University of San Francisco - USF Don Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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DOUBLE CROSSED 21 “‘Who are you?’ I asked, in as even a tone as I could command. ‘I don’t even know you.’ “‘Oh. that’s all right,’ she replied with a smile, seeming to enjoy my confusion. ‘I know you. I’ve heard the gang speak of you a number of times. You’re Michael J. O'Toole of the United States Secret Service, and you are searching for the stolen plates. You’d give $10,000 to find them, but I am going to tell you where you can get them for nothing As she finished, she leaned slightly forward, resting one hand on her hip, and supporting her dimpled chin with the other, and looked me straight in the eye. To he frank with you, I didn’t know what to do or say. Pile first thing I thought of was to ask her how she knew where the plates were, and I did. “ ‘That is really none of your business she replied, ‘but I don’t mind telling you. For the past two years I have been sort of paling with the gent who has them, lie got tired of me though, and ditched me when he found another he liked better. T’m squealing simply to get even. Get me?’ “I did and I didn’t. What 1 couldn’t understand was why she was offering to tell me without any reward where I could locate the plates, when she could secure a nice piece of change for this information. If it hadn’t been for the way she looked me straight in the eye and told her story, I would certainly have suspected that she was laying a trap for me. “ ‘Well I said at last, ‘tell me where the plates are.’ “‘Not so fast there, grandpa she broke in. Til give you the dope when, and only when, you have agreed to go after them in my way “ ‘And bv that you mean ?’ “ ‘That you must do the job yourself and take me along.’ “ ‘Say. how am 1 going to know that you are not trying to lead me into a net?’ I asked. She smiled. “‘You Hatter yourself. What difference would it make if you were put out of the way? There are fifty other

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20 THE IGXATI.IX similar situation. I concluded that the fellow who had the plates was lying low around one of the numerous Atlantic ports, waiting for a chance to skip the country. “For about a week I covered the coast between Xew York and Boston. I discovered absolutely nothing that could be of any assistance in locating the thieves or their loot, and as far as I could learn, my fate had been shared by the other men of the ’Service.’ March was over half gone, the date set for the opening of the Victory Loan drive drawing near, and no clue to the recovery of the missing plates. “I spent the next week around Norfolk and Newport News, but without any satisfactory results. I was sitting in the lobby of the Monticello Hotel in the former city one evening, debating with myself what territory I should cover next, when I heard a bell-boy paging me. As he approached where I was seated. I called him over, and inquired what he wanted. “ ‘Lady wishes to see you. sir,' he said. ’The lady sitting on the other side of the lobby with roses on her hat.’ I glanced in the direction in which he pointed, and easily located the one with the rose-adorned hat. but after scrutinizing her closely for several seconds. I was unable to recall having met her before. Needless to say. I was not a little surprised at being visited, as I had thought my whereabouts were unknown. As I approached mv visitor. 1 could see that she was very young, not more than twenty-three or four, and that she was exceptionally good looking. After presenting myself, I drew a chair up beside her. and inquired what I could do for her. She glanced up at me with a rather queer expression upon her face and said: “‘Do you want to know where the Victory Bond plates are?’ For several seconds I stared at her half dazed, and then, partially recovering from the shock of such a greeting, and realizing that I had been indiscreet in displaying my surprise, T endeavored to compose myself.

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 THE JGXATIAX “Service men within ten miles of here. You would never he missed. She was ri.uht and I knew it. With fifty, possibly seventy-five other agents almost within calling distance, what good would it do to grab me? “‘Well, kid. I said, ’I’ll take a chance. What’s your game?’ 'Won mean you’ll keep what I tell you under your hat and follow im instructions?’ she queried. “ ‘Yes.’ I replied. ’’ its easy to pull it off. she began, her eyes brightening. ’At about l) o’clock at night he is usually alone. A hundred to one he’ll be lying on the couch opposite the door. All you have to do is to knock like this to get in.’ She tapped twice on the arm of her chair, paused, and then tapped twice again. ‘That’s the signal,’ she said. ‘When he hears that he’ll press a button that releases Unlock on the door. Then you can fling it open and cover him with your gun. That’s what I call :»implc.’ “‘But how about the plates?’ “‘Oh yes. the plates,’ she continued. ‘When you get inside of the room you’ll see a panel in the wall over the couch. By running your hand over it you will find a button. Press it. and the panel will spring open. Right inside, on a little shelf, are the plates.’ “‘And where will you be while I am doing all this?’ 1 asked. “‘Outside she replied. ‘Don’t worry about me. I’U be on the spot when you bring him out.’ “’But where is the lvmse?’ 1 questioned, determined to find out as much as possible. “‘I’ll show vou when you do the job she answered. ‘If I told you now you might be tempted to raid it without me. Will you be ready at 8:30 to-morrow night?' I hesitated for a moment: then thrusting my fears aside, said: “‘Yes, I’ll be ready. Where shall 1 meet you?’