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270 basket, smoothed it out, and later that day carried it to the office of the Banner. Humphrey read it slowly; then snorted:

"Citizens' Committee! It's not hard to guess where this came from!"

He paced the office with the greatest show of rage Helen had ever seen him exhibit.

"I'd be willing to bet my last penny that Harris wrote that note himself and that Rowe looked over his rascally shoulder while he did it. They're thicker than thieves!"

"Could we prove that?"

"No. Give the devil his due, Helen, they're slicker than eels! This is blackmail and they'll take no chances, just as they're taking no chances in trying to ruin me!

"I've haunted the court house, I've tapped every underground wire of information I have, but they've cut me off. Not a soul knows a word outside the rascals who have planned it and the rascals who are going to execute their orders. They're saving this thing for a knockout blow and they're taking no chances of spoiling it by letting the plan leak. By keeping quiet they have everything to gain and not a whisper to lose."

Closeted in Jim Harris' room in the Commercial House that night, Jim and Phil Rowe and the Judge of Probate talked in half tones over their cigars.

"If there's a leak we'll spot it," said Harris. "The three of us, the kid and the sheriff are the only ones who know, except Bryant himself. He won't squeak, so that if anything does get around we'll know where it comes from."