Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-20


said, returning the bow, but not ex-
tending his hand. which hung down,
slack and empty, at his side.
Il am glad you recognized me this
time, Mr.. Mercer"
Il am sorry that | did not recognize
you before" answered Mercer. will
you gentlemen be seated? ! am not
the owner of the house nor his son; /
am not even a friend, only casual
acquaintance of the young man. but l
seem to be rather in the position OF
host, so will you be seated, and may
/ offer you some Scotch and Shasta
Mr.-ah--"
Mr.. Horatio Birdsall of the Birdsall
& Gwen Detective agency" interposed
Winter. Birdsall bowed. Mercer
bowed. Excuse me II decline for US
both; our time is limited-no, thank
you, not a cigar, either. Now, Mr..
Mercer, to come to the point, want
my nephew. l understand he is In this
house."
you are quite mistaken" Mercer
responded, with mistaken calm. He
Is not"
Where is he, then?"
II do not know, Col. Winter. What
should recommend is for you to go
back to the Palace, and If you do not
find him there-why, come and shoot
US up again." His eye strayed for a
second to the blackened, reeking mass
on the great stone hearth.
Have you sent him home? Is that
what you mean to imply?"
II imply nothing. colonel; I don't
dare to with such strenuous fighters
as you gentlemen; only go and see.
and IL you do find the young gentle
man has had no Ill treatment, no scare
only little adventure such as boys
like. hope you will come out here.
or wherever may be. and have that
cigar you are refusing"
The colonel was frankly puzzled. He
couldn't quite focus his wits on this
bravado which had nothing Of the
bravo about it, In fact, had tinge
of usefulness in its quiet. One would
have said the man regretted his COM
pulsory attitude of antagonism; that
he wanted peace.
Mercer smiled family. you ought
to know by this time when man 10
lying. colonel" he continued. but l
will go further l may have done
plenty OF wrong things in my life,
some things, maybe, which the law
might call crime; but have never
done anything which would debar me
from passing my word Of honor as q
gentleman; nor any one else from
taking it. give you my word of honor
that have meant and / do mean no
slightest, harm to Archie Winter; and
that, while I do not know where he ia
at this speaking, I believe you will
find him safe under your aunt's pro-
lection when you get back to the
Palace"
Call up the Pelace hotel, Mr.. Bird
SAIL" was the coloners reply. Mr..
Mercer, do not distrust that you are
speaking exactly, but you know your
Shakespeare; and there are promises
which keep their word to the ear but.
break 1t to the sense"
Il doa't wonder at your mistake:
but you are mistaken, subj
Birdsall was phlegmatically ringing
perience Of the rash person who in
trudes his paltry needs on the COM
pick workings Of great hotel system.
mo, don't know the number.
haven't the book here, but you know,
Palace hotel. Well, give me Informa-
ton, then-Busy? Well, give me an.
other Information, then-yes, l want
the Palace hotel-P-a-l-a-c-e-yes, yes,
Palace hotel; yes, certainly. Yes?
Mrs. Archibald Winter. Yes-line
busy? Well. hold on until it is Olsen
gagged. Say, Miss Furber, that you?
This is Birdsall & Gwen. Yes. Give
me Mrs. Winter, will you, 337? This
Mrs. Winter? Oh! When will she be
back? Is Mrs. Melville Winter in?
Well, Miss Smith in? She's gone. too?
Has Master Archibald got back, yet.
to the hotel? Hasn't? Thank you
en-" in answer to the colonel's inter-
ruption. What say, colonel?"
Tell her to call up this number"
the colonel read 1t out Of the tele-
phone book-"when Master Archie
does get back, will you? l am afraid,
Mr.. Mercer. that you will have to al
low us to trespass on your hospitality
for little longer
He suspected that Mercer was an
noyed, although he answered lightly
enough: LAS you please, Col. Winter.
am sure you will hear very soon.
Now, there is another matter, your
machine; understand you left trout
side. Will you ring for Kito, colonel?
Under the circumstances you may pre-
fer to do your own ringing. will ask
him to attend to the car"
The colonel made proper acknowl-
edgments. He was thinking that had
Mercer cared to confiscate the motor
he would have done 1t without ring
ing; on the other hand, did he desire
some special intercourse with his re-
tainer, wherein, under their very
noses, he could issue his orders-well,
possibly they might get Whit of the
secret themselves were he allowed to
try. At present the game bafled him.
Therefore he nodded to Birdsall's
puckered face behind MERGERS shout
der. And he rang the bell.
The Jap answered it with suspicious
alacrity.
"Kito," said Mercer. will you attend
to Gen. Winters car? Bring 1t up to
tho court -