“That sounds crazy,” says I.
“Anyhow,” says he, “I’m goin’ to f-f-find out what’s the meanin’ of this ad.”
“Go ahead,” says I, “and if you get into trouble don’t ask me to pull you out.”
Mark looked at me and grinned, and I grinned back, for it was funny. Usually the one to get folks out of trouble wasn’t me. I was better at getting them into it. But Mark, why, he made a sort of business of jerking us out of scrapes we got into!
“Why,” says I, “would a man put in an ad. like that? Why doesn’t he go tell this Jethro instead of puttin’ it in the paper?”
“One reason,” says Mark, “is because he d-d-don’t want to be seen near where this Jethro is stayin’.”
That did sound reasonable.
“Yes,” says Mark, tugging at his ear. “Jethro’s expectin’ this feller. This Black Glove feller’s the boss, it looks to me Jethro’s either d-doin’ somethin’ or f-f-findin’ out somethin’ for Black Gloves, and this ad. tells him to report. That’s easy. He’s to do his r-r-reportin’ at the Center Line Bridge, and the ‘eight’ means eight o’clock.... But what d-day?”
“Why,” says I, “the day the paper comes out!”
“N-no,” says Mark. “I f-figger he means next day. By that time Jethro’d have time to get his p-p-paper and see the ad. Most likely he’s been told to look for his orders that way.”