Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-10
CHAPTER VII.

I HON l 1ltINh AOI lIAN r. NINl LIE IN-A-
 JAIIS RUBY.
 The following morning, when the two sepoys appeared on the front porch of the Wingtlcll hotel, Max Manson was i'll the act of saying goodhy to the landlord.
 II must take the next train to New York said he; "the distance to the sta tion Is so short I'll walk, but I have no time to lose.
 Nevertheless he stood a few minutes after one of tn" aliens started in the direction of the station. When the de- tcctive 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- tion a 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 Stuid until after the cars had steamed away.
 He knows I am booked for New York" reflected Manson, "and is sure that l will go straight through, but I 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 d half hour later boarded the cars in the opposite direction. Before they came to a halt he took a cautious survey of the platform. If the Asiatic was there, he intended to stay on the train, for it was necessary above everything that his return to Wingfeld should be unknown and unsuspected by those fellows.
 The coast seemed to be clear, and he stepped out, 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. It was to be supposed that the peddlers would be absent by that time retailing their knickknacks drought tho neighborhOod. Manson was confident, therefore, when he ascended 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 I would like to go to my room for few minutes"
 "Of course, of course" was the re- sponse; ''jes' 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 ad- 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.
 "Tve no doubt it will fit every door along the hall, ;" was his conclusion as he relocked his own door after setting down his valise in the room he was about to inspect.
 In case any one should come upon him while engaged in this apartment he could make the reasonable plea of 8 mistake quite natural under the circum- stances.
 The detective lost no time. The ap- pearance of the room showed that the late occupants expected to return, for considerable of their trumpery lay about