Under His Thumb — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

-60 UNDER HIS THUMB. that, instead of one cane, the detective was wielding half a dozen, so rapidly did the blows fall. At that instant a police-signal sounded from some point near at hand, and like magic every rough dis- appeared. Croly had come off victorious in the brief, fierce fight, but the delay cost him dearly enough, for Stella Brandon and her vagabond father had com- pletely disappeared. For an hour the detective patiently searched the vicinity for some sign of the vagabond. But in vain. At last he accosted a patrolman whom he encountered at a corner. ‘Pretty girl with a ragged tough,’’ the patrolman repeated, scratching his head meditatively. ‘Yes, I saw them,’’ he declared, positively. ‘*How long ago?’’ ‘“Three-quarters of an hour, I should say.”’ ‘“Which way were they going?’’ ‘Into the building across the way. No. 37, I guess it is.”’ ‘‘And they haven’t come forth again?’’ “NG. 7" ? ‘“You’re sure?’’ | ‘“‘T should have seen ’em if they had. Mighty pretty girl. Your folks, mister?” ‘“My folks, yes!’’ The policeman eyed the putative dandy suspic- iously as the latter sauntered across the street. ‘““My folks, just as much,’’ muttered the policeman. “T guess I won’t swaller that yarn.’’ As Croly neared the door-way in question he per- ceived a tall figure walking leisurely away. The tall man wore a slouch hat and was smoking a cigar. ‘If I could do two things at once I would shadow GComicbooks.co m *..