ion to a frame-up
to kidnap this Eliot person."

"Kidnap E. Eliot!" gasped the amazed Evans. "Kidnap that very pest. And
I tell you, man, if I hadn't roared like a stuck ox they would have done
it! Fancy introducing 'Prisoner of Zenda' stuff into the campaign in
Whitewater! Though I will say this, Penny, as between old army friends
and college chums," continued Mr. Remington earnestly, "if a warrior
bold with spurs of gold, who was slightly near-sighted and not
particular about his love being so damned young and fair, would swoop
down and carry this E. Eliot off to his princely donjon, and would let
down the portcullis for two days, until the election is over, it would
help some! Though otherwise I don't wish her any bad luck!"

The old army friend and college chum laughed.

"Well, that's your end of the story! I'm mighty glad you stopped it.
Here's my end. You remember two-fingered Moll, who was our first client?
The one who insisted on being referred to as a lady? The one who got
converted and quit the game and who thought she was being pursued by the
racetrack gang because she was trying to live decent?"

George smiled in remembrance. "Well, she called me up to know if there
was any penalty for renting a house to Mike the Goat and his wife and
old Salubrious the Armenian, who had a lady friend they were keeping
from the cops against her will. She said they weren't going to hurt the
lady, and I could see her every day to prove it. I advised her to keep
out of it, of course; but she was strong for it, because of what she
called the big money. I explained carefully that if anything should
happen, her past reputation would go against her. But she kept saying it
was straight, until I absolutely forbade her to do it, and she promised
not to."

"Mike and his woman, and Old Salubrious!" echoed Remington. "And E.
Eliot locked up with them for two days!"

He shivered, partly at the memory of his own mealy-mouthed protest.

"Well," he said, and there was an air of finality in his tone, "I'm glad
I stopped the whole infamous business."

Mentally he decided to get Noonan on the telephone the first thing in
the morning and make certain that the plan was abandoned. He continued
his chat with Evans.

"But, Penny, why this agonizing of Noonan? What has he to lose by the
better conditions in Kentwood? Why should he----"

Outside of a neat white dwelling in the suburbs of Whitewater, four
figures were struggling in the nigh