q He appeared vastly pleased. "Woult
) you like to help me with a little job2"
mo. I'd be sure to muss things up
0 and some of the victims might wea
b guns"
y You are delicious. Tell me all abou
n yourself"
i did. Now you tell me about-th
c Asp. Why can't they catch himP"
g Thank you for the third person pro
noun. The reason is merely that the
6 haven't the slightest idea o. who he Is
where he is. or what he looks like, The