The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-06-05
CHAPTER X-Continued

AATtAi'A u uLh DdS Uttu SlOtCu YOU
think that must be the one you
checked"
We'll. il seems kind Of queer. her
going OF TO New York like that with
out letting you know anything about
it You said you'd lost some money,
didn't you? She's got that too, if you
ask me. She certainly talke, as if
she had plenty. She told me she was
taking her vacation late so that the
big burg would be running full time
when she got there"
Involuntarily Rhoda started at that
Babe had been talking about that sort
of vacation ever since she and RhOda
had begun living together. She'd used
that very phrase Max coulGu't have
made ii up. He had met Babe ar the
station then and she had made him
think she was going to New York.
Why? Why had she gone to the sta
ton? Why, for that matter. had Max
gone there himself? dad he meant
TO 20 to New York on that train?
With her three hundred dollars and
her trunk?
Well. how about Claire? Where did
she come in? Or didn't she come in?
Had be ditched Claire, or 1ied to-?
Was that what the telephone message
had been about? Never mind that
now. Whatever Max had tried TO do
he'd failed. Rhoda remembered how
he'd looked when he CAME into the
room.
4 wish you'd tell me-" she said,
looking at him in as childlike a man
ner as she could manage, what the
terrible thing was that Babe did 10
you"
Meyer mind about that 20 he growIed
at her Get off it It's no business
of yours. You've got enough to worry
about with what she did to you"
II don't think she told him cheer
fully. that I've anything to worry
about at all I think she's got my
trunk back. You see was talking to
her on the telephone just now. when
you came in here"
This proved one dart too many and
he came for her; not blindly, either.
He seized her arm with a wrench that
made her want to cry out, and jerked
her TO her feet.
"Get out of hereI" he said. "Tll
make ii worth your while to talk to
me some other time, if you get out
now before my uncle finds you here"
For an instant she stared up at him
blankly the realization breaking over
her that he didn't know she'd already
seen his uncle: that he thOCght she
was voluntarily waiting for him. "AIl
right" she said. I'll go But you'll
have TO show me the way out"
He didn't altogether release her. but
his grip on her arm relaxed as he
started leading her TOWARD the door
she had come in by. Half way TO il
they were halted by Conlpy's voice.
He had come in by one Of the smaller
doors.
COnley came up to them briskly
LET the girl alone" he continued.
''She's no affair of yours. Mr.. Forster
wants her TO wait here"
Now Max die LET 60 her arm. but ii
wasn't in obedience to ConIey's order.
10y VII H. uC csllh- lpu dEbH III
on this. This young lady's friend of
mine and now she's talked to me she
doesn't want TO see G. J."
Conley agreed with grin. st guess
she doesn't But she don't leave this
room until the boss comes back"
CHANGING up at Max. Rhoda could
see that that word. back" troubled
him. though he hadn't yet made out
the implication in it.
RhOda started for the door, and she
kept on going, though Conley barked
at her. Come back here. your" She
was aware that Max interposed to
check Conley's rush for her. The last
thing she heard before she closed the
door after her was the thud of a heavy
blow, and she inferred from the fact
that she wasn't Immediately pursued
and dragged back, that the recipient
of il must have been Conley.
She walked-it seemed safer some
how than breaking into a rundown
the broad corridor and around the cor
ner, retracing her way in, although il
was a stairway she hoped TO find
rather than the elevator. However. by
almost unbelievable good luck. she
found the elevator there waiting for
her, with both its own door and the
oute- guard gate standing wide open.
There was no attendant there. IT
was one of those myster rus little ele-
vatOrs you were supposed TO run your.
self She swiftly scrurinized the little
row OF push buttons. and pressed the
one marked Down" There was a
faint protesting buzz. but nothing
happened. In less desperate haste she
might have reflected that an auto
matte elevator which could descend its
shaft while its guard gate stood open
would be veritable death-trap. but
on the verge of panic as she was, she
couldn't think at all
Then she heard a door open some
where and stepped back into the cor
ridor. poised for flight but not knowing
which way TO fee. a big. booming
she consciously recognized 1t or took
any meaning from what it said, all but
paralyzed her with childish terror.
-. Very well. But [ warn you.
you are making a serious mistake
shall find her in spite Of you, and If
necessary, in spite of herself She is
minor and l am her guardian-in
effect, at any rate. Her interests are
In my hands and | shall protect them.
1t was six years since she had heard
those heavy menacing tones 1t was
her unel.. William Rovce-the OGRE