Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-03-27
CHAPTER z.
CLARENCE. "

L,IN 80 Il
~ 5<-sSy-vSH Il shrewd man might
|Ssz=-->=az2D say he was still under
the domination Of single thought.
"Such splendid news at the hospi-
tai" said he that ! yenthred down
here for few minutes. can see her
this afternoon. Jack" he added. ad-
dressing Robinson, you'll have to look
out for my mani for the next few days.
shall be at st. Winifred's all the
time, or at the house next door on the
wes. Any news this morning. Mr..
Elmendorf?
No" replied the detective. Il came
down to have a little talk with Mr..
Robinson, but as neither of us knows
ANYTHING the result was not important.
BY the way, can | write note at your
desk 2"
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; u
L
never blot anything on it."
You don't spill as much ink as do, y
said Elmendorf, 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.
81 couldn't help it." said Elmendort
hastily. "And let me tell you that I'm
greatly mistaken If the result of my
seeing it isn't very important"
"In what wayT
Elmendorf begged to be excused from
giving an Immediate answer, and Al
den did not insist.
This making trouble that you men
toned last~evening," be said, 'fs get
ting it's work in this morning. l am
shadowed by the most conspicuous
man in Greater New York. Every
time he fancies that | 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 or
the force who can't be picked out sc
easily"
Alden regarded him intently over the
top OF the desk upon which be was
leaning.
"See If I've got any more letters out
side, Jack" he said and added wher
Robinson had left the room. "Do you
mean to say there's another one"
Sure" returned Elmendorf, zone
for trouble and one for business.
don't know why tell you these things
except that hate Neale. He wants tc
know where you were yesterday, and
he thinks you'll go there again. He ex
poets you to throw the man with tn
grip and never notice the other one."
''1'll remember this, Elmendorf," sait
Alden.
"It's a 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 houl
afterward when he presented himself
at the house where John Robinson
lived and introduced himself to the
landlady thereof, with the result thai
he was presently ushered up two
flights Of stairs to a large room at the
rear of the house. Left alone there, ht
remarked to himself, This doesnf
seem to go against me so much as Il
usually does"
Then he proceeded to examine thu
personal effects of Mr.. Robinson. Tht
examination was thorough, but tn,
product was singularly meager. HI
discovered an envelope containing
some pawnbroker's tickets, showing
loans upon a watch, winter overcoa
and ring of small value, and in {
waste paper basket part of an envel
ope which had beep addressed to some
person in Philadelphia, but the nam,
was missing. Remembering that Rob
inson had thought of Philadelphia frs
when cropping about for falsehood
the latter discovery assumed some LITTLE
Importance as a guide for subsequen
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.
Il thought l 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 name.
of his coRpanions. The verificatior
was easy. but the search for the man:
associates yielded little. Apparently
Robinson had not a wide circle of ac
quaintances.
Returning to the lower regions of Tho
city, Elmendorf encountered bit Of
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
tectiYe, ''he took that money home, anC
then, not finding a satisfactory place t.
hide it, he brought it down here. By
the everlasting. he must have had 1t il
his pocket right there in Elsie Miller't
rooml No wonder he had nervous pros
trationT
Alden, as was to have been expected
had left his office long before Elmen
dorf returned to it. Robinson also haG
gone away, but might come back soon
BY the exercise OF little tact the de
tective secured permission to walt In
the private Office, and while there ht
familiarized himself thoroughly with
| the contents of Robinson's desk, but II
was not worth the trouble.
1t was difficult to suppose that Rob
inson was still carrying that money IN
! his pocket. He must have put it some.
where. And Elmendorf racked his
brains, asking the conventional and
| generally useless question, What
| would | have done in the same cir
I cumstancesY 1t came into his mind
at last that Robinson had been present
when Alden was arrested. and for
| this reason would not have expected
l 10 Al,