The Bradys and the Girl Smuggler | Page 9

are on her trail."
"She certainly must be interested in her husband's crooked work or she
would not see her daughter off to Europe in this manner. In fact, if she
were not so greatly interested, I doubt if she would allow her child to
make such a long, dangerous trip alone."
"Your reasoning is very sensible," commented Old King Brady, "but

you must recollect that the girl smuggler is very smart. She is used to
danger. This may not be her first voyage abroad alone. In fact, she has
probably been making many trips to the other side, bringing back
jewels to be smuggled ashore."
"Judging by what that letter said," remarked Harry, "the man and his
wife are likely to go to Canada now and wait there for the girl's return
with that large consignment of precious stones. We shall be obliged to
follow them there. We can't arrest them now on suspicion, nor can we
pull La Croix in for trying to murder us in the Fifth Avenue Hotel
elevator. If we do, it will interfere with our capturing the girl when she
returns with those jewels."
"I'm sorry to say your view of the matter is correct, Harry."
"There goes the woman up Sixth avenue. She's a good walker. It looks
to me as if she were heading for the French district in the neighborhood
of Third street. Queer she didn't ride."
They tracked her to West Broadway.
Here she suddenly turned into the hall of a very old house across the
front of which hung the sign of an artificial flower maker.
Old King Brady passed into the hall after her and Harry remained on
guard at the door.
Going up a flight of stairs, the woman knocked at a door and when it
was opened, she passed into a room, closing the door after her.
The detective glided over to the door and listened.
Voices were heard inside, a man crying out eagerly:
"Well, Lena, ees ze child gone?"
"Yes, Paul," Mrs. La Croix replied, in sad tones. "The Champagne just
departed with our daughter. We shall not see her for a month."

"Ah, but when she return we make ze largest stake of our lives."
"I wish this risky business was ended, Paul. I'm getting sick of it. We
do not lead the peaceful lives of other people. It is a constant
excitement and fear of police interference."
"Do not complain, Lena. Zees ees ze last treep ze child make. Eef eet
ees wong success, we make so much dollaires zat we can retiaire an'
leeve ze life of ease for ze rest of our days, by gar!"
He laughed and the woman replied, resignedly:
"Well, I hope your dream will come true, Paul."
"Take zees seat an' 'ave your suppair, my dear. You need ze rest, for
to-night we leave New York by rail for Canada, for I have sold all ze
stones I had, an' mail my draft to Paris."
Old King Brady smiled and muttered:
"I'm glad you've told me your business, old fellow."
The shadows of twilight had fallen by this time and the hall was getting
dark.
Hearing some one coming downstairs from an upper floor, the old
detective retreated along the hall and crouched back in a doorway.
He pressed himself back flat against the door hoping the person who
was coming would pass him in the gloom without observing his
presence.
Unfortunately the door behind him was not shut tight.
As he pressed his back against it, it flew inward all of a sudden and
pitching over backward, the detective fell sprawling upon the floor of a
small room adjoining the one occupied by La Croix and his wife.
He heard the Frenchman utter a startled cry.

Like a tiger he sprang into the room and saw the detective.
"_Parbleu!_" he hissed, a look of rage and hate upon his dark face. "Ze
secret police. Watching me, eh? I show you, Monsieur."
He seized an iron bar standing in the corner and as the old detective
was upon the point of scrambling to his feet, he dealt the officer a
fearful blow that knocked him senseless.
He just had time to bang the door shut to prevent the person who was
coming from upstairs from seeing what was going on.
Just then his wife rushed in.
"What is the matter, Paul?" she demanded.
"Old King Brady!" he replied, pointing at the old detective excitedly.
"Ah;" was her cool reply. "He has found our refuge, eh?"
"Yes. An' probable he has been listen to our talk."
"That is very dangerous for us, Paul."
"Not since I 'ave him at my mercy. _Sacriste!_ When I geet through
wiz heem now, he not weel trouble us again een wong hurry."
Fearing the