Show ar I 1 J r T 77 1 B JOSEPH KC CORI CORDEs raw THE STORY SO FAR larry cutter sta startled 1 tied pretty jacqueline lack anthony tho ny public stenographer at the hotel Ray near by telling her she could realize her globe trotting ambitions by marrying ln him stunned by the recent loss ot of when jacqueline spoke her voice was wag low but there was a determined ring in it vince listen to me he turned his head on the pillow and looked up into the face bending over him if the doctors think best for you to have an operation we must attend to it at once but skipper that takes money it worth it be quiet she placed her finger on his lips and gave him a gallant ballant ja llant smile ian on my way now to fix things ill see you later with a wave ol of her hand she hurried away her chin was held high but her heart was down somewhere near her hurrying little shoes jacqueline found herself in something like a daze after her conference in the hospital office they had wanted to know about vinces financial situation they had to of course and she had told them very calmly that she was in a position to attend to his expenses for the present she wished him to be removed from the ward anti and placed in a private room an inexpensive room A resident doctor discussed her fathers condition giving it as his opinion that mr anthony was in need of an operation and had been for a long time also that the patient did not take kindly to the suggestion did miss anthony have a physician or surgeon she wished to consult miss anthony in that case perhaps she might like to consult with dr erasmus kennedy jacqueline met and liked dr kennedy he was a trifle gruff and direct in his manner but nice at her request he agreed to examine the patient the die was cast no matter what happened later vince must be cared for it meant cashing one of those bonds two perhaps before she was finished she had said she never would use that money but larry would understand there was nothing else to do before her courage deserted her jacqueline hastened to the bank vault and asked for her safe deposit box shielded from prying eyes in one of the little booths the second national provided for pat patrons rons she very reluctantly separated one of the bonds from its impressive companions pan ions only nine thousand dollars left she gave an hysterical little laugh at the very absurdity of her thinking that bond department last window on the left said an armed attendant to whom jacqueline went when she came up from the vaults the department appe appeared ired to feel that there was nothing suspicious or exciting about having a bond and desiring to cash it they would be pleased to attend to the transaction and within a brief time miss anthony would be advised that her checking account had been credited with the returns As simple as that miss anthony breathed more freely the gods still were with her when she returned to the Ray near everything was all right so far but strive as she might she could not banish the thought that there was some abne one now to whom she should be able to turn and could Wt what was dr kennedy going to say that ordeal proved easier than she anticipated the doctor gave a careful explanation of her fathers case there was no immediate danger jacqueline explained that she was employed that she had a little money saved and that she would use it all if necessary for her father all right my dear dont worry smiled the surgeon can you manage to look out for his expenses in the hospital for 10 days or two weeks before we operate id like to build up his resistance oh yes then better figure on another two weeks before hes moved and my charges you mean well well have a talk about that later I 1 dont think they will scare you 1 I think Y oud better make sure she tried to smile bravely all right in your case well say two hundred thais in in addition to the hospitals charge for the operating room the anesthetic esthetic ar and goforth so forth scared 1 I can manage it installment EIGHT her lifes ute savings livings in the stock market she he accepted his proposal they were married after signing a contract permitting her to continue her present mode of 0 living for or six months after which the she could tear up the contract 0 a all right suppose you drop in in and see me in m about a week and dont worry in the meantime oh yes there is something else you can do what is that doctor your father is a bit low do what you can about that it will be a big help to us all 1 I will she began by calling on vince that evening armed with a bunch of sweet peas his one worry now was his landlady and the tear fear that she might dispose of the paraphernalia for his cherished experiments when the rent was due 41 how much are you paying for your room jacqueline asked three dollars a week my rent is paid for the next two days d ays 01 1 I will see her tomorrow and tell her that nothing is to be disturbed until you get back I 1 will see about the rent where is the house three eighteen elder street it isn I 1 t so bad vince located it in a general way for his daughter and her heart sank again it must be rather dreadful she decided in the heart of a factory district vince listened to the account of her interview with the doctor with a slight show of interest ill pay you back soon he in insisted doggedly you know skip na i only nine thousand dollars