The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-11-04
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tered Q beltpuO0E DltooAA NAA0 Aa-Ab Larry's office in the federal build- ing. Larry was still in. He greet ed Bob warmly and invited him to have dinner with him.
 They ate at @ pleasant little res- taurant near the federal build ing, and there Bobby guilefully told Larry just enough about Mark Hop- kins' mystery trip to whet the federal mans interest. He did not tell him of having found the pecu- liar building in the hollow of Pu- laski road, but he told him enough to convince him that he was on the trail of something.
 That's flne,' said Larry. "As soon as you get anything definite, let me know so I can get some of our men working on it. You see, Bobby-all I want from you is just hint; no more than that. We can run it down. If our suspicious are correct, running the thing down may be rather dangerous and I don't want you to run any risk of getting hurt. Will you promise me to call me as soon as you have any, thing we can work on2"
 He looked at Bobby with his keen gray eyes and Bobby solemnly promised. He felt trifle guilty about concealing his knowledge; but he was determined to yindicate himself in the elder mans estima- tion for his lamentable flyer in stolen bonds; and, besides,. he rather enjoyed the thrill of anna teur detective work.
 Their food was served and they began to eat. Larry carved of 8 bite of steak and ate it thought fully; then he laid down his fork and knife and leaned forward con- fidentially.
 I'm going to tell you something that you're not really. entitled to know about" he said. T wouldn't do it, except that it concerns Jean"
 Bobby looked up, startled.
 We raided the apartment your friends the Lewises were occupy ing" said Larry. They'd got out before we got there, but we did get plenty of flngerprints. To-day I got the identifications back from Washington, and I want you to know about them.
 "To begin with, your friend LewiS-the man who so kindly put that bond deal in your way-is a known criminal. He used to be 8 confidence man, out west-special- ized in selling bogus oil and gold stocks, and did time in Colorado for swindling, some six or eight years ago. A year or so ago he fell in with the Red Jackson gang of bank robbers. Since then he's been one of Jackson's right-hand men. And this may interest you = it seems he specializes in disposing of the hot securities that the gang picks up in its travels"
 He looked at Bobby with a grim ly humorous expression. Bobby could only murmur, Good Lordr
 
 Larry went on, "But that isn't the most important part. It's this chap HarkinS I wanted to tell you about, because he's been seeing more or less of Jean, I guess. Lis ten.
 we got his prints out of that apartment, too. and sent them in And it develops that he's a gunman from Oklahoma. He did 8 term in the Oklahoma pen for robbery a few years ago. Came out on parole last summer, and is believed to have joined the Jackson gang shortly thereafter. His association with Lewis. of course, proves that he joined it.
 "So that's who he is. You can see, now, can't you, why I hate to SC Jean even listing him among her casual acquamtances? Fortu- nately, he's no more than that. But even So-"
 I'm not so sure," said Bobby miserably. "The other night, after you left her place, she and I've had kind of a quarrel about him. She said she'd been seeing quite a lot of him. I'm" he paused, and grew red-'T'm afraid she's getting sort of infatuated with him. Larry looked worried.
 We can't have that" he said Damn it, Bobby, we've got to look out for that girl. We'll have tc warn her as soon as she gets back to Dover"
 Bobby stared unhappily at the ta- ble clock, remembering what hac happened to him the last time he he tried to warn Jean about Sandy.
 Maybe you'd better speak to hel about him." he said. You're older She'd be more apt to listen to you She'd just think I was being jeal- | ous."
 Larry nodded.
 'I'll tell her." he said grimly It'd be terrible if she let herself get entangled with a man like that When's she coming back to Dover?' Next week, I guess" said Bobby
 Well, there's breathing space, said Larry. Its a cinch Harkins won't be showing up around here for while yet. That outfit knows by this time that Dover is hot" He shook his head thoughtfully
 T ought to have warned her a: soon as I found out she'd been g witness for him." ne unused. Bobby looked up anxiously. How was that?" he asked. Larry told him how Jean had gone to the police station to give Sandy an alibi fol the Friday afternoon of the payroll holdup.
 Bobby wrinkled his forehead ir a desperate effort to remember.
 "Hey, waitl" he said. Some things screwy somewhere. If she got the afternoon of the day went in to see Montague Larry that twas a Thursday, not Fri day!"
 Thursday! Are you dead cer- tain?"
 Of coi,rse I am"