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THE EAR IN THE WAILL
By Arthurß.Recve
Author of the Craig Kennedy” Stories
"The Romance of Elaine "etc.
llustrated by
ARMAND BOTH
T was a startled couple that we found
when we reached the conservatory after
Kennedy's warning over his vocaphone
to Carton and Miss Ashton. As we made
our hasty explanation, Carton over
whelmed us with thanks for the prompt
and effective manner in which Kennedy had
saved him from the machinations of the de
seated gangsters.
Miss Ashton, who would have kept ber nerves
under control throughout any emergency, ac
tually turned pale as she learned of the danger
that had been so narrowly averted. |am sure
that her feelings which she made no effort 10
conceal must have been such as to reassure
Carton if he had still any doubt on that score.
The delay in his coming out. however, had heen
just enough to arouse suspicion, and by the time
that we reached the side entrance to the house,
the night-hawk taxicab which had evidently
tween drafted into wrvice had disappeared. leaviog
no clue to those who had planned the bold coup
The result of the discovery over the vacaphone
was that none of us left Miss Ashton’s until much
tater than we had expected. Langhorne ap
parently had gone shortly after he left the con
swrvatory the last time, and Mrs Ogleby had
oreceded him. When at st we managed 10
oonvince Miss Ashton that it was perfectly safe
tor Carton to go, nothing woull suffice except
that we should accompany him as 2 sort of bady
guand to his apartment. We did w 0 without
cwounteting any adventure more thrilling than
sving an argument between a peg post police
man and a late reveler.
“1 can’t thank you fellows too much,” compli
mented Carton as we Jest him. 1 was hunting
around for you, but | thought you had found
sufirage meeting too sdow and bad gone.”
“On the contrary ~ returned Kennody equive.
cally, “we found it far from show.”
Carton did not apgereciate the tenor of the
remark, and Craig was not disposed to enlighten
him.
“What do you suppose Mrs. Oglely meant
in ber references to Carton’” mused Kennedy
when we had reached our own apartment.
“I can't say,” 1 replied, “unless before bhe
came to really know Miss Ashton, they were
intimate
Kennedy shook bis bead. “Why will men in
& public capacity get mived up with women of
the adventuress type Bhe that, even inne
cently?” be raminated. “Mark my words, she
ot wme one el will make troubde for ham bedore
we get through.”
It was a thought that had lately been in my own
witwd, for we had had weveral hints of that nature
Rennedy sabd no more, but be had started my
mind on a train of specalative thought 1 could
not imagine that & woman of Mrs Ogleby s tyge
coubl ever have really appealed to Carton, bt
that did not peechade the posibility that sme
unscrapulous person might make we of the
intimacy for basw purposes. Then, toa, there
was the theeat that | bad beard agreed on by
both Langhorne aned bersell onver the vom agibuone
What would be the neat step of the ofganizs
thom mow in s sworn warfare on Carton, | ol
ot imagine. Bat we did not have bong 1o wait
Latly the folloming botvoeems s ofgent me sape
came 1o Kennedy from Carton to meet b st
his ooffsce.
“Kennady,” be wid, “1 don't koow how 1o
thank you for the many times you have pulled
e throagh. aacd Do alanoct schamed to keep on
calling on you.”
“Is & big feb” hastessd Crale “You
Baor ggemest: who b the gumr in s overy
cronked tarn. 1 1 can be even & omall cog on o
whed:::cmdmthe-.lhlheoalym“.
Your tells me that something particularly
unpleasant has happened.”
“Ithas,” admitted Carton, smoothing out some
dlkmflhammfihdm.
He paused a moment, as if he were himself in
fkmammh”whnthmd*m
telephone,” he began. Al day long there have
h&nm-nmiuo-yofiw“u
mkuslmmulmmmm
lkoladlhuuthl)lmhmk.yw
know ~that is, practically to let up on the organ
ization if they would ket up on me.”
