[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

"Now you are talking in riddles again!"Warwick declared. "I see that my
limousine is waiting, and so I cannot waste any more time on you.Just a
friendly tip, my man--if I find you annoying me again, I shall feel compelled
to deal with you personally!"
John Warwick's voice lost its light tone and became menacing as he spoke, and
his eyes narrowed and glittered for an instant. The other man recoiled, but
regained his composure again almost instantly and stepped nearerWarwick .
"Maybe you'd like to try to do that little thing right now!" he said.
"Ah! You'd like very much to have me, wouldn't you?"Warwick exclaimed. "But
it happens that I have an engagement--a rather important engagement--"
"Yes, I know all about that!"
"You do, eh? It appears to me that you are a bit too much interested in my
personal affairs. My word! You seem to know as much as my private secretary
would--if I had one. I'd advise you to remember that little tip of mine!"
John Warwick glared at the man, and then hurried across the street to where
his limousine was waiting. He told the chauffeur to drive him to the residence
onAmerican Boulevard , and there he picked up Silvia, who cuddled up beside
him in the big car and seemed to be very happy in so doing.
"Are you going to tell me what you are going to do tonight?" she asked.
"Little girls should not ask too many questions,"Warwick told her. "It isn't
much of a task, really."
"I think you are mean if you don't tell me!"
"Promise to keep it a dark secret?"
"Of course!"
"And you must forget it as soon as I have told you, and keep your mind off
it. You don't want me to fail, do you?"
"Certainly not, John!"
"Very well.Mrs. Burton Barker always wears a little locket on the end of a
long, gold chain. I am to get that locket. Don't ask me why, for I do not
know. Your jolly old uncle wants it for some purpose, and that is enough for
me. Now, you forget it!"
Page 122
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Very well, I'll try, only I'm not so sure that I can," Silvia said. "But
I'll not bother you, John."
Warwickglanced through the window as the big car speeded toward that section
of the city where pretentious residences predominated. The Burton Barkers had
an imposing mansion surrounded by lawns that were fringed with big trees.
It was one of the show places of the city.Warwick knew it well, had been in
almost every room of it. He often had inspected it while Burton Barker was
having it constructed, and afterward he had been a guest there scores of
times. That was when he had believed that Barker was his friend.
Barker still thought that he believed it. Barker was not aware that John
Warwick knew he had conspired with other men to rob him in business
deals.Warwick would not have known it, had not The Spider proved it to
him.Warwick had no repugnance, therefore, in committing a crime in Burton
Barker's residence while he was a guest there. He remembered that Barker had
robbed him in his own house, while pretending deep friendship.
The limousine turned into the driveway and came to a stop before the
house.Warwick helped Silvia out, and they entered. Many guests already had
arrived, the orchestra was playing, and the scene was one of wealth and
splendor.
They greeted their host and hostess, and for an instantWarwick 's eyes rested
on the locket he was to get. It still hung on the end of the long heavy gold
chain, and Mrs. Burton Barker was twisting the chain around the fingers of her
left hand, as she seemed always to be doing.
John Warwick danced once with Silvia Rodney, and then handed her over to
another partner, and walked slowly through the rooms, nodding to his friends
and acquaintances, acting as though he were searching for somebody, but, in
reality, spotting any strangers who might happen to be present.
If it was to be his lot to face foes, he wanted to know their identities, if
possible. From what had been told him, he did not know whether his antagonists
would be strangers or persons with whom he was well acquainted.
One thought dominated his mind--that The Spider expected success and would
not countenance failure. John Warwick had been ordered to get the locket worn
by Mrs. Burton Barker, and the supercriminal expected him to get it.
Warwickpassed on through the rooms, went to the veranda, strolled there and
smoked a cigarette, and retraced his steps to the house again. Some belated
guests were arriving.Warwick wandered toward the foot of the stairs to inspect
these late-comers.
And then he almost lost his composure for a moment and stepped quickly aside,
where he would not be observed. Greeting the hostess was the man who had
followed him in the roadster in the afternoon, and with whom he had talked in
the street before the apartment house just before starting for the Barker
residence. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]