The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-01-07

"Dh, We duhl wan II al, Only y
room or two Col. Winter demurred.
ANY One OF these rooms would do.
Well. ( VIII not detaln you The ele-
yatog boy will be tired, and MIR.
Keatcham will grow impatient"
mot at all; he will have gone. T.
I'm 10 very glad to have met YOU, Colo
nell"
In this manner. with mutual clyili-
ties, they parted. the young man es-
eorting the colonel 70 his own door,
which the latter was forced 70 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.
rs he an innocent hystander or
what?" puzzled the soldier. He 70
sumed his march up and down the
corridor. The next room 10 the
Keatcham suite was evidently held by
an agent Of the Hreless Cooking
Stove, since one OF his samples had
strayed into the hall and WAS mutely
proclaimIng its own exceedtag worth
very black letters on a very white
placard.
III the young man and the valet are
straight goods. the key will come up
reasonably soon lrcsn the Office"
thought the watcher.
Sure enough, the keys, IN the handn
Of Winters own spy. appeared before
he had waited three minutes. He re.
ported that the old gentleman got into
a cab with his secretary and the valet,
and the other gentlemen took another
cab. he secretary paid the bin, Had
he gone sooner than expected? MOI
he had engaged the rooma 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
dcsec,iye had been instructed TO watch
r. How long had the FlreleSs Cooking
Stove man had Il? There was no meat
for suspicion in tae answer The stove
nan had come the day before the
Koatcham party. He was a perfectly
commonplace, goodlooklng young man.
representing the Peerless Firelees
Cooking Stove with much picturesque
eloQuence; he had sold a lot of stoves
TO people in the hotel and he tried
without mush success to tackle 'old
Keatcham be had ATTACHED even the
sleuth himself. "He gave me 4
mighty good cigar, too" chuckled the
red-headed one.
linn, yon got 1t now"
only the memory" the boy Erinned.
you ought to have kept II, Birdsail
would tell you; You are Watching
every one In these rooms, Did Il have
a nocktisg 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 Pc.
per from his pocket-book the colonel
eyed Il grimly. IA de villar y viilar. !"
he read, with n slight lronlc infection.
Decidedly 9ur Young Flreless Stove
promoter smokes good cisarsir
Maybe Mr. Kealcham gave Il to
him lie was IN there"
WAS he? Oh. yes, trying to sell
his stove-but not s~ucceeding7H
HE said he was trying to get past
the valet aud 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
Teller"
The colonel made no comment. and
presently betook himself to his aGnt.
She was waiting for him in the pariof,
playing solitaire, Through the open
door the white bed that ought to have
been Arches was cleaning family.
The eoionel's brows met.
We'll. BERTHE? Did you find my.
thingq" Mrs. Winter inquired.
smoothly.
I'm afraid not but here Is the re.
port" He gave Il 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 a little railway, but a little bog
Is too small game"
"0h. ! don't suspect Keatcham; but
! wish | had caught the elevator to.
night He looked at me In a mighty
queer way"
Did yon recognize bis secretary as
any n whom you ever saw before?'
asked Mrs. Winter.
r. cant say was the answer, given
with a little hesitation. I'm not sure"
y don't think | quite understand
you, neriles betteo make a clean
breast Of Al you know, I'm getting q
little worried myself"
The colonel reached across the cards
and tapped HIS aunts arm aiiectionate
J " lie felt the warmess impulse 20.
ward sympathy for her that he had
ever known; It glIstened in bis eyes.
| Mrs. Winters cheeks slowly Grim.
soneas she turned her head. exclalm
ms. did she hear a noise; but the
oolonel'a keen ears bad not beaa
warned. Poor woman" he thought.
she Is worried 70 death. but she viii
not admit It.
Nov. Berthe. said Mrs Winter
calmly. but her elbow fell On hef
cards ana spoiled y very promising
Kame o. peaelone's Web. nov. Der.
lin what ara en.i kanuinn hack -