The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1893-05-24
CHAPTER VII.

JAHs RUBY.
The following morning, when the two
sepoys appeared on the front porch OF
the Wingfield hotel, Max Manson was III
the act of saying goodby to the landlord.
81 must take the next train to New
York" said he; "the distance to the sta
ton is so short I'll walk, but l have no
time to lose"
Nevertheless he stood few minutes
after one of the aliens started in the
direction of the station. When the de-
tective reached that point, the fellow
was lounging among several waiting
passengers. Without seeming to pay
attention to him Max observed that he
bought no ticket. There could be no
doubt that he had gone thither TO watch
Manson.
The latter bought with some ostenta-
ton ticket for the metropolis and en-
tered the smoking car of the train, which
drew up few minutes later. The
glance which he cast at the platform
showed the East Indian still there, where
he doubtless staid until after the cars
had steamed away.
HE knows l am booked for New
York" reflected Manson, land is sure
that will go straight through, but !
have some doubts on that point"
The first station at which the train
drew up was about 10 miles away.
There the detective disembarked and
a half hour later boarded the cars
in the opposite direction. Before they
came to halt he took cautious survey
of the platform. If the Asiatic was there,
he intended to stay on the train, for 1t
was necessary above everything that his
return to Wingfield should be unknown
and unsupported by those fellows.
The coast seemed to be clear, and he
stepped out, a number of other people
doing the same, TO say nothing of several
who took their departure from the place.
Manson was specially anxious to get
back to the inn without detection by the
foreigners. He made his way along and
through the street with the greatest pos
sible precaution. 1t was to be supposed
that the peddlers would be absent by
that time retailing their knickknacks
through the neighborhood. Manson was
confident, therefore, when he assembled
the steps of the hotel, without having
caught the first glimpse Of them, that he
had nothing to fear in the way of dis
cOvery.
The landlord naturally showed some
surprise at seeing his late guest again,
but the latter, shaking him heartily by
the hand, said:
Strange that should have forgotten
something. With your permission |
would like TO 20 to my room for few
minutes"
"Of course, of course" was the re-
Spouse; lies make yerself at home. I'll
be glad TO have you stay week"
They were neat and tidy at the hotel,
for, though the hour was quite early,
Manson found that his bed and room
had been put in good order. The land
lord had given him key with which he
admitted himself, setting his valise on
the floor Listening for some minutes
and cautiously surveying his surround
ings, he was convinced that no one was
in sight. He inserted the key in the adj
joining door, where the peddlers had
spent the preceding night. He could not
help smiling when he found that the
lock responded as readily to the key as
did his own.
I've no doubt it will fit every door
along the hall" was his conclusion as
he relocked his own door after setting
down his valise III the room no was
about to inspect.
In case any one should come upon
him while engaged in this apartment he
could make the reasonable plea of
mistake quite neutral under the cream
stances.
The detective lost no time. The APP
pearance of the room showed that the
late occupants expected to return, for a
considerable of their trumpery lay about
the floor, and some Of their extra clothing
was suspended from the hooks in the
closet.
Recalling where he had heard that pc.
culiar noise when listening the night be-
fore, Manson began careful examina-
ton of the surbase running along the
side of the room next TO his own.
They were at work somewhere near
that spot" he said, looking keenly at the
portion near the corner of the apart
ment. II heard them using their knife
for good while. They are cunning
workers at that sort of thing and have
concealed their work we'll"
When some minutes passed without
any discovery, feeling of doubt crept
into his mind, and he asked himself
whether it was not some trick, after all.
which they were playing upon him.
"If it was, can't suspect it's nature,
but I'll find out"
There was SO little light in the corner
despite the two windows, that he struck
a match. and STOPPING down passed it
slowly along the wood. Using his vision
the best he could, he finally detected u
tiny bit of chipping on the cheap, in
grain carpet close to the wall. IL re-
sembled fragment from a match that
some one had dropped, but it was the
clew for which he was searching.
A rectangular ridge two or three inches
in length extended along the surbase 30
family marked that only the closest
scrutiny could detect it.
Inserting the point of his knife, he ex-
erted steady and increasing pressure.
Soon there was a slight yielding, and
then shell of wood resembling the thin
lid of a small box fell out on the floor,
revealing a cavity behind it a couple of
inches in depth.
Max Manson's heart gave a quick
throb when he perceived fine tissue
paper resting within, but without any
nervousness of manner, though his ex-
element was intense, he drew 1t out.
He unfolded it just enough to catch a