The Washington times., 1904-07-14
LITTLE STORIES OF WASHINGTON LIFE.
STEVENSON.S DOUBLE
The Political Reporters Story.)

eagerly. I'VE shall have 10 keen a ia.
tie quiet. OF course, until this ir stiea-
ton is over, but IN the interests bust
ness, they viii have to stop before long.
II doesn't do TO accuse people without
proof as they have been doing. and
find fault with every little thing thar
can't be explained TO outsiders II will
hurt the department. this investigation
will, and II will hurt the Administration.
and so unnecessary. too. Why, my dear
sir. how many cities do you suppose you
would find. how many business houses,
in which they would tolerate such in
reference with private agreements. or
in which no private understandings we're
had? Not one. sir, not one"
But about these letters" Queried
Stevenson: you want me to take
them"
Yes. Of course: talk the matter over
with Carson and Lieberman. and get
them TO agree. Where are you stay
ir@?"
AT the Katahdin," said Stevenson,
now thoroughly mystified. but dets min
ed not to let 90 those papers If had
TO slug somebody in order 10 keep
them.
'Ah, yes; I viii send them up there
this evening. And that is all. be-
lieve-" Willard made move toward his
coat, and Stevenson, wondering more
and more what this windfan might
mean. went out and made a Decline
for the office.
''Whew-w-wi" said the chief. when he
spIed the documents, and he struck the
bell for his Office boy. Jim. tell Mr..
Shaffer | want 10 see him" And soon
Shaffer. the city e1itor; Carnes, the ed
itor-in-chief. and Emmett. who was on
the postofice case, had their three heads
together over the discriminating papers.
Stevenson moused about the Katahdin
ali that evening. when he was not ex-
aiming the registers OF different hotels
to see If Carnes and Lieberman had
come to town, but found no hide nor
hair of them. He fell In with a Pitts
burg drummer. however. who identified
them as manufacturers who did a steel
business in an obscure Pennsylvania
town. on mysteriously little capital
steel business I guess IL isr' grum-
bIed Stevenson. as he sought his bed al
in the morning But I wonder what
made old Willard open up to re that
way? 1 swear. / didn't think he knew
me-
Meanwhile Willard. Carson. and
Lieberman were holding a secret ses-
sion in the parlor of a friends house.
and the argument was very warm.
But I tell you ragged Carson. I
saw Grimstead this very morning in a
New York hospital. with a broken head.
anc he hadn't known his own name for
three days"
And 1 assure you. talked with him
in my office this afternoon, when he
came in as we agreed. under the name
of Stephens" asseverated Willard,
earnestly. IF you had gone TO the
hotel you would have seen him.
Not much. 1 don't. when ! know he
amt there" growled Carson.
Not rnuch.' echoed Iieberman. We
get out right away. amt It? We don't
wait for trouble or vunny business.
But II 1t wasn't Grimstead." said
Willard. who was ii that l talked to
this afternoon"
He found out when the papers ap-
feared next day with his picture on
the front page. and FIVE columns Of
scare heads around it. And il was not
long before the office got a photograph
from New York of a man named Grim
stead. alias Stephens. now in hospital
with a fractured skull And Il was as
nKe. Stevenson as II they had been long
lost brothers
THAT was the man the old cuss
+bought YOU we're. Steve" said Shaffer.
: cler9nIy. Complimentary, amt It.
you ought TO pc glad you're humble
SCnest newspaper reporter
Yes" added Carnes. holding the PIC
t,1rt at arms length for q critical COM
pqrison That is sure Stevenson
double