Show l r A 0 BEGIN HERE T TODAY DAY To keep life from growing too dull duL hi Red Thrush Iowa Ginger Ella Tolliver daughter of ot a minister and andst st stepdaughter of ot the wealthy and in indulgent in- in former r Phil Van Doom or organized or- or a Junior Country club Bard Hollow Holloway a young ayoung who was cas through the country stopped in Red Thrush Attracted by Ginger he agreed to stay and paint portraits and decorate tile the clubhouse He suggested sending to Chicago for Nicolo who could cook and sing and strum a guitar But Nicolo could not come conIC In Iii his place came three of his countrymen Angelo could play Pietro could cook BenIto could sing ing- Ginger took them on Beginning to realize he lie was Inlove in inlove love Jo with Ginger Bard suggested leaving lea But Phil persuaded him to stay longer as their guest and she to Speed Roney Honey a former friend of Gingers Ginger's and Invited m him She felt he would give glye Bard some competition Ginger met this move by inviting In P Patty tty Sears to take care of Speed When S Speed ed wired that he lie was bringing bringing bringing bring bring- ing his sister she also persuaded Edd Eddy Jackson to come and Eddy decided to ball things up by keeping Ginger and nd Bard separated This he did Speeds Speed's sisters sister's nickname was Cotton Cot Cot- ton tori Eddy devilishly contrived to keep her and Bard together while he stuck to Ginger and paired Patty off with Speed Everyone E had a miserable miserable miserable miser miser- able time Meanwhile Benito had made a trip to Chicago and returned with presents presents pres pres- for for- all aU and nd 0 a plan to kidnap Ginger and hold her for ransom He bided his time When Speed not knowing how matters stood told Bard that Ginger and Eddy were engaged en en- Raged Bard determined to leave And at that point of the proceedings proceeding Ginger disappeared Shortly afterward afterward afterward after after- ward a note was found containing a demand for Phil immediately immedi- immedi wired ired to Chicago for th the money and a a. a pair of private detec detec- tl es WileD When the detectives arrived they disclosed that Cotton was as no not Speeds Speed's sister and Speed confessed they had been en secretly married Angelo An An- gelo Pietro and Benito were ques ques questioned and their stories tallied with themA them the detectives detectives' reports on carrier catTIer pig- pig A b basket containing a n Il on tn us d delivered li at the Tolliver I home 1 ol with instructions to fasten th tile the money in Its pouch and release it While thc they talked the pigeon escaped escapee in the room NOW GO ON WIT WITH THE STORY CHAPTER I Bard Eard stood on a chair and gently released the bird He held it firmly against st his arm rm his hand caressing caressing caress- caress ing itOh itOh it Oh its it's frightened he said Its heart t is pound pounding lII g We must quiet for that money back it to it-to to carry Ginger fear The others were re white with If the pigeon had returned to its loft without the ransom money would the abductors have taken it for lor curt refusal And in that case what of Ginger Be careful my dear boy said Phil PhU faintly Put it back in the b basket aske t Its a regular pigeon basket said aid Bard carefully closing the thc door See Sec how Show it is built for air Im I'm going to take the bird away where it vis is quiet and water So he took it in the basket to a corner of ot tile the quiet veranda filled a tried to tot small saucer with cold water t tempt it with seeds feeds and spices from the kitchen But the bird would neither cat eat nor drink Bard seated himself near it tipped back his bIs chair arid and set up a silent guard you dont don't have ha to stay there there- Bard called Phil from the window It is quite safe in the basket I shant shan't let it out of my sight f for fort t. t t minute declared Bard rm Tm afraid something might happen Its It's terribly terribly terri tern bly important For half balf an hour he hc sat there smoking silently ruminating 1 Jp spite of his terrors for Ginger his thoughts he had were ere less bitter than when sat alone and thought of her at Mill Rush What a fool he bad been How could he have doubt doubted d the tile blue sincerity sin sIn- in her big eyes Poor Eddy He ie was a good sport sport putting putting the thc best face lace on it Of course he loved Ginger Gingeras Gin Gin- ger as ger-as as who v.-ho did not I o oHe He He tiptoed suddenly over and got down on his knees knees' before the thc basket Through the loosely woven door he peered in to assure himself that the pigeon igeon was not hurt that hurt that it would be able to carry the money back whence it had com conic come It was crouching in the corner corner corner-a a afat fat bird strong its strong its head rumpled throat throat its its down into i its up hunched feathers ruffled up against some unknown fear A sudden sudden sudden sud sud- den flicker of recognition stirred in Bards Bard's memory memory memory-he he stared and stared Blue gray the gray the shine of f green at the throat Conviction C surged over him He stood up dizzily his hand against his big forehead his voice olce Phil he called and She hurried out The bird bird It it is all right He took her hand in hU with a that bruised her fingers SkI Shi don dont don't speak peak he whispered Have hive ha have you ou ever seen that bird be before be fore forc Bard you ou frighten me Of or course not Well Well t I have Listen dont don't at attract attract attract at- at tract a attention The detectives would ruin everything We Ve must do it alone I saw MW that bird at Mill Rush Ori-Benito's Ori window Phil she's in terrible danger the Benito the monster mon non ster J hes he's he's hes got her Bard Bard n no Come upstairs I will win prove it to you ou S Shi Tell them it is nothing They mo ed toward the stairs walking stiffly trying