The Argosy, Vol. 81, No. 4 — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

ca ae ae Ba the morning and including the recent visit of Griscom to his apartment. Nealis listened with amazement depicted upon his cherubic face and seemed to regard the story as fair compensation for his dis- appointment of the previous evening. “Now,” concluded Lansing, “I need a rest. I’m through with Miss Granger until I get my bearings. I feel a bit weak and run down. What do you say to running up to your folks at Newport for a week or so? Can they stand us?” “They can,” asserted Nealis. ‘‘Do you know the city has become unbearable to me, too; every one’s away. Let’s go now.” “The sooner the better,” agreed Lansing. “But why not take the midnight?” “Why not motor?” asked Nealis. “All right; your car,” chimed in Lansing. “Tf we start in the next hour we can make New London by night. Are you on?” For reply Nealis rose and called his chauffeur upon the telephone, while Lansing took his place when he was through and ordered Scotty to pack the proper assort- ment of clothes. - Nealis sent Giles up-town in the touring car to get Lansing’s stuff and Allison pur- sued him in the taxi. When Scotty had brought the small trunk down and the two men had stowed it on the rear rack Giles hopped into his seat and Lansing’s man re- turned to the house pondering how to spend the brief respite afforded by his master’s absence. Allison, the detective, leaped from his cab and ran excitedly up to Giles. “Driver,” he addressed the chauffeur, “I have a message for Mr. Lansing. Do you know where he is?” “He’s down at Mr. Nealis’s,” replied the faithful driver. “Oh, well—” the detective hesitated, “I sha’n’t bother him yet a while then. Any time will do. I suppose I can see him here this afternoon?”’ The thick-witted chauffeur smiled and shook his head. “No siree,” he said. ‘We are leaving for Newport as soon as I can get down to the house.” = “Oh.” Allison turned away and Giles started the car. As it rolled away Allison hurried to his driver. “Man,” he said, “can you do long dis- tance work?” “From here to Chicago’s my limit,’ re- plied the driver. r 701 “Well, and have you gasoline for, say, from here to Newport?” As the driver said that would be all right, Allison leaped into the cab and handed the man a bank note of impressive denomination. “Stick to that touring car, and never let it lose you,” he ordered. Lansing and Nealis started out from the house in high spirits, and in an hour were rolling along the broad highways of West- chester, engrossed in their game of auto- mobile poker, and exchanging money as the fortunes of the game inclined. . . . And behind them always in the distance toiled a homely gray and black taxicab, dropping back on the straight road and catching up on the long turns. For, as the Jehu ob- served to Allison, his boat had a kick in her that would get right out of the car and waltz along the road by herself if he’d let her. Whether exaggerated or not, the de- tective came to have an-immense regard for the vehicle he had snapped up. New London was reached without ac- cident about nine o’clock in the evening, and Nealis and Lansing put up at the Mo- hican. Allison did the same, leaving a call for the hour named by the young men he was trailing. Then, as he fancied Lansing had observed his cab suspiciously several times after leaving New Haven, he dis- missed his vehicle and engaged a less c6n- spicuous touring car from a local garage. Nealis and Lansing had a leisurely break- fast, and as the detective’s time was de- pendent on them, he also ate with delibera- tion. About ten o’clock the pair started through the pleasant land leading over the river to Groton, and thence through Ston- ington, Westerly and Kingston, on through Narragansett Pier to the ferry to James- town, where Allison was obliged, of course, to travel upon the same ferryboat, his car being placed directly in the rear of Nealis’s automobile. As all familiar with this region are aware, the ferry, before reaching Jamestown, which is opposite Newport, passes the strong fortification, Fort Preble, which hides among the gray crags of Beaver Tail. As the boat lumbered past the disappearing gun emplacements a mahogany motor-boat suddenly shot out from a break in the sea- wall and directed a course toward Whale Rock lighthouse, which marks the extrem- ity of Jamestown. As the boat came close to the ferry-boat CORNICLOOOKS (E@)