The Irish standard., 1908-10-10

Inc snort, thtck-set person assumed
a mien of more intense abstraction
than ever.
The tall man in gray paused indefi-
nitely before the brownstone stoop Of
the house numbered 205. then swung
up the steps and into the vestibule.
Here he halted, bending over to scru-
tiEize the names on the letter boxes.
The short. thick-set man reluctantly
detached himself from his polished
pillar and waddled ungracefully across
the street.
The policeman on the corner seemed
suddenly interested in Seventh ave-
/, nue., and walked in that direction.
The gray man, having vainly de-
ciphered all the names on one side
Of the vestibule, Strengthened up and
turned his attention to the opposite
wall, either unconscious of or indif-
| ferent to the shuttle of feet on the
stoop behind him.
The short, thick-set man removed
one hand from pocket and tapped the
gray man gently on the shoulder.
"LooRin' for McCabe, Anisty?" he
inquired, genially..
The gray man turned slowly, exhib.
iting countenance blank with aston
ishment. beg pardon?" he drawled;
and then, with dawning CLEAN Of
recognition in his eyes: "Why, good
evening, Hickey! What brings you
up this way?"
| The short, thick-set man permitted
his jaw to droop and his eyes to pro-
trude for some seconds. "Oh," he
said in tone Of great disgust, "hell!"
He pulled himself together with an
effort Excuse me, Mr.. Maitland" he
stammered, II wasn't lookin' for yeh."
ITO the contrary, gather from your
greeting you were expecting our
friend, Mr.. Anisty?" And the gray
man smiled.
| Hickey smiled in sympathy, but with
less evident relish of the situations
!; hrmor.
That's right" he admitted. Got a
| tip from the c'miss' 'ner's Office this
evening that Anisty would be here at
seven o'clock lookin for a party
named McCabe. l guess it's bum tip,
all right; but Of course got to look
into it,
"Most assuredly." The gray man
bent and inspected the names again.
II am hunting up an old friend" he
explained, carelessly; "a man named
Simmons-knew him in college-down
on his luck.-wrote me yesterday.
i There he is: Fourth floor, east. I'll
! see you when come down, hope, Mr..
Hickey"
The automatic lock clicked and the
door swung open; the gray man pass
ing through and up the stairs. Hickey,
ostentatiously ignoring the existence
+, Of the policeman, returned to his post
OF observation.
| At eight o'clock he was still there,
/ looking bored.
At $3.50 he was still there, wearing
a puzzled expression.
! : At nine he called the adoring hall
boy, gave him quarter with minute
instructions, and saw him disappear
into the hallway of No. 205. Three
minutes later the boy was back,
breathless but enthusiastic.
! "Missis Simmons" he explained be-
tween gasps, says she amt never
heard Of nobody named Maitland.
Somebody rang her bell while ago
an apologized for disturbin' her-said
he wanted the folks on the top floor.
I guess yer man went acrost the roofs;
them houses is all connected, and yuh
en- walk clear from the corner here
tub halfway up tub Nineteenth street,
on sain' Nicholas avenoo."
/, "Uh.huh," 1aconically returned the
detective. Thanks" And turning on
his heel, walked westward.
The policeman crossed the street
to detain him for a moments chat.
Il guess it's all off, Jim,' Hickey
told him. "Some one must We tipped
that crook off. Anyway, l amt goin'
to wait no longer"
Il wouldn't neither" agreed the uni
formed member. "Say, who's yer
friend yeh was talkin' tub, while
ago."
"Oh, frien' OF mine. Yeh didn't have
no call to git excited then, Jim.
G'night."
And Hickey proceeded westward, q
hstless and preoccupied man by the
vacant eye of him. But when he
emerged into the glare of Eighth ave-
nue. his face was unusually red. Which
may have been due to the heat. And
just before boarding a downtown sur
face car, "Oh," he enunciated with gus
to, "hell!"
One a. m.
Not until the rich and mellow chime
had merged into the stiffness did the
intruder dare again draw breath. Com
ing as 1t had the very moment that
the door had closed noiselessly behind
her, the double stroke had sounded to
her like knell; or, perhaps more like
the prelude to the wild alarum of a
tocsin, first striking her heart still
with terror, then urging 1t into panic
futterings.
Put thoso ao %hn ,oiur%ao Srn- m