The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-03-13

I kItSlftu Rfi NlNt llto0 " piofC
that !"
"Poofr That's animal courage.
/ was referring to moral courage"
Elmer saw he was outnumbered
and outmaneuvered and II he would
escape humiliation. he must with
draw from the fight forthwith.
THAT sort of talk will never get
you anywhere with me-" he warned
her. I'm quite capable of attend
ing to my business"
you've certainly been misman-
aging 1t lately. Without my vol
unteerIhelp you would be absorb
ing a thousand doiiar Loss right
now. and with that little gold Dig
ger on your hands you'd be oper-
ating in red ink before the first Of
the year
"Who told you she was a gold
digger
you did"
II didn't"
mot in so many words. But you
stopped payment on your check.
which is an admission that you sus-
pect n is a gold digger.
well. that's my business. and |
don't see any necessity for arguing
the matter with you. It's a closed
chapter"
my word, you're an optimist.
What caused you to stop payment
on your check?"
That's some more of my bust
ness"
You're so immersed In your bust
ness you haven't had the decency
to thank me for saving you a thou
sand dollars and possible %entangle-
ment with an adventures. Elmer.
In addition to being a little bit COW
ardly I'm afraid you're a little bit
unmannerly and a little bit IN
grateful"
"Nellie," he said huskily, I'm
guilty on all three counts. I'm ter
ribly sorry. Ordinarily | wouldn't
that Is, I Couldn't mean to you
you're so fine I-I-Nellie, I'm not
very happy and | want to go away
and forget 1t. I'm ashamed to look
you in the eye"
Il understand thoroughly, Elmer.
Well, you're forgiven everything
all except running away like a tin
canned dog. Really. you act as if
you are horribly afraid Of some
thing"
81 am, but | can't discuss It
over the telephone. Tell you what
I'll do, Nellie. I'll delay my de
parture and you come to dinner
with me tonight"
"Pd love to. Elmer. but not to-
night. But I can go with you to.
morrow night. Pm too busy to see
you before then"
Reluctantly Elmer agreed to her
counter proposal and Nellie, hugely
satisfied with herself, hung up and
returned to the bank, where she
wrote the following letter to J.
Fitzgerald, acting captain of de-
t~ectives, Los Angeles police depart
ment:
Dear Captain Fitzgerald:
with reference to the matter we
discussed over long-distance tele-
phone, when | told you that a check
in favor Of Doris Gatewood had
been received at this bank and vas
being returned with the notation
Signature of indorser irregular:
You will be glad to know that
your action In conforming to my re-
quest and mailing anonymously to
Mr.. Clarke the police records and
rogues' gallery photographs of Col
orado Charley has borne rich fruit.
Within a few minutes after its re-
ceipt Mr.. Clarke called at the bank
and ordered payment stopped ON
the check. He was much disturbed.
Shortly thereafter he purchased
two thousand dollars worth of
travellers checks here, so | realized
he was about to leave the state.
Immediately I made it my bust
to call him up and ascertain
without letting him know | was
pumping him, that he is frightened
and panicky. Evidently he has
compromised himself. probably in
writing, and now fears reprisals
from the outraged and disappoint-
ed lady in the shape of a suit for
breach of promise. My personal
opinion is, however, that now they
his suspicious are aroused,
they will endeavor to extract as
large a cash settlement as possible,
guaranteeing no publicity In return.
Of course we must protect him by
catching them in the act of levying
blackmail, and if Mr.. Clarke fed
the state we couldn't do that, could
we? So | have managed to delay his
departure forty-eight hours.
This letter will reach you via
the same train that carries Mr..
rejected check back to the
Los Angeles bank. In fact, 1t will
reach you earlier than that, because
am sending 1t special delivery. I'M
nediately upon receipt Of it, please
arrange to have the movements of
his %unsavory couple watched and
to me by telephone.
"Yours truly,