The Cairo bulletin., 1904-05-26
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;
g WlIH -
~ The Bulletins Daily Story. II:
10 ss


down at the table With the detective,
although he knew that this would be
breach OF strict professional etiquette.
He sat down in corner and ordered
some diunc The waitress who served
linn was nice girl. but yeiy loqua-
cous. 50 much so that Kent lelt
obliged to warn .har in a whisper not
to say anything thar should reveal the
nature Of his occupation.
Il guess there must be something
doing this evening" said the girl.
CHANGING at the stranger out of the cor
ner of'her eye, mir. Bond gave me the
same advice"
Presently the passenger from New
York called a messenger boy and sent
him out upon an GRAND He seemed to
be giving somewhat elaborate inStruc-
lions to the boy, and Kent felt obliged
TO get some hint Of their nature In
this matter the waitress proved to be
an adequate source of information.
"lle sent the boy up to the Park the
alter TO buy Il ticket" she whispered.
"IIc said that he wanted it in the last
row OF the orchestra"
The last row in the orchestra" re-
peated Kent, glancing at Bond.
1t was in the nature Of coincidence,
for if the boy should do his errand
we'll the mysterious stranger and De
tectlye Bond were certain to spend the
evening very close together
Can this be fly cop from New
York; Kent asked himself "Haye he
and Bond got something up? 10 they
expect to nab somebody in the the
aterT
1t was a question impossible TO an
swer without more data. But ut any
rate the case was worth watching. The
messenger boy returned with the tick
which the stranger seemed to be some
what nervous. 1t was then 30 and
by all the laws Of nature Cyrus Field
Bond should leave the restaurant in
exactly one minute. He did not do SO,
and the matter of a big story was no
longer in d0lbt.
1t was ten minutes before when
Bond left the room, aud he went no
farther than the restaurant below,
where he leaned against the cigar stand
and conversed with the man behind it.
Ia h1n IN
mysterious stranger paid his check and
departed from the depot, quietly at
tended by Kent, who walked upon the
other side Of the street.
There was a considerable crowd about
the entrance of the theater and, in
deed, it WAS not easy To get in, for it
was the night Of a first production
upon any stage" and both the play and
the company had been well advertised
in advance SO far as Kent could
judge. the stranger was relieved IN
mind 10y the sight of the throng of peo-
pie. for II was certain that he stood
small chance of recognition in SO close
an assembly Indeed, the reporter had
great fear for minute or two that he
had been thrown off the trail; that the
buying of the ticket had been Il mere
ruse ana that the man Of mystery had
mingled with the crowd merely for the
purpose of working his way secretly
out again and leaving the theater
But when Kent had secured an ad-
mission ticket-no seats then remain
ing-and had made his way inside he
perceived the unknown seated in the
last row Of the orchestra, still clad III
the raincoat and with the collar turned
up around his neck In the aisle seat
Of that same line Of chairs sat De
teetive Bond, and it flashed across
Kents mind that il the two men had
desired TO exchange Il few words in
such manner ms to attract no atten-
ton they would haze had an excellent
opportunity when the stranger passed
Bond on thc way to his seat
Was it possible that they had ar
ranged this matter by secret signals in
the restaurant And. if so, what was
the game? Were they 50 placed in the
theater that some person or persons
whom they desired to cntrap would be
seated between them? The stranger
was In chair \ 10, the sixth scat from
Bonds. which WAS y / OF the i've
seats intervening Nos. 3. and I were
occupied by people who were known
to Kent, people Of 4 very harmless
sort who could have no share in this
mystery. Nos. 0 and II were vacant.
and. l'lough Kent knew that the tick
cts must have been sold, he bcheld the
places still empty when the house was
darkenpd and the curtain rose. Almost
Immediately, as il they had been wait
ing for Il signal, two persons appeared
an elderly man and "A young and very
pretty woman. both strangers in
Bridgeport to the best OF kents knoWl
edge and belief. They were ushered
into the waiting chairs. As they pass
ed Bond the reporter saw no sign Of
recognition but the stranger betrayed
himself Beyond doubt he knew
these people and was extremely de
sirous 10 avoid attracting their esDe-
cial attention. He pulled up his collar
little farther on the side toward
them and turned his head so that NJ
clear view of his face could be had.
Later he managed to assume a not
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