The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1909-04-08
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1 a s2 TIE ran. seSsSHoL& o


reasonably soon from the Office"
Thought the watcher.
Sure enough. the keys, in the hands
OF Winters own spy, appeared before
he had waited three minutes. lie re-
ported that the old gentleman got into
a cab with his secretary and the valet,
and the other gentlemen took another
cab. The secretary paid the bill Had
he gone sooner than expected? No;
he had engaged the rooms until Thurs
| day night; this was Thursday night.
The colonel asked about the next
room. which was directly on the cross
corridor leading to the elevator. The
detective had been instructed to watch
| IT, How long had the Fireless Cooking
Stove man had IT. There was no meat
for suspicion in the answer. The stove
man had come the day before the
Keatcham party. He was a perfectly
commonplace, ood-iooking young man.
representing the Peerless Fireless
Cooking Stove with much picturesque
eloquence: he had sold n 10, OF stoves
to people In the hotel. and he tried
without much success 10 tackle "old
Kcatcham." he had attacked even the
sleuth himself. He gave me
mighty good cigar. too" chUckled the
red-headed one.
Hmm. you got II now"
Only the memory" the boy grinned.
You ought to have kept Il. Birdsall
would tell you: you are watching
every one In these rooms. Did II have
necktie? And did you throw mat
away
NO, sir. kept that; after got to
smoking. | Just thought I'd keep IT,"
When he took the tiny scrap OF pa.
per from his pockct.boo the colonel
eyed 1t grimly. "a de Villar Villar.'"
he read. with a slight ironic infection.
Decidedly our young Fireless Stove
promoter smokes good cigars!"
Maybe Mr.. Keatcham gave II to
him. He was in there"
Was he? Oh. yes. trying TO sell
his stove-but not succeeding"
He said he was trying to get past
the valet and the secretary; he thought
IL he could only get at the old man and
demonstrate his stove he could make
the sale. He could cook all right, that
feller."
The colonel made no comment. and
presently betook himself TO his aunt.
She was waiting for him in the parlor.
! playing solitaire. Through the open
door the white bed that ought to have
been Arches was cleaning family
| The colonel's brows met.
We'll BERTHE? Did you find any
thing?"- Mrs. Winter inquired,
smoothly.
I'm afraid not; but here is the re-
port" He gave It to her. even down
TO the cigar wrapper.
1T doesn't seem likely that Mr.
Keatcham has anything to do with IT,"
said she. "He. no doubt. has stolen
many little railway. but little boy
is too small game"
''Oh, don't suspect Keatcham; but
wish l had caught the elevator to-
night. He locked at me in a mighty
queer way"
did you recognize his secretary as
any one whom you ever saw before?"
asked Mrs. Winter.
Il can't say" was the answer. given
with little hesitation. I'm not sure"
Il don't think | quite understand
you. Berthe; better make a clean
breast of all you know, I'm getting a
little worried myself"
The colonel reached across the cards
and tapped his aunts arm affectionate-
ly. He felt the warmest impulse to.
ward sympathy for her that he had
ever known; it glistened in HIS eyes.
Mrs. Winters cheeks slowly Grim
soned; she turned her head, exclaim-
ing, did she hear a noise; but the
coloners keen ears had not been
warned. Poor woman" he thought.
"she is worried TO death. but she will
not admit It,"
Now, BERTHE" said Mrs. Winter.
calmly. but her elbow fell on her
cards and spoiled a very promising
game OF Penelopes Web, now, Ber-
tie. what are you keeping back?"
Then. at last, the colonel told her of
his experience in Chicago. She heard
him quite without comment, and he
could detect no shift Of emotion In her
demeanor of absorbed but perfectly
calm attention. unless a certain ten
sion of attitude and feature Gas II, he
phrased II. she were holding herself
in'') might be so considered. And he
was not sure OF this. When he came
to the words which stuck In his throat,
the sentence about Miss Smith, she
smiled frankly, almost laughed.
AT the end of the recltal-and the
colonel had not omitted a word or a
look in HIS memory-she merely said:
Then you think Cary Mercer has kid
mapped Archie. and the nice-looking
Harvard boy is helping him?"
Don't you think IL looks that way.
yourself?"
She answered that question by an
other Que; but you don't think. do
you. that Janet is the Miss Smith men
tiOned?" f-
| Hts reDly came after an almost Inn