The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-03-29
CHAPTER III-Continued

s.
1t was his first opportunity to see
a man with a price on his head.
Death had revealed with marked
emphasis the unsocial qualities with
which Red Chaplin had been lowered.
What he had tried during life to hide
was now plain for all the world to
.See-the loose mouth, the short crani-
UNI, the thrust-forward jaw. Junior
shuddered little.
"What do you suppose he wanted the
job of looking after an empty house
for?"
ITS my belief he was hiding" said
the policeman from Kingston. 'Ive
checked up on him pretty well. He
kept himself to himself in Kingston.
He received no callers or mail. His
landlady says he was suspicious of
strangers Red was always one to fire.
quent pool rooms and places like that;
hut this trip he kept away from them.
Why? He knew they was after him."
"Who?" Junior asked eagerly. for
getting that he was listening open
eyed to policeman ignorant of psy
chology.
"The man that bumped him off. We
shan't probably ever know who. We've
got Red, and somebody else'll pick up
his pals when their time comes"
The policeman pointed to the dead
mans big, roughened hand.
"That's the hand that squeezed the
life out of Salt Lake City detective.
Strangled him in a telephone booth, he
did, and not a soul near BY heard it,
That's the nsRfd rfs7isf slfIos half d dsJzen
men. Look at tlfaf face, Mr.. Handy,
and, when you see another like 1t.
watch out |"
81 WILL" Junior said quickly.
He envied the professional his poise
at a moment like this So occupied
was he with this intimate touch OF
crime that he did not notice until the
car slowed down to pass Armenia that
he had again missed the Gray house.
"Wow!" he said, a mile or so further
on, ''you missed that truck by little
less than an inch!"
"Yol exaggerate." replied his father.
1T wasn't half an inch. I'm in a
hurry to get home. Bill Pelham may
have news"
They did not speak again for some
time. Then Handy surprised his son
by asking questions concerning Leslie
Barron, the youth to whom Celia gave
a good deal of her time.
lies is peach" said Junior warm
ly. IF | were he, l wouldn't stand
the way Celia behaves. One day she's
sugar and the next vinegar"
'I've seen that Handy returned.
That's not unusual. did not mean
that. Is he courageous? Would he be
a useful man In tight place"
"You ought to have seen the scrap
waiter that tried to put him out of
roadhouse last April The waiter was
an old heavyweight pugilist. and he
certainly could punish. Les knew he
was outweighed and outclassed, and
he had chance to duck; but he isn't
that sort of a mothers boy. He was
out for twenty minutes"
"That's interesting" his father COM
mented. 81 didn't think the languid
Les had fight in him; but you don't
expect me to approve of rowdy boy
being thrown out Of questionable
roadhouse, ] hope?"
at wasn't a questionable place."
Junior retorted. you've taken mother
there. Les isn't rowdy-he's just fas-
tidious. He complained of big fly in
his coffee. That reused the waiter
to fury. and he said that Les could
drink it or not, but he had to pay"
Junior wondered why his father
should ask about Leslies gameness.
Mr.. Handy was in an unusually
thoughtful mood.
You're pretty husky" he said pres
emily. "What do you weight"
"a hundred and seventy stripped"
Junior told him.
my weight TO a hair. Les isn't so
much, is he?"
"He and Bill weigh hundred and
ffty-fve stripped. Why? Going to
promote some boxing exhibitions?"
Nothing like that"
"What's on your mind, dad?"
Sherlock Lupin, it would take more
than your admitted skill to find out,
because don't know myself. l apollo.
gize for it. For the first time, the
Gray house gave me SILVER as
passed it. This murder was the cause
| don't revel in crime. l hate it. !
like people to be happy and harmoni-
Gus. Something inside me leads me