to w assume an anair air of nonchalance Dont let Bard scare you Phil called Eddy reassuringly Phil shook her head tr trying trIng ing to smile She could not force her lien voice If If Indeed Benito had Ginger if if he were so clever an actor and so cruel a man man Alas Alas poor GInger Ginger Ginger Gin GIn- ger Bard closed and locked the tho door of or his room behind them and opened his case of ot drawings He ran through them quickly one after another another another an an- other until he found the one he lie sought shingled corner of the old house with the flaming flowered flowered flowered flow flow- ered vines the slurring shadow hadow of ot a hummingbird poised for fora a R. moment the gnarled old trees the queer low attic window under the eaves caves Benitos Benito's birdhouse and on the sill a fat ruffed crouching pigeon Bard B she faltered It It Is But doubt came quickly We Wc can cannot cannot not be entirely sure Bard All AU pig pig- cons COIlS look alike alike alike- No no no look it Is the same He said they were doves do Did you ou notice the he bird downstairs That color color- the vay way she swells her throat throat look look at nt the wings they wings they are arc longer than the wings of ordinary pigeons pigeons very very strong See what a 0 rugged build build no no ordinary pigeon Phil I No dove do That is the thc bird from Benitos Benito's Benitos Benito's Bento's Bentos Ben- Ben ito's to's birdhouse He put that basket In n the car cr with u us today when he hc was loading up Phil PhU went downstairs without a word vord and crouched beside the box Yes he was right There could be beno 10 no doubt The bird on BenItos BenIto's sUJin sill sUJ IlJIn in n Bards Bard's picture was the bird in the tile basket that had come for the ransom for or Ginger Oh my poor child What shall wc we do Bard You are right He must have accomplices said Bard thinking quick quickly I am sure Ginger is not on the thc place The accomplices accomplices ac ac- ac- ac have got her somewhere but the bird will take the monc money moncy to As soon as he hc gets it it he will m doubtless rejoin his companions and they will UJ try to get away with the money If we watch Benito and follow follow follow fol fol- fol- fol low him we wc will at least find where they've got her It must be th the three of them them them-An- An- An gelo and Pietro Pictro They are all in it together I suppose so roo Let me inc go and and be be bethere there w there to see where they go to go-to to fol low 10 But Bard if they see sec ec they arc suspected suspected sus sus- peeled wont won't they get some signal to their accomplices and put and put Ginger In n treat creat at dan dancer er r I wont ont l le let t them know I suspect them hem I will pretend we know noth- noth noth-I noth lug ng Let them have the money money let let them get awa away but away but but I must find where the they ha have hae e her make her make sure they 1 do not harm her unless her unless it is too late ate Let me take Edd Eddy Would Marker Marler be better No If he goes rocs they will know they hey are suspected Let us try what we can do Tears streamed down Phils Phil's face Go Go my dear boy she said and God help you ou Do not let him know kno what you ou suspect Let him have the mone money Just try to find her I will willet set et the pigeon free at one o'clock with with the money When Bard suggested to Eddy that they hey take a run out to Mill Rush InGinger's in inSinger's Singers Gingers car he demurred at first H He was sure the next development would be at and he wished to o be in the thick of ot it felt there would be more need of their assistance assis assis- tance there where there where Marker was wasand wasand wasand was was- and the money Eddy my friend said Phil with white lips I want you to go with Bard Eddy had no more to say and within within within with with- in five minutes they were speeding along the country road toward Mill Rush with Bard giving him a cryptic account of the last disclosure Hum not so 50 good said Eddy thou Thanks for letting me In n. n Ill I'll take orders How are these pistols O. O K Im I'm afraid well we'll have lave trouble Well VeIl Holts Holt's there That will wUl give us even cven numbers Unless uness unless un- un less ess they bring up the accomplices Where under heaven do you ou suppose they've got her With no notion of or how things would develop they could make no nolans plans lans in advance ad vance only determined to tobe tobe be ic constantly on the alert to keep Benito In sight every moment and to follow up every chance clue that night lead to Ginger GIngel Advised of their approach by the roaring motor everyone e at Mill Rush was waiting for them at the gates and at first sight of or the familiar faces Jenky y broke into nervous tears What news what news demanded demand demand- ed Holt Phil says they are to call for the money at 1 She wouldn't tell who was to come for it it doesn't want to scare them off I guess She wouldn't even tell Marker Markel an and hes he's pretty sore But she thinks they'll probably bring Ginger here or turn her loose on the road somewhere and she ma may come alone So she asked us to come and wait in case casc she doe does thing Everything thing 0 O. O K here eh Still as the grave rave growled Holt discontentedly Like Marker to bury me here alive so he can take all the credit There wont won't be anything gong go go- lug ng on in this dump Wed We'd be more help in town We didn't want to come either confessed Eddy But Miss MIss' Phil asked us and we couldn't refuse I suppose there here is a chance that Ginger may be somewhere In the neighborhood When after a few minutes of disconnected disconnected disconnected dis dis- dis- dis connected talk of the possible developments dc- dc of the tile others drifted away upon their own affairs Benito followed the boys bors to the landing To Be Continued Monday |