Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-02-12
the domination of single Thought.


time, or at the house next door on the
west Any news this morning, Mr.
Elmendorf?
NO." replied the detective. II came
down to have little talk with Mr..
Robinson, but as neither of us knows
anything the result was not important
By the way, can write note Mt your
desk!'
Alden was just raising the lid.
Certainly" said he. and Elmendorf
sat down and wrote fast with sput-
tering pen.
Il don't see any blotter here" he
said, when the pen stopped scratching.
"Never use one" rejoined Alden; 81
don't have time. There's pad. but
never blot anything on It"
You don't spill as much ink us do"
said Elmcndorf, except on your sigma
ture. You write that black enough"
Habit Of mine," replied Alden.
"How do you happen to know anything
about it?"
81 saw the note you wrote yester-
day"
Alden flushed.
II couldn't help it." said Elmendorf
hastily. And let me tell you that Pm
greatly mistaken If the result of my
seeing it isn't very Important"
I'm what way?"
Elmendorf begged to be excused from
giving an immediate answer, and AL
den did not insist.
svrhtc bo< ,,o,, ~, nv,
toned last evening"" he said, "is get
ting its work in this morning. l am
Swallowed by the most conspicuous
man in Greater New York. Every
time he fancies that l have forgotten
his presence he barks like dog and
remarks to every one who will listen
that the grip is worst in hot weather.
Elmendorf glanced at Alden with an
anxious eye. He seemed to have some
thing on his mind. but he said only:
"I'm surprised. There are shadows on
the force who can't be picked out so
easily"
Alden regarded him intently over the
top Of the desk upon which he was
leaning.
"See if I've got any more letters out
side, Jack" he said and added when
Robinson had left the room, do you
mean to say there's another one?"
Sure" returned Elmendorf, zone
for trouble and one for business. I
don't know why tell you these things,
except that l hate Neale. He wants to
know where you were yesterday, and
he thinks you'll go there again. He ex-
poets you to throw the man with the
grip and never notice the other one"
"I'll remember this, Elmendorf," said
Alden.
Its gift" replied the detective.
"As for that, you've paid me already
with the information that you don't
use blotter. Good morning. I'll see
you later in the day"
1t may have been about half an hour
afterward when he presented himself
at the house where John Robinson
lived and introduced himself to the
landlady thereof. with the result that
he was presently ushered up two
flights of stairs to large room at the
rear of the house. Left alone there he
remarked to himself, This doesn't
seem to go against me SO much as il
usually does"
Then he proceeded to examine the
personal effects of Mr.. Robinson. The
examination was thorough, but the
product was singularly meager. He
discovered an envelope containing
some pawnbroker's tickets, showing
loans upon watch, winter overcoat
and ring of small value, and in Q
waste paper basket part of an envel
ope which had been addressed to some
person in Philadelphia, but the name
was missing. Remembering that Rob
lnson had thought of Philadelphia first
when cropping about for falsehood
the latter discovery assumed some little
Importance as guide for subsequent
investigation.
: The particular object of the detect
ives search eluded him, however, ant
when he left the house he was fal
from satisfied with his luck.
81 thought knew why Robinson
went home" he said, but either
didn't or he changed his mind"
He spent some hours in verifying
Robinson's statement about the place
where he had passed the night and Ii
attempting to ascertain the young
mans favorite haunts and the names
of his companions. The verificatior
was easy, but the search for the mans
associates yielded little. Apparently
Robinson had not wide circle of ac
quaintances.
Returning to the lower regions of til,
/, city, Elmendorf encountered bit o.
better fortune in learning that Robin
son had visited his place of employ
ment on the previous day between ;
and o'clock.
IF he's the man." reflected the de
tective, "he took that money home, ant
then, not finding satisfactory place Il
hide 1t, he brought it down here. BY
the everlasting, he must have had 1t IL
his pocket right there in Elsie Miller.
room! No wonder he had nervous pros
trationr'
Alden, us was to have been expected
had left his office long before Elmen
dorf returned to it. Robinson also hat
gone away, but might come back soon
] BY the exercise of little tact the de
tective secured permission to wait il
: the private office and while there h,
, familiarized himself thoroughly will
the contents of Robinson's desk, but /
e was not worth the trouble.
! 1t was difficult to suppose that Rob
inson was still carrying that money il
his pocket. He must have put it some
where. And Elmendorf racked hi
u brains, asking the conventional ant
generally useless question, "Wha
would have done in the same cir
: cumstances?" 1t came into his min,
I at last that Robinson had been presen
when Alden was arrested. and TO
2 this reason would not have expected
to see him at the Office again imme
0 diately. Thus rejecting, Elmendor
: drew some keys of convenient design
from his pocket and cautiously raiset
4 xNf IL s,.l,