Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-15

OF the west; chill fog smoked up
from the darkening hills, and Archie
had not come. At eight, Mrs. Winter
ordered dinner to be served in their
rooms. Mrs. Smith had not returned.
The colonel attempted a military
cheerfulness, which his aunt told him
bluntly. later in the evening, reminded
her of physicians manner in critical
cases where the patients mind must
be kept absolutely quiet.
But she ate more than he at dinner:
although her own record was not
very good one. Millicent avowed that
she was too worried to eat, but she
was tempted by the strawberries and
carp. and wondered were the Call
fornia fowls really so poor; and gave
the sample the benefit OF impartial and
fair examination, in the end making q
very fair meal
1t is not to be supposed that Winter
had been idle; before dinner he had
put guard in the hall and had seen
Haley, who reported that his wife
and child had gone to q kinswoman In
Santa Barbara.
Sure the woman has q fine house
intirely, and she's fair crazy over the
baby that's named afther her, for she's
a wildly woman with never a child
EXCEPT wan that's in hivin, little
gurrl; and she wudn't let us rist til
she'd got the cratur' Nor / wasn't
objectin'. for I'm thinking there'll be
something dom and the wimin ID on
convenient, thin times"
The colonel admitted thatNhe shared
Haley's opinion. He questioned the
man infinitely about MERGERS conduct
on the train. It was absolutely COM
monplace. II he. had any connection
Gas the colonel had suspected) with
the bandits, he made no sign. He
sent no kilograms; no wrote NO let
tiers; he made no acquafntances,
smoking his solitary Cigar over .
newspaper. Indeed, absolutely the
only matter OF note (if that were one)
was that he read SO many newspapers
buying every different journal
vended. At San Francisco he got into
a cab and Haley heard him give the
order: ITO the st. Francis" Having
Ills wife and child with him, the scr
geant couldn't follow: but he went
around to the st. Francis later, and I'M
quired for Mr.. Mercer, for whom heS
had letter las was indeed the case
the colonel having provided him
NTH hui NOS onn00ro6
on the register. Invited to leave the
letter to await the gentleman's arrival.
Haley said that he was instructed to
give 1t to the gentleman himself; !.
therefore. he took it away with him. 4
He had carried It to all the other
hotels or boarding places In San Fran
cisco which he could find. aided great
ly thereto by q friend Of his. formerly
In 'the old TIL" sergeant, now sta
toned ut the Presidio. Thanks to &
him, Haley could say DEFINITELY that
Mercer was 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 I" the
colonel summed up.
Haley's reply was unexpected:
Eyes, sor. seen him this day. IA the
morning, in this same hotel"
Where's"
Drinking coffee at table in tn !
coort. He wint out, havin' paid the
man, not a.sfgnin' AN he guy the
waiter enough-t6 make him say
Thank We, sor,' but not enough to
make him smile and stay round to pull
all the chair. follied him to the dure.
but he got into an autymobile-
Get the number"
'sYis, sor Number-here tits, sor,
wrote it down to make sure. he
passed over to the colonel an old en-
velope on which was written number
s"M. 2O139," read the colonel, care
fully noting down the number in his
own memorandum book. And he re-
lected: "That is Massachusetts NUM-
ber-humph!
Haley's information ended there He
heard of Arches disappearance Witns
his usual stolid mien, but his hands
slowly clenched. The colonel con-
tinued:
"You are to ind out, II you can, byi
scraping acquaintance with the car
riage men, II that auto you have
written a description, / see, as well a.
the number-find out II that auto LEFT
this hotel this afternoon between six
and seven o'clock. Find out who were
In it. Find out where 1t is kept and;
who owns It. Get H. Birdsall, Mers
chants Exchange building, to send
man to help you. Wait. I've q 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. II I'm not here, speak Spanish
and have them write It down. Be,
back here tonight by ten, II you can,
yourself"
(To Be Continually
A French army oftices has invented
everlasses which enable the wearef g
.ee on all sides and the rear.