“Yeu," prompted Kennedy, “but, impersona
tion —what do you mean by that>”
“Why, early today someone called me up and
said he was Dongan, asked if 1 would have any
ohjection to meeting bim. 1 said 1 would meet
him only it would do no good. Then, apparently
the same person called up Dorgan and said he
was mysll, adking if he had any objection 10
mecting me. Dorgan said he'd swe me. Whoever
it was, he almost succeoded in bringing aluout the
fool thing - would have done it, if | hadn't got
wise to the fact that there was something funny
about it. 1 called up Dorgan. He said he'd
meet me, as bong as | had apgwoached bim fira
1 said | hada't. We swore a hittle and called the
fake moeting off. But it was too late. It gt
into the pagers. Now, you'd think it wouldn't
make any difference to cither of us. 1t doesn't
to him. People will think be tried 10 dip one
over on me. But it does make a difference 1o me
People will think I'm trying 1o sll out.”
Carton showed plainly his vesation at the
aflair.
“The old sheme!” excliimed Kennedy.
“That's the plan that has been used by 2 man
down in Wall Street that they call ‘the Woll'
He is a star impersnator—will call up two
sworn enemies and put over something that
“Wall Street,” mused Carton. “ That reminds
me of another batch of rumors that have been
flying around. They were that | had made a deal
with Langhore by which | agreed to support
him i bie fight 1o 2ct something in the contracts
of the new city planning scheme in retarn for
i support of the part of the orgasization he
coubd swing to me in the dection — another be
“It might have been Langhorne himeell, play
“Alsa, it might have been Kahn” he added, 1
sbe has an office in Wall Street, ton. He has
twens the kegal bemefociary of wveral shady trans.
actions down there ™
“Oh," put in Canon, “it might have been any
of them they're all capable of it from Dorgan
down. I Murtha was osly out, I'd be inclined
10 saspuect him.~
He tosserd over a typuatitten sheet of guper
“That's the datement | gave out to the pres”
B e wgluirend
It rend: “My attention has boen called 1o the
allegedd aetivitios of s prran of getams who
thromagh telrphoms «4l ared soubet shoesd mmethoade
wte sevking to undermine confdence s my
iotegrity \ mewe desgicabie method of offemge
ing to arowe distradt | connot imagine. 1t s
criminal seel # aryveme can asid me in placing
the responciility where it belonge | shall be
thad to prowcute 1o the Bt~
“That's ol feh.” asented Kennedy, “bet
¥ hom't thisk it will have any offect. Vou we, thie
wart of thing b tow cnsy bt anyose to be sared
off from. AH e has 1o do i 1o 910 & pay
station and ol wp there Vou couddn 't very aell
trace that”
o | ¥ Y 3 i
¥ | oo o
o . i B i ’ ;
;\ . . G &"v‘ .v X r
/% \ N y
/ . | ; % D\
- ) | '
\f" O = —2 |
Yy ;
Copyright 1916, by
The Star Co.
He stopped abruptly, and his face puckerad
with thought.
“There ought 1o be some way, though,” |
murmured, without knowing just what the way
might be, “tlo tell whether it is Dorgan and the
organization crowd, or Langhoroe and his puol,
or Kahn and the other shysters.”
“There is a way,” cried Kennody at last.
“You fellows wait here while | make & flying
trip up to the laboratory. I anyone call up,
Just puat bien off - tell him 1o call up later.”
Carton continuad 1o dircct the work of his
office, of which there had boen no interrugion.
even during the strews of the campaign. Now
and then the tebephone rang amd each time Car
ton would motion to me, and sy, * You take it,
Jamewn, Wit wems perfectly regular then
sit over 1o me.”
Several routine calls came in this way, fol.
bowed by one from Miss Ashton which Carton
prodonged much beyond the mere time needed
LM.M‘Q&Mth-
He had sarcely bung up the reveiver, when the
bl tinkled insistently . as though central had had
:“mm-ua.mummu
up.
