Evening star., 1934-11-14
CHAPTER XXXIV.
CLEVER FOE.

V heart. She heard the purr Of
4 i a motor, caught the flash OF
headlights on the windows
and, turning over, nestled her head
into the pillow and feigned sleep.
Lon was moodily silent the next
morning. He kissed her lightly and
went of to work with scarcely word.
Marian did not 60 to the hilltop. but
she didn't need to see the car she
heard coming to know to whom it be-
longed. Only one car had such an
asthmatic cough, Walks.
"Missa Casad say come up fix him
garden" Waki explained. ALA same
come after say not come ALA same say
come. I here"
Marian gave an unnecessarily bril-
liant smile in response. Interpreted,
Walks message meant that last night
Lon had driven down to do as she
asked and she was free of the Hondon
gardener.
ALA same come in postman,' Waki
was saying, working meanwhile to ex-
tract letter from the inside of his
sweater. Come me like you say. See
Missa o. K. Waki.'
Marian nearly Snatched the enve-
lope from his hand. The letter, re-
iayed through the only person she
could trust was from John King, her
detective friend. Perhaps in this was
the evidence she needed to convince
Lon of McSwain's part in her Sacra-
mento trip.
She dispatched Waki to look over
the grounds and see what was needed
to beautify them, while she hurried
into the house.
Two pages of closely typed words
confronted her:
Dear Marian: Sorry to send you
this report, but it is the best could
do. I'm afraid McSwain is too clever
a man for a girl like you to fight
single-handed. I'd advise you to talk
to your father as soon as possible.
Nov about the kilograms. started
here, learning the telegram had actu-
ally been sent from Sacramento. The
wording follows: To Lionel Casad,
Construction Office, East Brazos High
School: Lon, dear, please go to safety
deposit box, find letter written by Cliff
to Silver Hondon stop address and
mail to me Congressional Hotel, Sac
ramento stop send airmail special de-
livery stop vitality urgent. Marian.
Marian leaned back in the chair.
Clever, how clever. OF course, Nc
Swain, knowing it was coming and
having arranged to have Lon leave his
car at home for her to use in leaving
town, was ready to take him to the
bank. She was willing to wager that
he had also accompanied Lon to the
vault and ascertained not only that he
had found the right letter, but that
he did not have time to read it.
McSwain had risked nothing. He
was able to gauge Ions lack of knowl-
edge of the letter by his attitude to-
from respectful admiration.
She turned back to the report:
my operative in Sacramento checked
with the telegraph Office there, learned
that messenger 205 had brought it in
and talked to the boy. He said he was
hailed from an automobile at the curb.
A lady with red hair and dressed in a
tan and white sports suit gave him
the typewriter message and sub
stantial tip. Said the car was black
with silver v hood trim and that there
was police dog in the car.
Again Marian laid the letter aside
She had worn tan and white sports
suit. Ions car had a silver v hood.
1t was easy enough to duplicate the
colors of sports suit, easy enough to
duplicate the silver v on the hood and
easy enough to find police dog, but
how clever. They could have sent
this message without the trouble Of
the masquerade, but. by producing
her double, they made proof that she
did not send it impossible.
She read on:
IT checked the first message The
relay mentioned to the operator who
talked to you was included in the
message. 1t came from pay station
at the main stage depot. I checked
two other calls from that same depot
into the city. They were received at
this end at pay station in the Union
Depot.
so there you are and where are
you?
You spoke of paying me as soon as
you were in touch with your father.
Forget it. You've given me enough
free publicity in the past to more than
pay for this. Besides, I'm interested,
and with your permission I'll watch
this end. I'll communicate with you