Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-08-15


stood revealed to us.
1t was Mr.. Jocelyn, the steward
CHAPTER TX
THE STEWARD EXPLAINS.
It was, indeed the steward With the
black felt hat he used to wear crushed upon
the back of his head, and his old dark blue
oyercoat that was familiar to nearly the
whole village giving signs of being hur-
redly assumed, he looked as though he
had just been aroused from an uneasy
nap, and his surprise at being confronted
by us appeared fully as genuine and unaf-
fected as our own.
Halo! whats to do, gentlemen?" he
exclaimed. Looking after me?"
Hardly" growled Doc "You did not
intimate that any one else was in that
room, he added, turning sharply upon the
bartender.
Il forgot all about this gentleman, or
| supposed he'd gone home long ago." re-
sponded he of The Spider, scratching his
head confusedly. He ordered a hot
Scotch in there several hours ago. Where
| can the other chap have gomez"
| was, in the meantime, endeavoring to
solve this question in a more practical way
| having at once slipped into the back room
and turned up the gas, upon recovering
from my surprise. A single glance proved
that no one was concealed there 1t was
plain, cheap, dirty apartment, fitted up as
such accessories of the ordinary gin mill"
usually are, with three or four small tables
scattered over with illustrated newspapers
and packs of playing cards, several chairs,
as many spittoons. bagateile- board in one
corner, cheap chromos of questionable
character on the walls, and narrow lava
tory in another corner, which proved to be
empty.
Gone, eh?" exclaimed my companions
disappointed voice at my elbow, as stood
gazing rather stupidity at the little square
hole that answered for window, and the
sash of which | had found swung wide
open on its hinges.
l nodded, and pointed to the window.
Does it look as if he could have crept
through that?" asked
We'll, hardly" said Doc. his bewildered
glance wandering from the window to an
inspection, first of the dirty floor, then of
the low, smoke grimed ceiling and then of
the narrow little fireplace, in which a fire
was burning. And yet by what other
means could he have escaped?"
took in the breadth of the window with
my eye, in it's relation to my own shotl-
ders, and shook my head, though it did
look little larger then than it had from
the outside.
Were you chasin' of him?" said the
proprietor, still bewilderedly. "He must
have jumped out of that winder into the
water"
Chasing whom?" demanded Jocelyn, for
we were all in the back room together now.
The Teller that must have locked the
door while you was asleep, reckon" said
the other
Il really don't understand, said Jocelyn,
looking greatly puzzled "To tell the
truth, | came here to watch for some one
myself-some one in whose discovery we
are perhaps equally interested" he added,
with significant glance at Doc and me, to
the exclusion of the liquor seller who be-
gan to look as if he felt himself de hop.
Can It be that we encounter each other
on the Same errand?"
AS the barkeeper appeared to be stupidity
unconscious of what we were concerning
ourselves about, I ordered some drinks to
be prepared at the bar, in order to be tenn
porarily rid of his company
then briefly made known the secret of
our GRAND to Jocelyn. The effect upon
him was almost pitiable. never saw any
one apparently so startled and frightened
at being informed of an unknown deadly
peril just escaped, as he appeared to be at
the bare knowledge of having been, while
helplessly asleep. in close proximity to such
a villain as Marchmont He turned white,
and his knees fairly smote each other
Great heaven!" he gasped; che might
have murdered me, too, and without re-
sistance And it's o wonder he didn't, for
he must have guessed that was here on
the watch for him.
You expected to meet him here. them"
said Doc.
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