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

Page 28 text:

26 THE IGX ATI AX a fool, as the hours slowly passed by. But suddenly there came the sound of footsteps in the hallway. The two men, who had been left to watch me, sprang up and peeked through a crack in the door. Then, without paying any attention to me, they ran to one corner of the room, pulled up a trap door in the floor, and disappeared through the opening. A moment later came loud knocks on the door. “ ‘It’s locked 1 shouted. ‘You’ll have to break it down They followed my instructions, and within a few minutes a captain of police and four burly officers were in the room, looseivng the ropes that held me a prisoner.” O’Toole paused a second to dispose of the remains of the Havana, which by this time had burned down and gone out. “I’ll say she was some kid,” commented Rogers. “Did you ever see her again?” “Yes, continued O’Toole, ‘that night. In fact twenty minutes after I was freed I arrived at the Central Police Station, and found her there waiting for me.” “Waiting for you’ ” evclaimcd Rogers. “Yes, waiting for me. And she had McGregor too. You see, she was the—well the fiancee of the young fellow in Washington who was suspected of the theft. She was working to clear him. She got a tip somehow or other as to who had the plates, but couldn’t locate them. Then she thought of using me. She figured it out that if she could get them to move they would take the plates with them. W ell she went to McGregor and pretended to be a friend. She told him that the ‘Service’ was wise to him, and he believed her. She told him that I was coming there at a certain time to nab him. and suggested that he grab me. and use my pass to skip the country. You know how I fell in with her scheme. But the best part of it was that as soon as McGregor got mv pass, he made a wild dash for the plates, intending to get out of the country. She followed with a plain clothes man, and nabbed him with the goods. Some girl, eh?” “You said something.” agreed Rogers. '. Harrell Dalv.

Page 27 text:

DOUBLE CROSSED 25 ■ having put in six years at Sing Sing for counterfeiting. As I glared at him, lie came closer to me with a sickly • smile on his face. “ ‘So you’re the guy that gets $10,000 a year for being 9 a sharper.’ I le laughed sarcastically. ‘Well, we put one over on you this time—thanks to the girl. She's not all ivory upstairs, is she?’ “ hat a shock the mentioning of the girl gave me. So I had been tricked, caught in a trap by a girl less than half my own age. The very thought of it maddened me. McGregor interrupted my reflections by starting to search my pockets. One by one, everything that F had in niv possession was carefully examined by him. Finally he gave a low whistle. “ ‘This might come in handy.’ he said. (dancing at what he referred to. I discovered that it was a pass card given to those who have been in the ‘Service’ a number of years. It will take the bearer anywhere, without any questions being asked. Immediately I realized what it meant to have it in McGregor’s possession. With it he could take the plates aboard any steamer without fear of having his baggage inspected. My misery was now complete. What would headquarters think of me when it came out that the plates were taken out of the country through my negligence? Putting the card into his pocket, McGregor held a hasty consultation with his companions in one corner of the room Then, gathering up a few things in a bag, he left hurriedly. “‘How long are you going to keep me here?’ 1 enquired of one of my captors. “ ‘Oh about two or three weeks,’ he answered with a sneer. “I was convinced that McGregor would use the pass to get out of the country. What would I say when I got free. 1 wondered. How could I ever reinstate myself? I would « be disgraced for life. The words of the chief came back to me, ‘I am sure you know the game!’ “Thus I sat, silently upbraiding myself for being such

Page 29 text:

M. F. Welch W. W. Jacka C. W. Haswell J. J. McEntee