Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-14

marked man. evidently, even in this ex-
elusive and aristocratic club.
Armed with this new knowledge, he made
his way to the second building Of the kind
and boldly demanded speech with Captain
Wattles But Captain Wattles had not yet
arrived and he went out again, this time
to look him up at the restaurant.
He was not there. AS he was going out
two gentlemen came in, one Of whom said to
the other in passing:
sick, do you say? l thought Wattles was
made Of iron"
so he was" returned the other, before
/ that accident to his arm. Now the least
I thing upsets him. He's down at Habers-
/ tow's"
/ That was all; the door here swung to be-
I tween them. Sweetwater had received his
clew, but what a clew. Haberstow's? Where
was that?
Thinking the bold course the best one he
re- cred the restaurant and approached the
gentlemen he had just seen enter
! II heard you speak the name of Captain
Wattles," said he. II am hunting for Cap
tain Wattles Can you tell me where he is?''
/ He soon saw that he had struck the wrong
men for information. They not only re-
| fused to answer him, but treated him with
open disdain. Unwilling to lose time, he
left them, and having no other resource,
! hastened to the last place mentioned on his
! list.
| 1t was now late, too late to enter a private
house under ordinary circumstances, but
this house was lighted up, and carriage
stood in front of 1t; so he had the courage
| to run UP the steps and consult the large
! door plate visible from the sidewalk. 1t
read thus
HABERsTOw.
= =
Fortune had favored him better than he
expected.
He hesitated a moment then decided to
ring the bell But before he had done so the
door opened and two gentlemen appeared,
one seeing the other out. The one who was
leaving had his arm in a sling and bore
! himself with fierceness that made his ap-
pearance somewhat alarming; the other was
older and in the momentary glance Sweet
water obtained of him seemed to be in an
| irate state of mind.
mo apologies!" the former was saying.
| 81 don't mind the night air; I'm not so i'll
as that When I'm myself again we'll have
| little more talk. My compliments to your
| daughter sir I wish you very good even
| ing, or rather night"
The old gentleman bowed, and as he did
so Sweetwater caught a glimpse, it was the
shortest glimpse in the world. of a sweet
| face beaming from a doorway far down the
hall. There was pain in it and a yearning
anxiety that made it very beautiful; then it
vanished, and the old gentleman, uttering
some few sarcastic words closed the door
and Sweetwater found himself alone and
| in darkness.
| The Kaleidoscope had been given another
| turn.
Dashing down the stoop he came upon
the gentleman who had preceded him just as
he was seating himself in the carriage
Pardon me-" he gasped, as the driver
caught up the reins; you have forgotten
something Then, as Captain Wattles
looked hastily out, you have forgotten
me-"
The oath that rang out from underneath
that twitchng red mustache was something
to startle even him. But he clung to the
carriage window and presently managed ~
say.
"A message, sir, from New Bedford
have been on the hunt for you for two hours.
1t won't keep. sir; not more than a half
hour longer. Where shall l find you during
that time?"
Captain Wattles, on whom the name New
Bedford seemed to have made some impress
sion, pointed up at the coachman's box with
growl, in which command mingled
strangely with menace. Then he threw
himself back. Evidently the captain was
not in a very good humor
Sweetwater taking this as an order to seat
himself beside the driver did so, and the
carriage drove off. 1t went at rapid pace,
and before he had time to PROFOUND more
than question or two to the coachman he
stopped before a large apartment house in
brilliantly lighted street.
Captain Wattles got out and Sweetwater
followed him. The former, who seemed to
have forgotten Sweetwater, walked past and
entered the building with stride and swing
that made the plain, lean, insignificant
looking messenger behind him feel smaller
than ever. Indeed, he had never felt so
small, for not only was the captain man
of the finest proportions and bearing, but
he possessed, in spite of his fiery hair and
fierce mustache, that beaute de diable which
is at once threatening and imposing. Added
to this, he was angry and so absorbed in his
own thoughts that he would be very apt to
visit punishment of no light character upon
any one who nterfered with him. a pleas
ing prospect for Sweetwater, who, however,
kept on with the dOgged determination OF
his character up the first flight of stairs and
then up another till they stopped, Captain
Wattes first and then his humble follower,
before a small door into which the captain
endeavored to fit key. The oaths which
followed his first failure in doing this were
not very encouraging to the man behind,
nor was the kick which he gave the door
after the second more successful attempt
calculated to act in very reassuring way
upon any one whose future emolument for
doubtful task rested upon this mans good
The darkness which met them both on the
threshold of this now open room was
speedily relieved by a burst of electric light,
that flooded the whole apartment and
brought out the captains staggering form
and threatening features with startling dis
tinctness. He had thrown off his hat and was
relieving himself of cloak in
furious way that caused Sweetwater to
shrink back, and, as the French say, efface
himself as much as possible behind clothes
| tree standing near the door. That the cap
tain had entirely forgotten him was evident
and for the present moment that gentleman
| was too angry to care or even notice II
dozen men stood at the door. AS he was
talking all this time or rather jerking out
rather sharp sentences, as men do when IN
a towering rage, Sweetwater was rather glad
]