The National tribune., 1897-07-15

self by going out on the balcony and reassur-
ing himself that the fre-escape was distant
from The windows of No. 13s, and that there
was no other exit than by the door.
Nine o'clock came, and still no sign Of
awakening. Kent was on nettes. He felt
that he could not endure the suspense much
longer. Con was almost as much wrought
up, but Wat was doing in the corner.
Must be DESCENDANT nv the Siven
Slapers Az Ephysis," said Con, indicating
No. l3S with his thumb. "Slapes ez il he
wuz doing it on his own account, an NOS be
the lasb."
At 9oO, however, came sounds of awaken
ing. Then there was clattet of stonewars
and splashing of water.
"All roight," whispered Con, "a he woke
mp Wat. Take good wash, Mishter Rag
brooches. Some distinguished jintlemen
are waiting fur an audience wild ye"
Takes him terrible while to dress,n
muttered Kent, with every thought and
muscle strained in tense expectancy Of the
opening of the door. Con and Wat were
trying to pass him, but he was determined
to be the first to lay hands on Ragabert, and
would not let them 90 by.
There was a wait that seemed 10 Kent in
terminable. Finally. he heard the key
turn in the lock. The door was thrown
corpalent man, carrying bis valise, and not
bes;owing even glance upon the men who
had been watching his door with tense
eagerness for hours.
In his modification Kent bit his lip till
the blood came. Con and Wat swora
audibly.
They went into the room and examined
1t thoroughly, without finding anything of
moment.
AS they came out the Manager of the
hotel came up.
Your man is in the breakfast-room,D he
said. Don't make a scene there, where
the ladies' are Wait till he comes out I
thought you were going to take him as he
came out of the ROOM"
He's not our man. said Kent. "There,s
been some mistake" He explained the
situation at length to the Manager who
said
1t seems to me you have gone off on q
wild-goose chase, without any reasonable
basis. To settle it, 1 am going into the
breakfast-room and have talk with this
man. The clerk who put him IN the room
probably knew something OF him, but be
won't be here until l o'clock. III bet I
can find out more about him in i've minutes
than you can with all your detective
schemes"
He went straight to the table, where the
man was finishing his coffee and the morn
ing paper, and SAID, bluntly:
Are you Mr.. Rangabrent, of Milwaa-
KEEP"
No" answered the man CURLY, hardly
raising his eyes from the paper MY
names Tarbeli. I'm from Detroit
You are in No 133, aren't you?"
didn't notice the number of the ROOM
Only wanted to sleep there. Going to leave
on noon train"
There seems to have been some mistake.
Another man is registered from your room.n
Then it's mistake of your room-cIerk.
1 was tired and sleepy when came in, but
knew my own name, all the same, and
wrote it tolerably plain. Phi go out to the
office and see about it want to settle my
bill, anyway"
he looked over the register
There's my name, and you DONE need
spectacles to read it." and he pointed til
umphantly TO
-. s. Tarbell, Detroit, Mich"
Want to see me write it again 20 and
seizing the pen, he quickly covered sheet
of paper with Implications. "I'm in the
lumber business Here's my card.D
But you were assigned to No. 248. How
did You get into No. 139?n
That's none of my business. I went
where the bell-boy took me. / don's know
anything about the mathematical combine
nations OF your house, and didn't care.
only wanted to get some place to sleep, and
that blamed quick. One thousand and
thirty-eIght would have been Just as good,
If it had been as handy. What hurt did
DO your old No. 138, sleeping in it? Is it
bridal chamber, or the Mayor of ChicaQo's
room? Can't you disinfect it and make it
just as good as before common man slept
in il? But haven't time to fool with YOU.
Give me my bill and let me 60
The only thing that can see for you to
do" said the Manager to Kent, is to wait
around here and try to find your man.
There are over 800 rooms in the house, and
you can't hunt through all of thern.n
This seemed sensible, and Kent resolved
to follow the advice, at least until he could
think OF something better.
He stationed Con and Wat at good posts
of observation and took the Office for HIM
sell. dis deepest ehagrin related to Miss
STANDARD. He had confidently calculated
on seeing her that evening, when he would
go to her with the laurels of a victor, and
deepen her interest in him by the part he
had played IN arresting Ragabert.
Presently the Superintendent came in aud
received his shame-faced report. He agreed
that the best thing to do for the present was
to watch about the hotel, though he had
little hopes of success. Some other clew
would probably develop during the day.
He admonished Kent that he had the i'm
patience of youth and inexperience; that
tracking criminals, especially such a shrewd
one as this, was generally slow and tedious
business, sometimes years being expanded
in it, with many disheartening failures
Remember, my boy" he said encourage
ingly, that sleuth hound is really slow
hound 1t is the dog that is constantly
following that finally gets the game, no mat
ter how nimble and cunning it may be.
Unerring instinct and overwhelming smart
ness are only found in novels. In real life
we beat these fellows by being eternally at
it. The first lesson, and the hardest one
that detective has to learn, is limitless
patience. Did you ever go rabbit-hunting,
when you were boy? No? Well, l have.
The first trick I learned was that, after
starting rabbit, to stand still and wait. At
first the rabbit goes away like fash, and
expects you to run your legs off after him.
After awhile, when he thinks you have run
yourself down, he makes a wide circle, and
comes walking deliberately back to where
he started from. If you wait for him there
you can knock him over every time. Crimi-
nails are yery much like rabbits We'd