The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-11-19
CHAPTER w

Arrived at the little bungalow she oc-
cuped In st. Francis Wood, Lanny put
her car In the garage. entered her
home. and sat down to read Nance
Belden's letter. And when she failed
to find 1t she did some of the logical
thinking OF which she was so eminent
ly capable In situations where her
emotions were not being preyed upon.
Good work. she decided finally.
THAT girl l picked up on the road to
Greenbrae stole It out of my handbag
when got out to look at the fiat tire
She must have visited Nance before /
got there. She was a flashy sort of
damsel, too, now that l think of It.
An underworld huzzy. doubtless doubt
less, too, known to the police. So
Nance had no opportunity to slip her
the letter. The matron watched too
closely. Nance feared that would be
the case, SO she had an alternative
plan. What shrewd Judge OF human
nature that girl Is She knew she
could work on me, and oh, what fool
| was to permit 1t Why, I'm as law
less as she Is, only I'm a responsible
member Of society and she isn't. Nance
knew I wouldn't fall to visit her; so
she described me to her confederate,
who spotted me when I drove up to the
main gate and parked my cara
when the confederate saw me com.
ing back she drove a nall about an
inch into my rear tire-slmple as two
and two are four. The nail was driven
all the way In and the air was out
before we'd gone mile. Oh. dear,
dear, dear, what a simpleton | AMI
suppose | ought to do something about
this, but then II do. how can l ex-
plain my conduct to the prison Off
cials?"
She realized thoroughly now the ex-
tent to which she had been an acces
sorry before the act. What act, she
wondered. Well, she would have to
keep the details of this adventure to
herself. Even Stephen Burt could not
share her confidence In this, for Lanny
was justly proud OF her intelligence
and integrity and loathed the thought
that suspicion OF either might obtain
In the mind of her beloved Stevie. She
feared, should he learn of her ndven-
ture, that he would never quite trust
her again. And that would be unbear-
able.
That sly minx-telling her she could
read the letter before mailing 1t; that
Ii she did not approve Of Its contents
she was free to destroy 1t. That WAS
the point upon which the susceptible
Lanny had impaled herself.
well, 1t can't be anything SO very
important" she decided finally. ut
couldn't be part of a plan to escape
because escape from that place Is I'M
possible Besides, no woman convict
has ever succeeded In escaping from
San Quentin. In all probability 1t was
just a private message to one OF her
old underworld friends. That girl is
too intelligent to dream Of formulating
plans for escape. Why, she couldn't
get out Of the front gate She'd have
to swim the bay to escape, even Ii she
succeeded In getting through the exit
from the womans quarters and past
that suspicious guard In the little
house there"
So Lanny made herself a highball
and resolved to dismiss all thought OF
the incident. She also resolved to give
Nance Belden a piece of her mind II
and when she decided to visit her
again. And she was not at all certain
she would make Nance another visit.
Two weeks later, while she was sit
ting before the hre, reading, her tele-
phone rang and mans voice said:
is this Miss Rebecca Lanning?'
Yes. Who Is this?'
Never mind. You wouldn't know
me II told you who l am. I'm
friend OF Nance Belden's."
"Oh, indeed" Ironically. And who
might Nance Belden be-"
Lanny was nobody's fool On the
instant every sense was alert, for II
this was trap set by the authorities,
who, in some mysterious way, had got
ten wind Of her escape, she was re-
solved not to walk into 1t.
Are you going to be at home for
an hour, Miss Lanning?' the voice pur-
sued. II was pleasant enough voice,
Lanny reflected.
Il am, but what business is that Of
yours?"
"Oh, we'll. II you're going to be such
a cutup," the voice rejolned, I'll not
bother to argue with you over the
nhone. III come out. Good-by."
| He hung up, leaving Lanny In state
OF acute mental perturbation, which
| did not subside until she heard her
| doorbell ringing some ten minutes
later. II subsidized then. Her courage
always mounted when there was an
| Immediate situation to face. Nance