Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1932-06-22
Chapter 10
SUSPICIOUS HOSPITALITY

SUSPICIOUS HOSPITALITY
CoMEHow. to Nancy's relieved am
~ axement. another breathless day
had dragged thru its laggard hours
without bloodshed.
A faint whisper of cool wind rat
tied the dry palm leaves as the livid
sun dived unceremoniously beneath
the hard line of the horizon.
Ashwood, lounging indolently a dog
en- feet away, was watching the kale-
idoscopic play Of colors with an APP
sat bolt upright. gazing fixedly
across the mile-wide strech of rides
cent water toward the sand bordering
the nearest island to the east. He
rose, shrilled his peculiar whistle and
pointed across to where etched In
of sand. stood a solitary figure, wav-
Ing a white handkerchief.
Instantly, 1t seemed, a swift motor
boat, manned by a crew of three,
dashed out of the camouflaged dock
and a d across the channel. Lucci.
Mallory, Wilson and Martin emerged
from the house to stand lined up at
the porch rail, watching the speeding
boat In expectant silence. specializing
stranger In the lives of those on the
k~idnapers' island. The mahogany
boat coasted up to the opposite shore,
the three men leaped u on the
beach and, after a brief parley with
the newcomer, took him aboard and
returned with him to the boathouse.
As the lone man, surrounded by
the three guards, walked toward the
house Nancy became ware of an
intuitive certainty this was not a
casual wayfarer, but a messenger
from those Of the outside world who
were interested in her rescue. He
had been in the water, that much was
evident, for his clothes chung wetly
TO his muscular figure.
OF medium height, the set of his
shoulders and the of his
hips gave his slight figure a 1.-the
ness, a grace of modelling, which
would have gladdened the eye of an
artist. He was not hansome, for his
mouth was too large anG his jaw too
prominent. But his tanned face-a
little impudent, perhaps had q
carefree, reckless something In 1t
which gave him q distinction not to
be gained by mere good looks.
The girls heart gave a sudden
bound. She knew she had seen that
gray eyes, as they swept over the
row of people lining the rail, hesi-
tated briefly as they met her gaze,
then passed on. She knew, now. The
boy who had asked for a lift on the
Merrick road. Her flash of intuition
had. then, been right; he was in the
vanguard of the r%escuing party. II
could hardly be that he had failed to
recognize her. So she gazed straight
at him with an unmoved expression,
b~etraying not the slightest sign that
she had ever seen him before.
Greetings, greetings, my friend, :
came Ashwood's lazy voice. What Is
EnnnnYoihtn Tnw fh4a fTn1tuh4 Pal xytrff rbf
Jerry gazed at him with astonish-
ment Surely this harmless looking
cripple could not be a leader of a
band of kidnapping desperadoesl 1t
would be that battered. saturnine
person IN his right or the powerfully
built, bandaged fellow on the other
side of the girl. Yet as 500 as the
old-young man had spoken the guards
fell back to a discreet distance, where
they remained, watchful awaiting
further instructions.
Sorry to have butted in like this. I"
replied the flyer, dolefully. my boat
sank and left me all wet, so to
speak"
'Indeed?'' Ashwood's voice was
mildly satirical. "A boat, eh? I had
expected to hear you had come here
In search Of a telephone to summon
a tire repair crew.
sym not sure that / like your
OtAC ObNyCA fCA JCilH AGflbC dtCk1s
But since I'm already indebted to
you, I'll explain. / was padding my
boat along the inner passage behind
the chain of islands over there when
she sprang q leak. She was loaded
pretty heavily and sank like a stone.
| managed to swim ashore, but could
not save a thing except the clothes
| was in"
How unfortunate murmured the
cripple alphabetically. II am only
too glad, however, to offer you our
simple hospitality until this somewhat
odd but altogether delightful little
Homeopathy breaks up" He glanced
at the others with a sardonic CLEAN
of amusement. He clapped his hands,
after the Eastern custom, and a SER
want appeared. This Is a new guest
Alfred" explained Ashwood, easily.
Find him a n some dry
clothes. BY the way, 1t might be well
you viii presently observe, very In
formal in our dealings with one an
other, but we do not go about calling
each other Hey and You
Permit me, then, to introduce
myself as Walter Peabody, of New
York. bowed Jerry.
"A delightful name. I'm sure"
smiled Ashwood affably. May l in
troduce you to u guests? You will
know them, / trust, quite well before
you depart. This beautiful young lady
you may recognize. Miss Nancy Went
worth"
Jerry looked straight into Nancy's
brown eyes and bowed impersonally.
Ashwood's keen glance did not miss
q flicker of his expression, or of hers.
This somewhat careworn gentle
with small patches Of olive skin
beneath the white bandages, Mr.-er
Peabody, is one Of Chicago's civic
a monument to the industry
which made him both famous and
prosperous, who rejoices in the euph-
onious name of One-shot-Lucci.
Jerry permitted himself a start OF
surprise and an amazed glance at the
frowning One-shot. Then he turned
abruptly TO Ashwood, who appeared
to be thoroughly enjoying himself.