Itk down the recriver, and almost before
1 could answer the inquiry, a volor began, “ This
is the efitor of the *Wall Street Recond,” Me
Carton. Have you beard anything of the ramors
about Hartley Langhorne snd his pood being
Inwlvent? The Street has boen fonded with
Mothes
“One momest.” 1 managed o interram
“This s not Mr. Carton, although this i his
office. No-be's out. Yes, be'll cortainly be
back in half an hour. King up then ”
1 repwated the s rap of goesip that had filtered
through to me, whikh Carten received in quite
as mach perpdesity as | had.
“Seems as ¥ everybady was petting knocked,”
he commented
“That may be & blind, though,” | sagpested
He modded 1 think we both realioed bow
belphess we were when Kennely wus away. 1o
(et we made even out parsees aith 3 =t of lack
o comdsdence
1 was therefore with & wnw of relief that we
welcommed i 4 few misates Liter as be burvied
nte the offce, abmost beeathless from s teig
s toomns and bach
“Mas anyone called up’™ be inguived ancere
momdoneshs, wnntapging » wnsl pacel ahich be
catvwed
¥t b as briefly ae | conld what had hap
goereet Mo toabded withvost making any swlibh
commmmest beat i 8 mantet thal wemed 1o show
s s
8 wast to get this thing inctalled hefore any
S™ VA - .
“What b 27 1 ashed mganding the allaie
" which included something that loked like a
phonograph cylinder.
“An invention that has just been perfected,”
be replied, without delaying his pregarations,
“hy which it is possible for messages to be sent
over the tekephone and automatically registered
even in the absence of anyone at the receiving
end. Up to the present it has been practicable
1o take phonograph reconds only by the direct
action of the human voice upon the diaphragm of
the instrument. Not long ago there was suby
mitted 10 the Fremch Academy of Sciences an
apparatus, by which the receiver of the telephone
can be put into communication with a phono.
graph and a perfect recond obtained of the voice
of the speaker at the other end of the wire, his
mewage being reproduced st will by mercly
pressing a button ™
“Wouldn't the telegraphone do? | asked, re
membering our wse of that instrument in other
cawn
“It would recond,” be replied, “but | want 2
phonograph record. Nothing else will do in this
cawe. Youll se why, before | pet through
Beshdes, this apparatus n't complicated. Be.
tween the disphragm of the telephone receiver
and that of the phonographic microphose i
ftted an air chamber of adjustable size, ogan
oo the outer atmesghere by a snall hobe to present
compression. | think,” he added with a smile,
it will affond & pretty good means of collecting
souvenits of friends by preserving the sound of
their voloes through the telephone.”
For wveral minutes we waited.
“F don't think 1 ever heard of such effrontery,
sach open. barcfaced chicanery.” fumed Carton
impuataently
“Well cateh the fellow yet,” replied Kennedy
comidently. And 1 think we Tl find him 2 bad bot.”
AT last the tebephone rang. and Carton
answered it cagerly Abe did o, he quickly
motisned 1o us 1o g 0 to the outsde olfice
where we, o, comabl Beten on extensions.
“Yes, this bs Mr. Carton,” we beard him say.
Wi bs the oditor of the * Wall Stroet Recond,”
camw back the reply 10 tose that shomerd mo besi.
Tation of compaen:tion if it was lying. | supgune
wom have beand the rumars tha® are current down
town that Harthey Langhorne and the progde
acm iated with bim have gone broke in the gusd
they fomed 1o gt cmtrod of the pulidic utilities
That wusbd gt thewn b @ prosition to captune the
ity bettorment contracts’
“No | hade't beard 1" anewered Carton,
with difleoubty tectraning himedl from quissing
the indormant shout himeel. Kensedy was
uh&hfiuuucfi‘l“-
sute | oan't ongmess any opinlon st peble
cation on the slbgect.” be concladed braugpady,
Fammoniong dorw o the reverent om thee bewd Tutore has
LRAe T e e
The bell cmtinued 1o sing. bat Craig siond
the tecrbver ofl its ook agsin and called bk,
“Me. Canton has gone for the day,” hanging it
e agabn @b o hane ‘
“Call wp the “Revand” sow ™ sdviend Crale,
bt timg the tevomding indromest be had
N
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