Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-02-14

the desperate tuUlSS nAaA"SA a
capable Of doingI He has kidnapped
both Pat and Jimmy once. and now
oh, dearl" She wrung her hands
with a quick, spasmodic little twist
that made the knuckles crack.
Cant something be done TO that
old wretch? Can't he be arrested
for abduction or-or something?"
Before anyone could offer any
solution to the problem Of SUPPRESS
ing Maxwell's pernicious activities
a knock on the door announced the
arrival Of Madame Leclerc.
There was a look in the woman's
great dark eyes as she dropped
YEARLY into the chair DR.. Gordon
pushed forward that told not only
OF a desperate anxiety. but was ac-
tually foreboding in Its effect.
Again Pat felt q surge Of sympathy
well up in her heart for this Aus
tria ex-spy, whose deep love for
her husband had brought her three
thousand miles on a mission that
seemed so utterly futile to one
knowing Herbert Maxwell. What
reason could Madame Leclerc have
for thinking she could persuade
that ruthless traitor to his own
land. a man totally devoid OF hui
man feeling. to help her in a mat
ter where his own personal liberty
was periled? It was folly to hope
for anything from him, Pat told
herself in her swift inventory OF
the woman's tragic looks and pros
poets. Her momentary muSing was
interrupted by the voice OF Rex
ballard as he addressed the late
conner.
"You said the chambermaid at
the apartment house told you that
young Bouchard had not been in
his room since early last nigh"
Rex began, getting to his point
without any circumlocution. "How
could she be sure Of that? Does
she know he's connected with Max
well, who you said, lives at the
same placer
That's how she happened 70
know Jean wasn't in his room last
night" said Madame Leclerc. try
ing to answer the three questions
at once. Maxwell had asked her
to throw the few things on jeans
dresser and in the drawers into
his bag and bring the bag to him
that they were leaving Immediately
for California. He told her that Jean
had stayed with a friend the night
before and would meet him at the
stationl / called up the manager
Of the apartment house right after
talk with you and he verified
the maids statement: said the
Maxwell party as he called them.
had left this morning without a
moments notice. being called 70
California on urgent business. rs
a lie on MaXwelTs part. OF course!'
snapped the woman al the finish.
an angry light burning in her black
eyes.
1T certainly puts a new kirk In
the skein OF affairs, there's no
question about thatl" averred Rex,
with a grim tightening o. the lips.
He seemed to ponder the matter
for a brief moment. Then he shot
a keen glance at Madame Leclerc.
HAS Il occurred to you. Madame?"
he queried cautiously, that there
might be a possibility OF young
Eouchard being hooked up in an
other conspiracy with MAXWELL"
She glanced up quickly, a tribe
startled, apparently AZ the question.
do you mean he may be double
crossing us-that he's working IN
MaXwell'S and not our interests?'
she asked.
I'm not saying that he is: I'm
only asking If 1t has occurred to
YOU that there is a possibility OF
such a co~nspiracy?" answered Rex.
"No. for I'm sure there isn'tl'
replied Madame Leclerc with an
emphasis. there was no mistaking.
I'm certain that jeans failure TO
meet me today is not owing to any
connivance on his part with Her
bert Maxwell. He was either held
I'D in the taxi after leaving me, and
killed, and his body secreted some
where, or else he's been kidnapped
by some OF Mays hirelings 70 keep
him from aiding Miss Blairl With
Jean out Of the way and the securi-
ties hidden where only Maxwell
can get at them, what can she do?
He's got the money, and possession
YOU know, is always nine points OF
the law. She a do nothing. es-
pecially now that he, too, has disap-
peared. Can she?"
II was a question that none
among them, including the lawyer,
seemed able to answer
1T strikes me-" said Or. Gordon.
after a moments silence following
the woman's unanswerable question,
that affairs have reached a sort
of climax state where the police
ought to be notified. I don't sup
pose we could have Maxwell arrest
ed. even II we could find him. on a
charge OF abduction, but we can
report the strange disappearance
OF young Boucharc and tell the
police our reasons for s%uSpecting
foul plavl And I think. too. that
Pat ought to hire a couple of de-