The Red Cloud chief., 1905-12-29

are YER fine
| looked around them with simu-
lated interest, s%mothering my disgust
az well as | could.
How long have they been vacant?"
l asked.
Since only two days, monsieur. Az
you see, zey are YER fine rooms
That settled 1t. If they had been WI
cant only two days, | had no further
interest in them, and with some excuse
l made my way out, glad to escape
from that fetid atmosphere of garlic
and onions. SO | went from house to
house, stumbling over dirty children.
climbing grimy stairs. catching glimpses
Of crowded sweatshops, peerlng into
all sorts Of holes called rooms by our
tesy, inhaling a hundred stcnches In as
many minutes. gaining an insight that
sickcned me into the squalid life OF the
quarter. Sometimes | began to hope
that at last l was on the right track.
but further inquiry would prove my
mistake. So the morning passed, and
the afternoon. l had covered two
blocks to no purpose, and | turned
eastward to Broadway and took a car
downtown to the office. My assistants
had reported again they had met with
no better success than /. Mr.. Graham
noticed my detected appearance and
spoke n word Of comfort.
IL think you're on the right track,
Lester" he said. But you can't hop
to do much by yourself-it's too big a
job. Wouldn't 1t be better to employ
half a dozen private detectives and put
them under your supervision? You
could save yourself this nerve trying
work and at the same time get over the
ground much more rapidly. Besides,
experienced men may be able to sug-
gcst something that you've overlooked"
hId IIodght of that had Won
dered If l were making the best pos
sible use of my opportunitles-and the
suggestion tempted me. But some
thing rose within me-pride. ambition,
stubbornness, what you willard I
shook my head, determined to hang on.
Besides, | had still before me that bat.
tie of wits with Martigny, and was
resolved to make the most of It.
Let me keep on by myself Il day or
two longer, sir" l said. Il believe I'll
succeed yet. If | don't there will still
be time to call in outside help. l fancy
I've made a beginning. and ! want to
see what comes Of it,"
lie shook me kindly by the hand.
Il like your grit" he said approx
ingly, land I've every confidence in
you. 1t wasn't lack Of confidence that
prompted the suggestion. Only don't
Ovcrdo the thing and break down as
Royce has. He's better, by the way,
but the doctor II Y that he must take
a long vacation-a thorough rest"
I'm glad he's better. I'll be care.
full" | assented, and left the Office.
While | waited for n car | bought
q copy of the last edition of my paper,
from force OF habit more than any.
thing, then, settling myself in a seat
still from force of habit turned to
the financial column and hooked ii Ovcr.
There was nothing of special interest
there and | turned back to the general
news, CHANGING carelesSly from item
to item. Suddenly one caught my eye
which brought me up with a shock.
The item read:
Shortly after 10 o'clock this morning a
man ran up the steps of the Cortlandt
street station of the Sixth avenue ele-
waited in the effort to catch an uptown
train Just pulling out and dropped over on
the platform with heart disease. An am
bulanCc was called from the Hudson
Street hospital and the man taken there.
At noon II was said he would recover.
He was still too weak to talk, but among
other things a card OF the cafe J%ourdain,
81 West Houston street, was found In his
pocketbook. An inquiry there developed
the fact that his name Is Pierre Bethune,
that he is recently from France and has
no relatives in this country.
In u moment | was out Of the car
and running westward to the elevated.
l felt that | held in my hand the ad-
dress ! needed.