The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10

emptted Mrs. klnBQOIlA A0- -
box. climbed ladders ana feir alons
cornices. looked through the pOSAs'S
Of Mrs Kingdoms gowns cieVeI
bellboy 1t takes to find woman
pocket, but even the real mascuAne
ones among 'em are half feInlnlns'
they've had so much to DO Win
women.
I rummaged through her Writins-
desk, and, in searching gold-cornereu
pad, found a note from Norway mo-
den under the corner I hid II asain
carefully-in my coat pocket A love
letter from Norway, to a woman
twenty years older than hirnseII-
faint bad lay, Tom Dorgan' put you
needn't try 1t.
At first she watched every move L
made, but later. as her headache grew
worse, she got desperate SO tnen
put my hand down into the shoe-oag
and found the key. where 1t had slipped
under fold Of cloth.
Do you suppose that woman was
grateful? She snatched 1t from me-
IT knew 1t was there. I told you 1t
was there II you'd had any sense
you'd looked there first. The boys In
this hotel are so stupid"
That's all, ma'am?"
She nodded. She was fitting the key
into the black box she'd taken from
the top drawer. Nat had got to the
outside door when he heard her come
shrieking after him.
"Nat-Nat-come backI My dia-
monds-they're not here. I know put
them back last night-I'm positive.
could swear to 1t. can see myself
putting them in the chamois bag, and
o my God, where can they bel This
time they're gonel''
Nat could have told her-but what's
the use7 He felt she'd only lose 'en
again If she had EN- So he let them
lie snug in his trousers pocket-where
ne had put the chamois bag when his
eyes lit on IT under the corner Of the
carpet He might have passed II over
to her then. but you see. Tom. she
hadn't told him to look for a bag; 1t
was a key she wanted. Bellboys are
so stupid.
This time she followed his every
step. He could not put his hand on
the smallest thing without rousing her
suspicion. II he hesitated, she scolded-
If he hurried, she fumed. Most unjust,
call 1t, because he had no thought Of
stealing-Just then.
Come" she said at last, "we'u 60
down and report 1t at the desk"
Hadn't I better wait here. ma'am.
and look again?''
She looked sharply at him
mo; you'd better do as tell you"
So down we went And we met Mr..
Norway there. She'd telephoned him.
The chambermaid was called. the
housekeeper. the electrical engineer
who'd been fixing bells that morning,
and. as 1 said, a bellboy named Nat,
who told how he'd Just come on duty
when Mrs. Kingdoms bell rang. found
her key and returned II to her. and was
out Of the room when she unlocked the
box. That was all he knew.
rs he telling the truth?" Norway
asked Mrs. Kingdom.
"Ye-es, I guess he Is; but where are
the diamonds? We must have them
you know-to-day, George" she whis-
pered. And then she turned and went
upstairs. leaving Norway TO do the
rest.
There's only one thing to do. Major"
he said to the proprietor. Search 'em
Search me? It's an outragel'' cried
the housekeeper.
Search me If We loike." growled Nc
Carthy, resentfully. "Oi wasn't there
but minute; the lady herself can tell
ye that"
Katie, the chambermaid, flushed
painfully. and there were indignant
tears In her eyes. which, I'll tell you IN
confidence, made a girl named Nancy
uncomfortable.
But the boy Nat, knowing that bell
boys have no rights. said nothing. But
he thought. He thought, Tom Dorgan,
a lot Of things and a long way ahead.
The peppery old Major marched US
all of to his private Office.
Not much, girls, II hadn't come. For
suddenly the annunciator rang out
Out Of the corner OF his eye. Nat
looked at the bellboys' bench. It was
empty. There was to be a ball that
night, and the bells were going it over
all the place.
Number Twenty-one!", shouted the
clerk at the desk.
But Number Twenty-one didn't
bulge. His heart was beating like a
hammer, and the ting-ng-ng OF that
bell calling him rang in his head Ike
a song.
Number Twenty-one!" yelled the
clerk.
Oh, he's got devil Of a temper, has
that clerk. Some day, Tom, when you
love me very much, go UP to the hotel
'ld break his face for me.
You!-boy-confound you, can't you
hear?" he shouted.
That time he caught the Majors ear
the one that wasn't deaf He looked
from Powers black face to the bench
and then to me. And all the time the
bell kept ringing like mad.
"Git!" he said to the boy. "And
come back in hurry"
Number Twenty-one got-but Ieis-
urely. 1t wouldn't do for a bellboy to
hurry, particularly when he had such
good cause.
Oh. girls. those stone stairs, the
servants stairs at the st. JamesI
They're fierce. tell you, Mag. scrub