Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-11-08
6be HoHQdaY Gaze


Ing III the udFh dSlluSC InlS accom- plished scoundrel? He had the threads all in his fingers; he controlled the situation; we were struggling blindly, snarled in a net of mystery from
 which there seemed no escaping. My imagination clothed him with super human attributes. For a mol.ent a
 wild desire possessed me to turn upon him, to confront him, to accuse him, to confound him with the very cer- tainty of my knowledge to surprise his secret, to trample him down!
 But the frenzy passed. No, he must not discover that I suspected him. I must not yield up that advantage. I might yet surprise him, mislead him, set trap for him, get him,to say more
 than he wished to say.. That battle of
 wits would come later on-this very night perhaps-but for the moment could no nothing better than carry out my first plan, yet he must not suspect the direction of my search. must throw him off the track. Why this was for all the world just like the penny dread fuls of my boyhood. And I smiled at the thought that had become an actor in a drama fitted for red and yellow coverl
 My plan was soon made. crossed Broadway and turned into Cortlandt street. sauntering along 1t until the ele- vated loomed ahead; heard the roar of an approaching train and stopped to purchase some fruit at the corner stand. My pursuer was some distance behind, closely inspecting the bric-a- brac in a peddler's cart. The train rumbled into the station, and, starting as though I had just perceived it, I bounded up the stair. slammed my ticket into the chopper and dashed across the platform. The guard at the rear of the train held the gate open for me for an instant and then changed it shut We were of with jerk. As looked back I saw Martigny rush out upon the platform. He stood staring after me for an instant: then, with a sudden grasping at his breast, stag gered and seemed to fall A crowd closed about him. the train whisked around a corner. and could see no more.
 But at any rate was well free of him. and I got of at Bleecker street. walked on to the square and began my search. My plan was very simple. Beginning on the east side of West Broadway. it was my intention to stop at every house and inquire whether Iodgers were Kept. My experience at the first place was a pretty fair sample of all the rest.
 A frowsy headed woman answered my knock.
 "You have rooms to letT' I asked.
 ooh. yes. monsieur" she answered. with an expansive grin. Step zis way"
 We mounted a dirty stair, and she threw open a door with flourish meant to be impressive.
 "Zese are ze rooms. monsieur; zey are yer fine"
 I looked around them with simu- lated !ztsTest. smothering my disgust as we'll as could.
 'How long have they been vscant?' asked.
 ''Since only two days. monsieur. As you see. zey are yer fine rooms"
 That settled 1t. If they had been va- cant only two days. I had no further interest in them. and with some excuse I 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 gIlmpses of crowded sweatshops. peering into all sorts of holes called rooms by eour- tesy, inhalinx a hundred stenches in as many minutes. gaining an insight that sickened me into the squalid life of the quarter. Sometimes l began to hope that at last I was on the right track. but further inquiry wuuld prove my mistake. So the morning passed. and the afternoon I had covered two blocks to no purpose and I turned eastward to Broadway and tOck csrI