not thinking of his naked condition, he burst into the door and in doing so thrust a pretty young lady roughly onto the floor. Without speaking, he slammed the door to and locked it.

By this time she was over her initial shock enough to open her mouth to scream. "Don't” he said quite loudly. “Some men are trying to kill me."

This served to silence her momentarily. As he leaned over to help her to her feet he noticed for the first time that he was only wearing his shoes and socks. Quickly he went over to the rumpled bed and jerked off the spread to cover his nakedness.

"I'm sorry to have broken into your room like this, Miss. But I am trying to get away from some mobsters who think I'm one of them, and I'm not. They shot at me and one of the bullets hit my arm.

She could see he was telling the truth about being hit, for a trace of crimson showed through the spread he held against him. “How do I know you're not a crook or criminal trying to escape a policeman?"

A moment of thought and Russ answered: “Go to your telephone there and call the desk. Ask if they will tell you who Russ Jenkins of Room 1118 represents. I am a lingerie salesman for the Miss Vanity Company of Burlington."

She almost told him that she believed him without it, and then walked to the phone. When the clerk was asked for the information, it was as Russ said.

She sat on the bed then and said: “I felt you were telling the truth, but I really wanted to know. What are you going to do?"

He thought for a while. "I guess I'll wait to see if they give up or not. Were you going to check out now? If you are I could stay here and wait them out.'

"No, I was just going to the desk for something for a headache. I've been up most of the night with it. After so long, I had to do something. Funny though, it's eased off now."

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