Adventure, December 1914 — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Stolen it was now getting dark, and just before we were ready to start Kennedy proposed that we all should go up and pay our re- spects to Mrs. Hawley. 6 AS IT happened it was the night of a saiile danceat the club,and members and their guests were already assem- bling. It was a brilliant spectacle, faces that radiated pleasure, gowns that for startling combinations of color would have pleased the Futurists, and music, already tuning up, that set the feet tapping irre- sistibly. I shall not pause to describe the scene, for the fascination of the ballroom over- looking the bay, on which now a myriad of - lights on the boats twinkled, was absolutely wasted on Craig, and indeed has no part in the story. In front of the club was strung out a long line of cars and at the dock now were several speed-boats of na- tional and international reputation, be- sides Sinclair’s Streamline. Mrs. Hawley was indeed surprised to see us, but as far as I could detect there was no element of suspicion in it. . “They were tired of the city,” she added as she repeated what Sinclair had already told us of Ruiz and the rest. “I thought I might as well come down, too, and I have rooms at the Seaville. Some acquaintances there who are members of the club asked me if I wouldn’t like to come down here, so here I am.” Kennedy had been watching her keenly. Quite contrary from being disconcerted at meeting us she seemed to be pleased, espe- Cialiy at seeing Sinclair. ‘“‘Wasn’t it too bad about the air-ship?”’ she added. “I heard them talking about it up at the hotel and I asked Mr. Sin- clair, but he didn’t seem to know what caused the accident himself.’ ‘“‘No,” replied Kennedy. “It was most unfortunate, whatever it was. By the way, I wonder whether any of your friends in- tend to be here tonight?” “I think not,” she answered frankly. ‘*“You know they are very clannish. They live much to themselves. You can’t blame them. They’re a good deal like we are down in Mexico, you know, with our own American clubs.”’ Kennedy had arisen and was looking over the gay crowd, but apparently did not find any faces there that he recognized. We War Secret 4I chatted a few moments more, then excused ourselves and went down the dock to the boat. ‘Either she doesn’t know anything or she is a mighty good actress,’ I commented, falling in with Craig. ‘“Whatever she knows o. doesn’t know,”’ he answered, “‘there is one thing I am sure of. That woman may be depended on to do nothing that would hurt Sinclair. Did you notice? She scarcely took her eyes off him.” ‘And Sinclair?’ I whispered. “I’m not so sure how much he cares for her,” returned Craig. PES WE HAD reached the end of the ey. dock, and Sinclair’s presence for- bade pursuing the subject further. It was only a matter of a few seconds and the engine was started. Kennedy had been talking earnestly with Burke and was the last to jump into the boat. “Isn’t Burke coming along?’’ asked Sin- clair. “No,”’ replied Craig. ‘There are several things here that I want him to do, and in the meantime we must get back to your house.”’ : We left Burke standing on the end of the float and made a quick trip down the bay to Sinclair’s. As we walked up the flight of steps that surmounted the terrace, Kennedy asked— “T suppose you have a phonograph here?” ‘““Yes,”’ answered Sinclair somewhat mys- tified, for he at least was in no mood for entertainment. “Unless I’m mistaken,”’ remarked Ken- nedy, “I think I shall find something here that will keep us busy for at least a part of the evening and take our minds off our troubles a little bit.” He had diverged off toward the kiosk and the wireless-apparatus which he had rigged up during the afternoon. Loosen- ing the wires, he carried the apparatus bodily with him into the house where Sin- clair had the phonograph in his splendidly equipped library. “This is what I might call my radio- detective,” explained Kennedy with just a trace of pride in his voice, as we entered. “Even if it is mainly improvised, I think it is built up on a very compact system and ought to prove efficient.” He had taken the thing apart and from it a ’] MICLOOOLK C©@