The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-04-11

old devil was going to share that ten thousand"
 "Double-cross us?" asked Louie the Lady.
 You said it. Well, we'll double cross him. We'll do the job and I'll go and collect from Maud the Boss's pal-double the rake off"
 You speaking the tru h-for once?"
 Course I'm speaking the truth. Go and ask the Old Man, if you don't believe me. He'll wonder if the Gardener and the butler are going to inquire next"
 "P'raps I will Meantime, s'pose you just mention what you were doing in that girls room. If she comes into cash when she's 21, were you thinking of inheriting the lot as her fake husband?"
 My what a mind you've gotw 40l
 "Yes, Jimmy-how long have I had the benefit of your teaching? What were you doing in that room?"
 Did you ever hear of wise crook casting an eye on the lie of the land?"
 Or on the girl?" sneered Louie the Lady.
 Sister, cid I say you make me tired? Listen. Did you ever hear of a gunman learning the habits of the man he was going to bump off? Did you ever hear of a yegg- man going to have a look at the premises where they keep the safe he's going to blow? went into that girls room to see for myself where she keeps her drinks, and medicines and so on. Dyou think want to go snooping round in the night and have her wake up when knock something over?" You were talking to her"
 Course I was, when found her there. Hadn't I got to make it look natural?'
 Well, what's the gamer"
 "Oh, I'll weaken on it now, like the Boss. And you'll lose your half of $50,000 or more, for your clever ness Real yallyble partner you are!"
 When have I failed you? Haven't I done the vilest Were you going to ask me to help you, Jimmy?"
 Course I was. But now :" What is it you want me to do, Jimmy"
 Get hold of Manoels coffin drops, that stuff he reckons he's the only white man who has got the low down on. D'you know where he keeps it?"
 No, but can get anything ] want out of Manoel," boasted Nurse Jones.
 50? And you're jealous if I go into a girls room on business Whatll you tell Manoel you want i the poison for?"
 That it's for cat I want to get rid of"
 Gee! And so it isl" laughed MT James
 i When MT James as he regularly did, moved about the house in the night, or the small hours of the morning his silence and compar- ative invisibility were remarkable Black clothing, socks, gloves anc black silk handkerchief about his face rendered him but a more substantial shadow among the i'm. material shadows and the darknes of the ancient house.
 Armed and alert, he acted a though dangerous enemy nigh attempt entry-such as he wh' entered the House of MT. Webb o {, Witherby End-to slay and rot
 There had been, a year or tw ago, story about a maid whc going to bed quite sane, was dis covered later to be quite insane The silly creature could only bab ble of a black bogey in the cor ridor.
 | And now Mrs. Meekins, tn housekeeper, was telling MT. Boart \ the butler, that here was Ell
 Spragge, that pretty housemait l wanting to leave. I Her tale was that she crept or | of the room where she and tW 'I others slept and went down to tn 'l floor below to ask the nurse give her something for a ragin l; toothache.
 As she got to the bottom of tn | staircase, she saw, according her account, "an awful black thing pass the end of the corridor, an as she stood, trembling in terro another-a bigger one-went pa! the same spot. The next thing sh knew was that she was half-lyin ,l at the bottom of the stairs an I as cold as death. When she ha ,l "corne round a bit mOre" she ha