Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-11-02
CHAPTER AZ

f1
so SECURE had Tim felt from
;nterruption as he searched Adams
room. that he had not troubled to
lock the door. And in his alb
sorption he had heard no foot
steps in the corridor. His first in
timation Immediately preceded the
sound of the door handle turning.
Panic-driven, he thrust the let
ter in his coat pocket, turning
down the flap, and threw the pho
tograph frame back into the trunk.
It was from the open drawer Of
the dressing table that he turned
to face Adams as he entered the
room.
The mans face was working
with rage. He looked dangerous.
Neither spoke for few seconds.
$50 you thought you'd double
cross me-" said Adams at last.
"You little rat" He closed the
door behind him.
Tim found voice. Terrified as
he was, his brain was working
with furious activity. If he could
only get out Of the room! Ten
seconds start would be enough.
He affected a sickly smile.
"Well, it was worth trying. {.
You might have been bluffing all
the time. I sent the girls to
the cinema so as to have a free
hand"
II know you did. I saw 'em in
the High Street, and when they
told me what had happened, 1 sus-.
pected something fishy. That's
why I'm back so early"
1t was clear that for the mo-
ment Adams was placing some
restraint on himself. Tim saw he
did not yet know the letter had
been discovered. The advantage
was slight, but it must be pressed
home.
"Well, that's that. I sup
pose you were telling the truth.
I've been over everything, two or.
three times. >. If you nave got it
hidden here, you're smarter than
I'd given you credit for"
He must not show undue eager
ness to get away. mo hard
feelings,.I hope" he added.
Adams eyes fell on the open
trunk. He took a bunch of keys
from his pocket, and locked the
door behind him.
"Don't think you're going to get
away with it so easily, Kennedy"
he said. IT am not so sure I'm
not going to give you hiding for
this"
Tim saw that Adams, too, was
playing for time. He was unwill-
ing to reveal the fact that the let
ter was indeed in the room, pre-
Stunning Tim had not got hold of it.
And he did not want to call at
tention to the trunk.
proper mess you've made" he
said, advancing into the room. He
turned up the edge of the dis
ordered mattress and dropped it
again, then went to the dressing
tables and slammed the drawer
shut.
I'm sorry, Adams" said Tim
humbly. "But you can't blame me
for trying. The whole thing is a
washout; you might as well call it
square"
Adams made no reply. In the
course of his pretended tour of in
spection he came at last to the
trunk. The photograph was lying
on the top. He picked it up,
turned it over, and turned to Tim
with savage face.
$50 you've got it, you rat" he
exclaimed, advancing on Tim.
"Come on, hand it over"
Tim hacked against the wall.
Its no use attacking me-" he
said. II tore it up directly I
heard you in the corridor. :.
And I threw the pieces out Of the
window. You had better go
and look for them, but don't
think they'll be much use to you"
1t was his last effort, feeble
enough. It did not deceive Adams.
Through a closed window" he
said, grinly. mo, Kennedy, it
won't do. Have I got to take it
off you?"
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