left per his face brightened im right on the edge of a big break now or I 1 was just as soon as the money starts coming in you and I 1 will set up in a decent place bless his heart jacqueline thought how familiar it all sounded what would vince say if he knew everything CHAPTER VII the following afternoon jacqueline turned a startled face to the door of her office in answer to a sharp tap its a pinch said a quiet voice how are you today oh lieutenant staples you startled me yeah the slender man who entered the office and helped himself to a chair chai r was about as far removed from the general conception of a detective as one could well imagine his face was peculiarly ingenuous almost boyish the entire top of his head was bald pink and shining he was not an infrequent visitor in the hotel and the stenographers office keep you pretty busy do they not as busy as I 1 would like 1 I suppose not guess a good deal of your business in here is with guests transients most of it is 1 I figured it was staples bald head came about slowly ever do any work for a guest by the name of cutter elines heart skipped a beat for a second everything was misty A policeman asking her about larry about her hus husband bandl 1 cutter she murmured staring at the keyboard of her machine as if in an effort to remember she even achieved a slight puckering of her smooth b brows rows oh I 1 know whom you mean now jacqueline marveled at her he gave cave her oll in IT S bonds all a surety several weeks later jacqueline Jacoue Une learned that her lather father was in a bos ho pital she hurried to see him and found him thin and haggard haggart now continue with the story own composure he did give me some work several times 11 happen to remember who he wrote to or what the letters were about no I 1 take dictation on my machine I 1 never remember what I 1 write the little stenographers heart was beating fast it was almost the same thing that larry had asked and he had suggested it might be well for her to recall his letters he had said something about aai an adibi alibi 1 I guess they were just business letters or you would have remembered the lieutenant mused his eyes were on the lobby again im sure they were jacqueline was thinking fast she must try to find out what this call meant Is he a bad man she had intended to say crook but the word would not come blest if I 1 know miss anthony we got nothing on him if what you mean were always sort of interested in strangers all please tell me more about mr cutter jacqueline urged lieutenant staples it sounds very exciting t sounds goofy to me to tell you the truth theres a fellow comes to me and asks me to sort of keep an eye on cutter im not mentioning any rr names mes but this first guy is well hes quite a somebody otherwise id have shooed him away he have any charges to prefer and want to have any official checkup check up made just tipping me off in a fatherly way for whatever good it might do me wanted me to act in a sort of private capacity staples permitted himself a slight smile 1 I was for letting it all go in one ear and out the other until he happened to mention that this fellow was the son of old john cutter then I 1 thought it hurt to play along a little john cutter jacqueline repeated yeah sort of a mystery that never was quite cleared up he was one of them inventor nuts oh married into a little money when he was young and spent most of his life puttering around with his stunts had a place about 20 miles out in the country quite a ranch I 1 guess he seemed to stumble onto something that was going to revolutionize something blossomed out at the head of a concern and built a factory jobbed bobbed stock around among his friends theres always a flock of suckers 1 I suppose there are well something slipped no one seems to know whether the whole thing was a phoney or whether old cutter was a miss fire when it came to business he claimed he lost all his money and its a cinch the suckers were taken for a ride cutter eventually was indicted for fraud 11 was he found guilty no dead not long before he was to stand trial from what I 1 can find out there was some evidence of foul play it seems to have made quite a stir then it was passed up as suicide cutters wife and son faded out of the picture now the boys back in town and apparently not doing much of anything seems prosperous enough may be nothing to it you know you say he hel here oh no I 1 I 1 said he was here As a matter of fact he came back today he did jacqueline could not repress a little start yea he registered about ons one I 1 just happened to stumble on that one by dumb luck all detecting is anyway it just occurred to me you might have met him in in your official capacity taken some dictation if he has any letters leners to 10 write that sound tricka tri leners sound tricka tri bound tricky id appreciate your tipping off a pal so long jacqueline sat at her de desk sk scarcely breathing her bra brain in was in a whirl she had resolutely refrained from questioning larry just as resolutely had she smothered the little doubts that had arisen in her mind from time to time As she tried to assemble it all in her numb brain jacqueline was aware of a persistent thought it grew until it overshadowed all else she was larrys wife the police e were watching him just where did her duty lie h e TO BE CONTINUED |