The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-04-03


ncter had not the manager interfered,
and the detectives finally withdrew,
with at least two pocketbooks crammed
with notes.
At 10 o'clock I was finishing my
thifd pipe and had long before ex-
changed my paper for a novel. was
just getting sleepy when queer thing
happened.
My bed was in one corner of the
room. 1 sat on chair on the left
hand side, with my feet across the
middle. / had my book on q line
with my eyes, and all had been quiet
for the last half hour, when suddenly
voice exclaimed:
"Well, old man, that must be an in
teresting yarn" D"
bounded to my feet and-saw no
one. l looked around the room care
fully, peering into every corner-no
one. l slipped toward the door on
tiptoe and opened it with jerk and
saw-no one.
Then turned, and there was q man
standing on the other side of my bed
He wasn't ghost. He was made of
blood, flesh and bones like myself.
To say l was frightened is putting
it mildly. was scared. 1 sank right
into chair, with my mouth open and
my eyes bulging out, until my visitor
laughed outright.
"Who are you?" I gasped, family.
"Well, that's a fair question:" he
replied. al suppose you've got
right TO ask. For the last three
hours, up to minute ago, was the
man under the bed, and now I'm the
man on the bed" and suiting the ac-
tion to word he lay himself out at full
length.
He was cool hand. 1 knew human
nature well enough to know he had
plenty of nerve behind his cheek.
''It wasn't all put on. As he lay
there / noticed a revolver in his hand.
Then 1 began to understand.
The evening paper had given por-
trait of Smith, and saw this was his
double. It dawned on me all of a
sudden that he was the identical
chap.
"You were under the bed when 1
came IMP" / queried, as we sat looking
at each other, and 1 was wondering
how to reach the bell.
Exactly" he replied.
"And you heard what the porter
said and the detectives?"
every word"
"And, to come to the point, you're
the man they want"
81 am"
''How the dickens did you get
here?"
81 didn't choose this abode for its
comfort" he said, "nor for its COM
pany. / had other plans, in fact. But
they miscarried. | lodged into this
hotel in search of temporary asylum,
and it looks as had found lunatic
asylum. Did you ever see $4,000 in
one pile? It's a refreshing sight.
See here"
He watched me with piercing eyes,
and though he was toying with his re-
volver carelessly enough I saw he had
his finger on the trigger all the time.
He bent over from the bed and
picked up bundle of notes from the
floor.
''This means a visit to the tailor's,
quail on toast with champagne, a long
trip to America or the Continent"
and he fondly patted the money. 80
they've got an account in the papers,
have they? I'd like to read it.
Thanks"
He skinned through the article
with evident enjoyment, now and
then chuckling to himself. The he
said:
"Pretty close shave, that. I'm sorry
for the cashier, but suppose he will
wriggle out of the responsibility
somehow. Excuse my asking the
question, but what do you do for
living?"
"I'm traveller in calicoes."
"Married?"
''No."
''Ever been abroad?"
"No."
'Look here, old chappie, "he went on
with easy familiarity, as he stretched
himself on the bed, "you're giving
me shelter and I'll do you a tuln.
Hand in your resignation and come
with me. 1t Will do you good and,
open your eyes. This little pile will
do us first class for a year"
'I'll see you hanged first, you
cheeky villain" 1 shouted. "I'm not
making tours with bank thieves and
jailbirds. Your trip will end in pris-
on, if it doesn't start there"
"Too peppery, altogether too pep
perry for the head traveller to a respec-
table frm," he quietly observed.
"And do you think I'll be arrested, as
you know SO much about it?"
Certainly. I'm going to take you
down stairs and hand you over to the
police"
"That's lie, he said, as he swung
his feet of the bed and stood up. "I
don't blame you for refusing trip to
America, but please don't make an
idot of yourself in other ways"
''How do you mean?" l asked, also
getting up and trying TO keep my,
head.
'Just look at things straight and
you'll see. I'm no chicken. Having
played for big stake aud won it,
am not likely to let myself be baked
by kid like you. I'm armed, as you
see. You're not, so keep your back
hair on. Even without arms could
do for you, being the larger of the
two"
"You oold-blooded scoundrel," 1