The Tupelo journal., 1909-04-09

hotels or boarding places in San Fran
cisco which he could find, aided great
ly thereto by a friend of his, formerly
in 1.-The old -th," a sergeant, now sta
toned at the Preside. Thanks to
him, Haley could say definitely that
Mercer vas not at any of the hotels
or more prominent boarding houses in
the city, at least under his own name.
And you haven't seen him since he
got into the cab at the %station?" the
colonel summed up.
Haley's reply was unexpected:
Yes, sor, l seen him this day, in the
morning, in this same hotel"
"Where?"
Drinking coffee at a table in tn
coort. He wint out, havin' paid the
man, not a-signin' an he gus the
waiter enough to make him y say
Thank we, sor,' but not enough to
make him smile and stay round to pull
aft the chair. / follied him to the duFe,
but he got into an automobile"
Get the NUMBER"
"Yis, sor. Number-here it's, sor, !
wrote it down to make sure" He
passed over to the colonel an old en-
velope on which was written a number.
I'M. 20139," read the colonel, care
fully noting down the number in his
own memorandum book. And he re-
lected: THAT is a Massachusetts num-
ber-humph!"
Haley's information ended there. He
heard of Arches disappearance with
his usual stolid mien, but his hands
slowly clenched. The colonel CON
tinued:
You are to find out, If you can, by
scraping acquaintance with the car
riage men, il that auto-you have
written a description, / see, as well as
the number-f1nd out il that auto left
this hotel this afternoon between six
and seven o'clock. Find out who were
in it. Find out where it is kept and
who owns it. Get H. Birdsall, Mer.
chants Exchange building, to send a
man to help you. Wait, I've a card
ready for you to give him from me;
he has sent me men before. Report
by telephone as soon as you know any.
thing. If I'm not here, speak Spanish
and have them write it down. Be
back here tonight by ten, II you can,
yourself"
Haley dismissed. and his OWE ap-
petite for dinner ~efectually dispelled
by his report, Winter Joined his aunt
Should he tell her his suspicious and
their ground? Wasn't he morally
obliged, now, to tell her? She vas CO
guardian with him of the boy, who. he
had NO doubt, had been spirited away
by Mercer and his accomplish; and
hadn't she a right tc any information
on the matter in bis possession?
Reluctantly he admitted that she
| did have such a right: and, he ad.
mitted further, being a man who never
cheated at solitaire, that his object in
keeping the talk sof the two men
| from her had not been SO much the
| desire to guard her nerves (Which he
| knew perfectly well we're Of a rObuster
fiber than those of most women 2C
or 40 years younger than she); no, he
admitted it grimly, he had not SO much
, spared his aunt as Janet Smith; he
could not bear to direct suspicion to
ward her. But how could he keep 81
| lent longer? Kicking this question
| about in his mind, he spoiled the flavor
of his after-dinner cigar, although his
aunt graciously babe him smoke It u
her parlor.
And still Miss Smith had not re
turned; really, 1t was only fair to hel
to have her present when he told his
story to his aunt; no, he wal not grab
bing at any xcuse for delay; # ne
could watch that girls face while he
sox .o,,~.o ~ a11ucioua are made to