Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-02-13

came to the bar at the summons of q
stoutish old gentleman in spectacles
who walked with a stick.
The stoutish old gentleman had a
glass of bitter beer and then said in
the peculiarly quiet voice of a very
deaf man, Can you tell me, if you
please, the way into the main Cation
road?"
Down the lane, turn to the right at
the crossroads, then first to the left"
The old gentleman waited with his
hand to his ear for some few seconds
after she had finished speaking and
then resumed in his Whispering voice,
I'm afraid I'm very deaf this morn
ing" He fumbled in his pocket and
produced a notebook and pencil. MAY
l trouble you to write it down? I'm
so very deaf at times that l. Thank
you"
The girl wrote the direction, and the
old gentleman babe her good morning
and left. All down the lane he walked
slowly with his stick. At the cross
roads he turned, put the stick under
his arm, thrust the spectacles into his
pocket and strobe away in the ordi-
nary guise of Martin Hewitt. He pull
ed out his notebook, examined Miss
Webb's direction very carefully and
then went off another way altogether
toward the Hare and Hounds.
Kentish lounged moodily in his bar.
well, my boy" said Hewitt, "has
Steggles wiped out the tracks?"
Not yet. 1 haven't told him. But
he's somewhere about. I'll tell him
now"
mo, don't. 1 don't think We'll have
that done after all. 1 expect he'll want
to go out soon; at any rate, some time
during the day. Let him go whenever
he likes. I'll sit upstairs a bit in the
clubroom."
every we'll. But how do you know
Steggles will be going out?"
"Well, he's pretty restless after his
lost protege, isn't he? 1 don't suppose
he'll be able to remain idle long,
"And about Crockett. Do YOU give
him up?"
ooh, no! Don't you be impatient. 1
can't say Pm quite confident vet of
laying hold of him-the time is so
short, you see-but 1 think 1 shall at
least have news for you by the even
ing"
Hewitt sat in the clubroom until the
afternoon, taking his lunch there. At
length he saw, through the front win
dow, Raggy Steggles walking down
the road. In an instant Hewitt was
downstairs and at the door.
All the way to Padfeld town and
more than half through it Hewitt
dcgged the trainer. In the end Steg-
giles stopped at a corner and gave a
note to a small boy who was playing
near. The boy ran with the note to a
! bright, well kept house at the opposite
corner. Martin Hewitt was interested
to observe the legend, "H. Dandy, Con-
tractor" on a board over a gate in the
side wall of the garden behind this
house. In five minutes a door in the
side gate opened, and the head and
shoulders of the red faced man
emerged. Steggles Immediately hur-
rted across and disappeared through
the gate.
This was both interesting and in
structiye. Hewitt took up a position
In the side street and waited. In ten
minutes the trainer reappeared and
hurried off the way he had come, along
the street Hewitt had considerably
left clear for him. Then Hewitt
strolled toward the smart house and
took a good look at it. At one corner
of the small piece of forecourt garden,
near the ratings, a small, baize COW
cred, glass; fronted notice board stood
on two posts. On it's top edge ap-
peared the words "H. Dandy. Houses
to be Sold or Let" But the only no
t1ce pinEed to the green baize within
was an old and dusty one, inviting ten
ants for three shops.
Hewitt pushed open the front gate
and rang the doorbell. 'There are
some shops to let, I see," he said when
a maid appeared. 81 should like to see
them, if you will let me have the keys"
Masters out, sir. You can't see the
shops till Monday
Dear me, that's unfortunate! I'm
afraid l can't wait till Monday. Didn't
Mr.. Dandy leave any ~instructions?"
Eyes, sir-as I've told you. He said
anybody who called about 'em must
come again on Monday"
ooh, very well, then. 1 suppose 1
must try. One Of the shops is in High
street, isn't it,"
mo, sir; they're all in the new part
Granville road"
"Ah, I'm afraid that will scarcely do.
But I'll see. Good day"
Martin Hewitt walked away a couple
Of streets lengths before he inquired
the way to Granville road. When at
last be found that thoroughfare, in a
new and muddy suburb, crowded with
brick heaps and half finished streets,
he took a slow walk along it's entire
length. 1t was a melancholy example
Of baf1ed enterprise. A row of a doz-
en- or more shops had been built before
any population had arrived to demand
goods. Would be tradesmen had taken
many of these shops, and failure and
disappointment stared from the win
dows.
There was little difficulty in idon+i