Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-02-03

In the room, "but aren't you the Col.
Winter who held that mountain pass
to let the other fellows get off, after
your ammunition was exhausted?
II seem to recall some such episode,
only It sounds rather gaudy the way
you put it,.
Il read about you in the papers; you
swan river with Funston; did all
kinds of stunts"
"Or the newspaper reporter did. You
don't happen to know anything about
the price of these rooms, | suppose?"
The young man did not know, but
he showed the colonel through all the
rooms with vast clyility. He seemed
quite Indifferent to the colonePs in
terest in closets, baths and wardrobes;
he only wanted to talk about the
Philippines.
The colonel, who always SHE'D like
q mettled horse from the fiutter of his
own laurels, grew red with discomfort
and ratified the door knobs.
There the suite ends.% said the
young man.
"Oh, we don't want it all, only a
room or two" Col Winter demurred.
amy one of these rooms would do.
Well. | will not detain you. The ele-
vator boy will be tired, and Mr.
Keatcbam will grow impatient"
Not at all; he viii have gone +
I'm so very glad to have met you, Colo
nell"
In this manner, with mutual civili-
ties, they parted, the young man es-
caiting the colonel to his own door,
which the latter was forced to enter
by the sheer demands of the situation.
But hardly had the door closed than
he popped out again. The young man
was swinging round the corner next
the elevator.
Us he an innocent bystander or
what?" puzzled the soldier. He re-
sumed his march up and down the
corridor. The next room to the
Keatcham suite was evidently held by
an agent of the Fireless Cooking
Stove, since one of his samples had
strayed into the hall and was mutely
proclaiming its own exceeding worth
in very black letters ON a very white
, placard.
IF the young man and the valet are
straight goods, the key will come up
! 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. He re-
ported that the old gentleman got into
| 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
lit 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, good-looking young man,
representing the Peerless Fireless
Cooking Stove with much picturesque
eloquence; he had sold a lot of stoves
to people in the hotel, and he tried
without much success to tackle "old
Keatcham;" he had attacked even the
sleuth himself HE gave nee a
mighty good cigar. too," chuckled the
red-headed one.
Hmm, you got 1t now?"
"Only the memory" the boy grinned.
"You ought to have kept it, Birdsall
would tell you; you are watching
every one in these rooms. Did it.have
a necktie? And did you throw that
away?"
mo, sir. kept that; after got to
smoking, just thought I'd keep it,"
When he took the tiny scrap of pa.
I per from his pocket-book the colonel
eyed it grimly. !" A de villar y Villar,' y
he read, with slight ironic infection
Decidedly our young. Fireless Stove
promoter smokes good cigars!"
Maybe Mr.. Keatcham gave 1t to
him. He was in there"
WAS he? Oh, yes, trying to sell
his stove-but not succeeding?'
e1e said he was trying to get past
the valet and the secretary; he thought
II 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 betcok 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 Archie's was cleaning family.
The coloners brows met.
"Well, BERTHE? Did you find any
hing?" Mrs. Winter inquired,
smoothly.
''I'm afraid not; but here is the re-
port" He gave 1t to her. even down
70 the cigar wrapper
1T doesn't seem likely that Mr..
Keateham has anything to do. with it"
said she. He. no doubt. has stolen
many a little railway, but little boy
Is too small game"
"Oh. don't suspect Keatcham; but
l wish had caught the elevator to-
l niphf IIo lookod % 49,, H. a ~.t.-s4-