Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-08-11

Pioeoo "hCio Csn cdoil! get mere
are other places | might have put it.
but I'm positive 1t was in the shoe
bag" Q
Well. looked for that key. Where!
Where not? looked under the rub
bish' in the waste-paper basket; Mrs.
Kingdom often fooled thieves by drop
ping it there. pulled up the corner
of the carpet and looked there-it wss
loose; it had often been used for
hiding-place. | looked in Miss Eve
'lyns boot and in her ribbon boz. I
emptied Mrs. Kingdoms full powder
box. climbed ladders and felt along
cornices. looked through the peck
cts Of Mrs. Kingdoms gowns--a clever
bell-boy it takes to find a wo an
pocket, but even the real masculine
ones among 'em are half feminine;
they've had 50 much to do with
women.
I rummaged through her writing
desk, and, in searching a gold-cor-
nered pad, found note from. Mori-
way hidden under the corner | Lid
1t again carefully-in my coat pocket.
A'love-letter from Norway, to a wom-
IN 20 years older than himself-'tain t
a bad lay, Tom Dorgan, but you
needn't try it.
AT first she watched every move
made, but later, as her headache
grew worse, she got desperate. So
then | put my hand down into the
shoe-bag and found the key, where it
had slipped under a fold of cloth.
Do you suppose that woman was
grateful? She snatched it from me.
81 knew it was there. | told you it
was there. If you'd had. any sense
you'd have looked there first The
boys in this hotel are so stupid"
That's all, ma'amP
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-c0me back!.. My dia-
monds-they're not here. | know |
put them back last night-Im posi-
tive. | could swear to it. | can see
myself putting them in the chamois
bag, and-0 my God, where can they
be- This time they're goneI" =
Nat could have told her-but what's
the use? 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 it
over to her then, but you see, Tom, she
hadn't told him to look. for a bag; it
was a key she wanted Bell-boys are
so stupid.
This time she followed his every
step He could not put his hand OIL
the smallest thing without rousing her
suspicion. If he hesitated, she scold-
ed, If he hurried, she fumed. Most
unjust, call it, because be had no
thought of stealing-iust then.
Come" she said at last, well &C
down and report it at the desk"
, Hadn't | better wait here, ma am
and look again?""
She looked sharply at him.
No; you'd better do just 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 en-.
gineer who'd been fixing bells that
morning. and. as said. bell-boy
named Nat who 'old how he'd Just
come on duty when Mrs. Kingdoms
bell rang. found her key and returned
1t to her, aud was out of the room
! when she unlocked the box. Tha
was all he knew.
Us he telling the TRUTH" NORWAY
asked Mrs Kingdom.
"Y-es, | guess he is; but where ar,
the diamonds? We must have them
you know-to-day, George" she whis
! pered And then she turned ant
went upstairs, leaving Norway to d.
the rest.
THERE'S only one thing TO do. ma
jor,' he said to the proprietor. 'Searcl
EN- all, and then" q.
Search me? It's. an outraged" criec
the ahousekeeper.
Search RE, if ye loike,"' growlec
Mccarthy. resentfully. "Oi WASH
there but a minute; the lady hersel
can tell ye tlat.S.
Katie, the chambermaid. fushet
painfully and there were indignan
tears in her eyes. which, I'll tell you II
confidence, made a girl named Name,
uncomfortable
But the 6oy.Nat, knowing that bell
boys have no rights, said nothing. Blu
he thought. He thought, Tom Dor
gan, "a lot of things ana long wa,
ahead. ...
The peppery old major marched II
alt of to. his private office
Not much, girls. it hadn't come
For suddenly the annunciator ran,
out.
Out of the corner of his eve. Ma
looked at the bell-boy's bench. 1t wa
empty There was to be- ball tina
night, and the bells we're going it owe
alb the place.