Page:Arthur Stringer - The Door of Dread.djvu/78

 I ain't Fannie Fatichiara," she challenged, "I jus' wish yuh'd lead me to her!"

The man pondered this for a moment. He seemed puzzled. "All right," he suddenly announced.

It was Sadie's turn to ponder the problem so unexpectedly confronting her. "When?" she inquired.

"Any old time!" promptly declared the visitor.

Again Sadie pondered. "How'll we go?" she temporized.

"We'll go in a taxi, by gum," was the altogether reckless answer, "and the sooner the better!"

Sadie drew her sable wrappings together and rose with both dignity and determination to her feet.

"Then yuh wait until I grab me hat and mitts," she explained to him.

She stepped back and slipped in under the draped curtains of the cabinet front. There Wilsnach caught her by the arm, his lips close to her ear.

"Follow that man!" was his fierce whisper. "Keep with him to the last gasp. For that's the thief who stole our Navy plans!"

"Then gimme a gun," whispered back the unperturbed Sadie, before stepping out through the second tier of curtains at the cabinet back. "For I'm goin' to make good on this case or quit the Service!"