Tangled Trails: A Western Detective Story

  CHAPTER V

  COUSINS MEET

  With the aid of a tiny looking-glass a young woman was powdering hernose. Lane interrupted her to ask if he might see Mr. Cunningham.

  "Name, please?" she parroted pertly, and pressed a button in theswitchboard before her.

  Presently she reached for the powder-puff again. "Says to come rightin. Door 't end o' the hall."

  Kirby entered. A man sat at a desk telephoning. He was smooth-shavenand rather heavy-set, a year or two beyond thirty, with thinning hairon the top of his head. His eyes in repose were hard and chill. Fromthe conversation his visitor gathered that he was a captain in the RedCross drive that was on.

  As he hung up the receiver the man rose, brisk and smiling, handoutstretched. "Glad to meet you, Cousin Kirby. When did you reachtown? And how long are you going to stay?"

  "Got in hour an' a half ago. How are you, James?"

  "Busy, but not too busy to meet old friends. Let me see. I haven'tseen you since you were ten years old, have I?"

  "I was about twelve. It was when my father moved to Wyoming."

  "Well, I'm glad to see you. Where you staying? Eat lunch with meto-morrow, can't you? I'll try to get Jack too."

  "Suits me fine," agreed Kirby.

  "Anything I can do for you in the meantime?"

  "Yes. I want to see Uncle James."

  There was a film of wariness in the eyes of the oil broker as he lookedat the straight, clean-built young cattleman. He knew that the strongface, brown as Wyoming, expressed a pungent personality back of whichwas dynamic force. What did Lane want with his uncle? They hadquarreled. His cousin knew that. Did young Lane expect him to backhis side of the quarrel? Or did he want to win back favor with JamesCunningham, Senior, millionaire?

  Kirby smiled. He guessed what the other was thinking. "I don't wantto interfere in your friendship with him. All I need is his addressand a little information. I've come to have another row with him, Ireckon."

  The interest in Cunningham's eyes quickened. He laughed. "Aren't youin bad enough already with Uncle? Why another quarrel?"

  "This isn't on my own account. There's a girl in his office--"

  A rap on the door interrupted Kirby. A young man walked into the room.He was a good-looking young exquisite, dark-eyed and black-haired. Hisclothes had been made by one of the best tailors in New York.Moreover, he knew how to wear them.

  James Cunningham, Junior, introduced him to Kirby as his cousin Jack.After a few moments of talk the broker reverted to the subject of theirprevious talk.

  "Kirby was just telling me that he has come to Denver to meet UncleJames," he explained to his brother. "Some difficulty with him, Iunderstand."

  Jack Cunningham's black eyes fastened on his cousin. He waited forfurther information. It was plain he was interested.

  "I'm not quite sure of my facts," Lane said. "But there's evidence toshow that he has ruined a young girl in his office. She practicallyadmits that he's the man. I happen to be a friend of her family, an'I'm goin' to call him to account. He can't get away with it."

  Kirby chanced to be looking at his cousin Jack. What he saw in thatyoung man's eyes surprised him. There were astonishment, incredulity,and finally a cunning narrowing of the black pupils.

  It was James who spoke. His face was grave. "That's a serious charge,Kirby," he said. "What is the name of the young woman?"

  "I'd rather not give it--except to Uncle James himself."

  "Better write it," suggested Jack with a reminiscent laugh. "He's abit impetuous. I saw him throw a man down the stairs yesterday.Picked the fellow up at the foot of the flight. He certainly looked asthough he'd like to murder our dear uncle."

  "What I'd like to know is this," said Lane. "What sort of a reputationhas Uncle James in this way? Have you ever heard of his bein' inanything of this sort before?"

  "No, I haven't," James said promptly.

  Jack shrugged. "I wouldn't pick nunky for exactly a moral man," hesaid flippantly. "His idea of living is to grab all the easy things hecan."

  "Where can I see him most easily? At his office?" asked Kirby.

  "He drove down to Colorado Springs to-day on business. At least hetold me he was going. Don't know whether he expects to get backto-night or not. He lives at the Paradox Apartments," Jack said.

  "Prob'ly I'd better see him there rather than at his office."

  "Hope you have a pleasant time with the old boy," Jack murmured."Don't think I'd care to be a champion of dames where he's concerned.He's a damned cantankerous old brute. I'll say that for him."

  James arranged a place of meeting for luncheon next day. The youngcattleman left. He knew from the fidgety manner of Jack that he hadsome important business he was anxious to talk over with his brother.