The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-06-29

rouidn | search llle priests room this morning myself. was still, i sonrllYw ii she paused. and her breath caught a little as she admit. ted '';lrraid = afraid = you had l.warned me too well.s But was just going b tell you. in the White Sa Ion. you know when =" She stopped completely there. .ssfy :t
 So that was why the priest was murdered. He. had had the token, and someone knew he had It and murdered him, A small incident in the lust for that waiting gold.
 This left three possibilities -that is. if we granted that the priest had stolen the token. and l thought l was safe in doing that-first. the murderer had taken 1t from the priest. and it was in his possession.
 Second. 1t had been on the body of the priest. andsthe police noy had 1t: this thought was highly i'm probable, as the murderer had had hours after the priests death to search the body, unobserved, Par. enthetically l..thought of the hide ousIy uneasy nightlhad passed try, ing to sleep in that death-haunted wing. ,4 e .s s,..
 The third possibility was that the priest had hidden the token sue cessfully or had, passed it imme- diately to a possible accomplice: this last was, also unlikely.
 Do you want to tell me what 1t is? asked rather difidently. s
 You mean you want to try to find it again for me?"
 She considered this grayely.
 ITS rathe- dangerous knowl- ! edge" she sa,a at last. And l must be able to tell Francis that ] have kept it a complete secret. That. of course, is the pressing thing. didn't intend to ask you to find 1t for me. think that's rather a hopeless task now. 4 And besides Fl have already placed you in too much danger. The thing 1 wanted to talk to you about is what to do now. What to tell Francis. Oh. it's-it's so dreadful. ly ironieal. If he'd only. got here one day sooner. He's waiting now, I suppose. He hinted that when we returned from interviewing tho DO lice we would go. into what he called he-'formalities.' He means. of course. the token"
 It was true that that was the urgent and immediate thing. How to. meet Francis inquiries at that moment. To. tell him lamely that the thing had been stolen but that we were searching for 1t would be to convince Francis once and for all that Sue was only another impostor, If "You'll have to bluR your brother Get the papers from Lovschiem: make him hand them over; give those to your brother to. digest. Then refuse to show your own token until he shows you his-I gather they are identical? The chances are he will be reluctant to show his. He'n be afraid It is a trap. However, you'll hold out; you'll say yon also are, afraid of a trap--or rather you'll indicate 1t tactfully. Don't hesitate for an instant. Be firm and cool and sure of yourself"
 "Yes. can do that" said Sue. |
 And it was true; she could-pc one better. .sN ,s"But suppose-suppose he be. lieves me-suppose he is ready to match his token with mine. Sup pose" she said with a ghost of a smile which did not lighten the tense look in her eyes and the. tapl line around her mouth. suppose he calls my bluff." K
 He won:t." I said with more con, hdence than l felt. Hell want to think about 1t awhile-talk 1t over with Lorn. And in the meantime perhaps"
 Her eyes quickened. and she grasped at the hint that had not intended to convey.
 "Do you mean" she whispered -"that you-that perhaps-that you know something-are on the trail of"
 "No. mo-" I said at once. I've only faint notion. Don't bank on it. Don't hope for anything. mean 1t, I'm counting on Lorn and ,Lorp only. Unless the Paris detectivesget here frst."r
 It had not convinced her. could see by. the eager, questioning look in her eyes that 1t had not. felt vaguely embarrassed. for pretend ed to no ability as a detective.
 Still. two and two make four. by whenever added. It was the uncer. tainty of the digits that:troubled me. fCopyrioht, 1888. ~Mi0nos o. ECerhnrtJ