Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-07-09

Fernack argued. but vascoe was OBJ
stinate.
OF all the persons concerned, Simon
Templar was probably the most I'M
troubled. For two days he peacefully
followed the trivial rounds of his nor
NAL laW-abiding life, and the plain
clothes men whom Fernack had set
to watch him, in spite OF his instruc-
tons, grew bored with their vigil.
At about 2 O'Clock in the morning of
the third day, his telephone rang.
This is Miss Vascoe's chauffeur
sir" said the caller. "She couldn't reach
a telephone herself, so she asked me to
speak TO you. She said that she must
see you"
Simon's blood ran shade faster
he had been half expecting such call.
when and where2" he asked criSply.
eff you can be at the second traffic
light going north In Central Park in
an hours time, sir-sheu get there as
soon as she has q chance to slip away"
"TeIl her I'll be there" said the Saint
He hung up the instrument and
looked out of the window. On the OPP
posite pavement, man paced YEARLY
up and down, as he had done for two
nights before, wondering why he should
have been chosen for a Job that kept
him out Of bed to SO little purpose.
But on this particular night the mo-
notony of the sleuth'S existence was
destined to be relieved. He followed
his quarry on q brief walk which led
to SD street, and into one Of the many
night haunts which crowd a certain
section of the fevered thoroughfare,
where the Saint was promptly ushered
to a favored table by q beaming head
waiter. The sleuth, being an unknown,
and Improbable looking stranger, was
ungraciously hustled into an obscure
corner.
The Saint slipped drink and watched
the late floor show for q few minutes,
and then got up and satntered back
through the darkened room toward the
exit. The sleuth, noting with q prac-
ticed eye that he had still left three
quarters Of his drink and a fresh pack
ct of cigarets on the table, and that
he had neither asked for nor paid a
check, made the obvious deduction and
waited without anxiety for his return.
After q quarter Of an hour he be-
gan to have faint doubts OF his wisdom;
after half an hour he began to sweat;
and In As minutes he was in q panic.
The lavatory attendant didn't remem-
Der noticing the Saint, and certainly
he wasn't In sight when the detective !
arrived. The doOrman was quite GER |
tain that he had gone out nearly an
1our ago, because he had left him two |
dollars to pay the waiter.
An angry and somewhat uncomfort- |
able sleuth went back to the Saints adj
ireSs and waited for some time in I
agony before the object Of his atten-
ion came home. AS soon as he was /
-elieved at o'clock, he teIephoned /
headquarters to report the tragedy, but [
~ then 1t Was too late.
Inspector Fernack's eyes swept very
corchingly over the company that had
collected in Vascoe's drawing room. 1t
consisted Of Elliot Vsscoe himself,
Aeryl, the Earl OF Eastridge, an as
Of servants, and the night
-uard from Ingerbeck's.
Il might have known what to ex-
,ect," he complained savagely. you
wouldn't help me TO prevent anything
Ike this happening, but after it's hap
'ened you expect me to clean up the
ness. It'd serve you right IL told you
0 let your precious Ingerbeck do the
leaning up. II the Saint was here
low
he broke off. with his Jaw dropping
nd his eyes rounding into Redeemed
uttons of Inbelieving wrath.
The Saint was there. He was drift
1g through the door like q pirate en-
ering captured city, with an impot-
ntly protesting butler fluttering be-
ind him like q flugtered vulture-l
auntering coolly in with cigaret be-