The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-07-22
Chapter Eight
Squeeze Play


Chapter Eight
Squeeze Play
1XfHEN | admitted that was ac-
w quainted with Miss South, !"
continued Dorothy, she said, you'd
Introduce me to her If wanted you
20, wouldn't your ] appeared to
think this over. And finally told
him I wasn't sure. said that all
though | only knew her slightly.
Miss South was by way Of being q
friend of mine and he must re-
member that, after all. ] didn't
know thing about him. Because,
] said, for all / know, you might be
a wolf IN Sleeps clothing. So,
Chiseler. I said to this young gen.
fleman, surely you can understand
why I'd hesitate in the circum-
stances?"
"Very well done, Dorothy" APP
proved the Chiseler.
well, he said Of course he un-
derstood that. And he was willing
70 put all his cards on the table. So
he told me his nameswas Van Ryp
per Hardness.
The Chiseler interrupted with a
long drawn out whistle. Van
Ripper Hardness. How fortunate.
] know something Of the family.
Exceedingly old and exceedingly
Just said Dorothy. what !
was telling Beautiful here before
you came. Well, Hardness said that
If ] cared to check up on his state
ments, he could give me all kinds
of references. told him his word
was okay with me. All ! was inter-
ested in was why he wanted to
know Miss South. And he told me
that he wasn't exactly at liberty
20 say except that ne and some
other fellows had bet they could
call up some girls picked at ran
dom from the phone book and date
them. He said he'd picked Miss
South's name Just by accident"
The Chiseler, deep in thought.
caressed his forehead.
at sounds fishy," he said finally.
Dorothy nodded. 81 was srS-
picious myself at first. But I've got
over it. There isn't anything deep
about this Hardness guy. He's just
one of the idle rich and rich guys
do a lot of funny things just for
something TO keep them busy. At
any rate, decided at the time that,
since nobody has anything on me,
] had everything to gain and MOTH
ing 70 lose by playing ball with
this young gent. So told him my
name was Claire Carter-that was
Just an offhand inspiration-and
that If he'd care to meet me in the
Plaza the next day, ! might be able
70 tell him what Miss South
thought aboutsletting him be intro
duced to her. ] was still cagey.1
seer"
'very neatly thought out.
Dorothy" said the Chiseler.
Thanks a million, big boy. OF
course. it was a stall. but it gave
me. time to sleep on it. And came
to the conclusion that there wasn't
any harm in splitting 1t to Hark-
ness that the damsel he'd scooped
up off the sidewalks of New York
was not Claire Garter, but Just
little Dorothy South who. by his
own statement. he had a yen to be
knocked down to.
$500, the next day ] waltzed
over to the Plaza. Mr.. Hardness
was In the lobby and | let him have
IL right between the eyes. told
him who i was and said I'd Just
been kidding the day before to
find out how he licked. Was he
surprised, dazed and amazed or
was he? You ought to have seen
him.
various Knickknacks'
A FTER that, it was smooth sail
"A ing. And to close a long story.
he's asked me to 60 some place
with him thrae weeks from Satur-
day night. don't know what kind
Of aFacket it's going to be. He was
sort Of cagey about that. Said the
terms q the bet he and these other
guys made wouldn't let him di-
vlilge where it was to be pulled
of. But could take his word that
- MR&tN VC G-oWGn party ANU
from d couple of little things he
let drop without meaning to-; III
gathered the brawl was some
where in the country. Anyhow, il
the undersigned doesn't iostle
amidst the monied classes that
night I'll eat your black Homburg
hat IN Tiffany's window. Well,
Chiseler, that's the dope. Where
do we 30 from here7s
The Chiseler smiled benignly.
I'VE 60" be said, society If this
affair. he added thoughtfnlly, els
the kind that is usually given by
the smart set, there may be quite
little iewelry in evidence. If, for
example. it's held at the Hardness
home. there might be spoons and
eandlesticks and = er - various
other knickknacks. II we have any
kind Of luck at all. wen probably
stumble across wall-Safe we'll
hlled. wei hope"
Ape Coletti grinned.
"Chiseler," he said, ayou took
De woids outa me mouth
The Chiseier rubbed his hands.
AS see IL ha eaif3 tsal,n ~