Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-09-21
CHAPTER ".
THE JANIToR,s STORY.

he JANlIOK SIOR1.
Godfrey glanced at his watch. 1t was
after o'clock The rain had almost
ceased, but the wind was still high. He
turned back to the building and found
the janitor sitting just inside the door
He had endured the ordeal OF inquisi-
tion by police and reporters and was
rather limp.
May l use your telephone a mo-
ment?' asked Godfrey
The janitor waved his hand toward
the booth Godfrey called up his Of
fee and asked that a photographer and
an artist be sent up at once. The read
ers of the Record demanded illustra-
tions with every story, and the paper
always did its best to please them at
whatever cost of labor, ingenuity, or
money. That done, Godfrey went back
to the janitor and sat down beside him
After all. he told himself. he had as
yet only half the story; he must get
every detail from this man, and he saw
that 1t would be necessary to proceed
delicately. for his companions temper
was evidently badly rutiled He was a
thick-set, choleric man, with a short
ness of breath which perhaps argued
some weakness Of the heart. Godfrey
studied him now for a moment before
he ventured 70 open fire.
Well" he began, at last. you look
as though those fellows had about worn
you out, Mr."
Higgins is my NAME" said the jani-
tor Simon Higgins"
"Oh, yes; / remember now. | sup
pose they asked you about a million
questions?"
"A million." echoed Higgins, with
scorn. Ten million'd be more like il!
But il wasn't so much that, as that
they wouldn't believe me when l told
| 'em a thing. They seemed L think
was lynn"
Godfrey nodded sympathetically.
That does get on mans nerves"
he agreed. II feel little upset, myself
won't you try a smoker"
Higgins took the cigar.
IT'S agin tn rules" he said, but
don't keer; l need it," and he bit off
the end.
They sat together for moment in
silence. listening TO the tramp Of feet
in the halls overhead. the opening and
closing Of doors. the subdued murmur
of voices. At the stair-foot, beyond the
elevator. they caught glimpse, now
and then. of a policeman pacing back
and forth.
They're searchin' tn house" OBJ
served Higgins, at last, with a grimace
of disdain. Il turned tn keys over t
tnem- MuCn lheyH ma!
Nobody there, eh p Ii was not really
question; il seemed more a sign of
polite interest in Godfrey's part.
II ought [ know. l told 'em they
wasn't nobody there, Aain't ! been
here all evenin' 'cept fer that minute
run acrost tn street? Nobody in nor
out, 'cept tn girl-not since : o'clock
That was about tn time that there
blamed Thompson come In, too drunk
[ stand He'd never a got home in
tn world by hisself. but they was a
feller with him, a-holdin' him up"
Godfrey was listening with strained
attention. There were many questions
he wished TO ask, but he dared not in
terrupt.
We'll. we got him upstairs atween
US. An then, when | went through his
pockets, l couldn't find his key, an !
had { come down an git mine afore
could git his door open. We laid him
on his bed an left him there, a-snorin'
like hog. That feller who was with
him was certainly a good sort He set
down here t talk { me while-it was
rainin' so hard he couldn't go-an' he
said he'd run acrost Thompson down at
Pete Magraw's place on Sixth avenoo.
Thompson was treatin everybody an
actin like fool ginerally; then he got
mad an started L clean out tn saloon,
an Pete was goin' { call cop. But
this feiler said he'd bring him home
an SO he did"
Higgins stopped TO take breath. and
Godfrey ventured TO put a question.
Did you know him?"
mo; / never seed him afore."
What sort Of a looking fellow was
her"
"A good -lookin' felIer. WELL dressed
no bum, kin tell y that. He was short