The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-10-22
CHAPTER THREE

JUST AS Gun entered It, the
door at the end of the passage
In the Ray-Baths opened, and
another client, robed similarly
to himself, came through it and
walked down toward the elevator.
Gun saw that it was the man he
had followed in, and who evident
ly took longer to undress than he
did.
AS he entered the elevator he
shot a quick glance at Gun from
below half-lowered lids. It was
little more than a flash, but some
how Gun felt that it was furtive
and suspicious.
Gun. adopting a casual, easy
manner. spoke to him.
Have you been through this
rather extraordinary process be-
fore ?"
1t might have been Imagination,
but it seemed to Gun that the man
started slightly when addressed,
and then seemed to stiffen. It
struck Gun that he was expecting
something to come, and was
wary for it.
Process? Oh, the ray-bath!
Yes, l have been here beforei"
ITS my first experience" Gun
conhded. Tell me, are they any
good these ray-baths ?"
Good? Oh, yes. they are very
good Very refreshing and-invig-
Grating indeed"
The man spoke perfect English,
yet from a certain gutturalness in
the voice, and a stiffness in the
phraseology, Gun deduced that he
was a foreigner. Also he had
paused perceptibly before using
the word "invigorating"
The elevator had hardly started
before it stopped again. Gun
thought it was just a stop at an
other floor. but the elevator hoy
slid open the door and stood aside,
and the other man hurried out. He
did not seem to be at all eager to
Allt AO4AN CdNlOIAs IL
struck Gun that the descent was
such a short one that the elevator
might well have been dispensed
with in favor of a fight OF stairs.
Then he realized that the use of
the elevator meant that no one
could leave-or enter without the
cognizance Of the management.
A useful precaution in certain
circumstances
Gun wondered what the cir
cumstances might be. D.. Dope?
Opium smoking? The convention
a. suggestions ran through his
naiHa-I-hich- he Immediately told
himself was unduly suspicious.
After all, the precaution of the
elevator IL WAS a precaution
might well be to keep undesir-,
able people out, rather than to-
safeguard them in coming in. A
place like this in the v est End
would be bound to attract such
people. and II the place were be-
ing run on sound lines, it would
NC vel y INNtooHiy " guar u
against them
Meanwhile Gun followed the
other man along a short passage
and into a large room, which
seemed to be a sort of waiting
room. The oriental note was sus-
tanned, and there were divans
scattered about all over the room,
which possessed a polished par
uuet a0Or, with thick oriental RUGS
here and there. There were about
half a dozen men in the room, all
clad in the white bathrobes. Two
or rrree were talking together.
but The majority were sitting on
the div1ns. looking at papers The
current newspapers and maya
zines which lay about struck an
other incongruous note.
Gun approached the other man
once more. adopting the manner
OF garrulous. curious not over
intelligent individual.
Il ssy what happens now
What do We hang around this
place ior?" he asked.
He had deliberately approached
him from behind. and bare fee:
made no noise on the wooden
floor. This time the fellow gave
quite palpable tart. Plainly he