The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-07-10
Al Blonde
For Bait
BY ROB EDEN
CHAPTER TwENTY-oNE

AH1aA A " L.
At regular intervals, Sunday
morning, Ellen Anvers dialed Ma
jor Barringer's telephone. hoping
she would have an opportunity for
short talk. at least. before her
riding date with Karl Vorhis.
But her only reward was to hear
the dial tone in her ear as the
bell rang and rang and went un-
answered.
Late in the afternoon, after re-
turning from her outing with Karl.
she tried again with no more
success
When half a dozen further at
tempts failed, she remembered
Duncan Filestone, head of the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation, and
found his number in the book
a Los Angeles number.
After some delay. a womans
voice informed her that Mr.. File
stone was out of the city-in fact,
he had been called to Washington
quite suddenly.
Vital to Case
Her nervousness increased as
the hours went by, and there was
no one to whom she could turn
with the information she believed
might be very vital to the case.
She was so upset, that she slept
but little that night. and without
waiting for Rayburn to pick her
up the following morning. left by
bus and stopped off at Barrin-
gers.
Her ring, finally brought his
his servant to the door.
Major Barringer flew to WASH
ington Saturday morning." he told
the girl. Quite suddenly. I be-
lieve. He didn't know when he
would be back, and said l might
take the weekend off,"
Burden No Lighter
Which explained why she had
been unable to get an answer to
her phone calls, but didn't tighten
the burden of knowledge she had
been carrying with her since Sat-
urday.
On the bus, en- route to the
plant, she decided she would go
ahead on her own-see if she could
discover anything to support her
suspicion. The files-Rayburn's
personal files!
They might reveal something,
and again they might not. At
any rate, it offered a chance. If
she had something more than
suspicion to offer Barringer when
he returned.
Rayburn scolded her briefly,
when she arrived, for not waiting
for him.
Here Major Barringer has put
you in my charge, and you run
away from me-" he complained.
Suppose something should happen
to you? I'd be in a fine spot,
wouldn't II"
The girl made an excuse-hav-
ing to make stop for her mother.
Anyway" she laughed, I'm in
no danger. I think Major Bar
ringer is wrong"
Must Be Obeyed
"You never can tell" Rayburn
answered. That's what he or
dered, and the Major must be
obeyed."
Ellen promised not to run
away" again, and settled down to
her days work.
A short time later, Rayburn
announced he was going out, and
Ellen's heart leaped with excite
ment. This might be the chance
she was looking for.
He blasted the hope, however,
by adding that he'd be back in
Is minutes in case anyone called,
so she had to be content to pre-
tend to be absorbed in her work.
although she could hardly wait to
get to his files.
Her chance didn't come until
after lunch when Rayburn said he
had to &c to Los Angeles and
wouldn't be back for at least two
hours. Just to be sure she walked
to the window after he left and
watched until she saw him get into
his car in the parking lot across
the street. Then she started to
work.
N0luminous Files
The files were voluminous. and
took longer than she expected.
they failed 10 reveal anything
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