Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine, Vol. 107 No. 3 — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

MISS my first nice, dishonest breath, and here comes the clue. It means a room number, certainly. Oh, Milly!” he laughed sober- ly. “ Do you realize that we owe seventy cents here—and I pawned my watch three days ago? We daren’t offer a five-hundred- dollar bill, you.see, Miss—now, I can’t re- call your name again—Miss Mystery! Like a singing river, that’s all.” She was slipping a gold seal ring from her glove. “Don’t you suppose these people would hold this for-our checks until—” “Yes! And to-morrow I’ll go shovel snow to redeem it.” Hildreth arose with nervous buoyance. ‘“‘ Come on! We'll have to be careful, but we must know about Milly.” She had gathered the thirty thousand dol- lars into its case and stood back while Hil- dreth was explaining casually. Then, at the door, he raised a finger. _ The cashier had slipped Miss Travers’s ring into the cash, till and was looking won- deringly after the two. And then they were “again in the rainy night walking on, talk- ing, with sudden hopeful and excited in- terest, of each other. ° She was brave and jubilant now with youth and adventure; and when, before the brilliant entrance of the great hotel on Michigan Avenue, he felt a pressure on his arm and glanced down, she turned her head from the radiance and laughed. “It’s amazing and glorious,” he mur- mured, ‘“ you and the storm!” She was instantly herself in the lobby, waiting among the well-dressed throng. She saw him first at the exclusive little flower shop, then, rather annoyed making his way to the counter of the information clerk. And she noticed the start of the dapper lit- tle man behind the grill-work. His eyes narrowed on Hildreth watch- fully; he asked and listened. He turned to speak to dnother office man, and even as they conferred, Hildreth turned and Miss Travers saw by his glance a just percepti- ble warning of danger. He seemed to nod to the further side of the lobby, and, taking the cue, she went directly there, sat down among the ever- green screens to the ladies’ waiting-room, and looked back. 3 ARGOSY MYSTERY. 385 The thirty thousand dollars was locked within her damp, heavy traveling coat. Certainly none of them about her would know that she had it, or knew Hildreth or his mission. She saw him now the center of a cautious argument. And presently the group separated; Hildreth walked to the main entrance, lit a cigarette, and was looking casually about. An instinct of dan- ger warned the girl not to approach him, but, rising, she let herself be seen. He nodded slightly, turned to the avenue en- trance; and, after waiting five minutes, Miss Travers descended by the ladies’ way. As she expected Hildreth was half a block down the street, and when she reached him, he merely walked on with, at first, no notice of her. She had an impression that he, at least, was being watched; and they walked easily on until, lost in the theater crowds, he spoke casually. “ You did that splendidly. I have almost an impression now that a house-detective is shadowing me. So, please don’t look around. We can talk as we are without recognition.” | ‘“ A house-detective?”’ ‘Yes. They were on me at once about Room 316. Got the name from the register, but at the first inquiry about Milly—Mrs. Millicent Strong, I take it—these people ‘were on my neck. It just occurred to me in time to bluff ’em—I told ’em I was a reporter from the Herald. I think I got away with it, too!” “ But,” she whispered from the inter- vening space they kept as two strangers in the crowd, “I don’t understand!” _ “T do—partly. Two people were ar- rested in Room 316 this evening. Crooks, high-class professionals, it seems. Milly is the woman of the gang. They’re at head- quarters now, and, say—-one of them was arrested on a Blue Island Avenue street-car this afternoon!” ‘The rat-faced man!” ‘* Must be. It was our car, and the same hour I first met you. But the money—it isn’t possible he lost it accidentally! Those people are not so clumsy.” ‘Then he—dropped it! ing arrest!” He was expect- COMICEDOO© S Co mM