The Irish standard., 1909-01-09

1t was as IL she were stunned, he felt
He was sitting opposite her, his
slender, rather short figure looking
shrunken in the huge, ugly uphol'
stored easy chair; he kept an almost
constrained attitude Of military erect
ness, of which he was conscious, him,
self; and at which he smiled forlornly,
recalling the same pose in Haley when
ever the sergeant was disconnected.
"But, first" pursued his aunt, who
was that red-headed bellboy with whom
you exchanged signals in the hall?"
The colonel suppressed whistle.
aunt Becky, you're a wonder! Did
you notice? And he simply shut the
palm Of his hand! Why, it's this way:
was convinced that Archie must be
on the premises; he couldn't get off.
So I telephoned detective that ]
know here, private agency, not the
police, to send me sure man to
watch. He is made up as bellboy
with the hotel managers consent, OF
course); either I, or Milicent, or that
boy has kept an eye on the Keatcham
doors and the next room ever since !
found Archie was gone. No one has
gone out with our seeing him. If any
suspicious person goes out, we have it
arranged to detain him long enough
for me to get a good look. I can tell
you exactly who left the ROOM
1T is you who are the wonder, Der.
tie," said Aunt Rebecca. a little weari.
ly, but smiling. who has gone out?"
cat seven Mr.. Keatcham's secretary
went down to the Office and ordered
dinner very carefully. I didn't see
him, but my sleuth did. He had the
secretary and the valet of the Keatch.
am party pointed out to him; he saw
them. They had one visitor, young
Arnold, the Arnold's son"
"The one who has all the orange
groves and railways? Yes, I knew his
father"
"That one; he only came a few mo.
ments since. Mr.. Keatcham and his
secretary dined together, and Keatch.
ANS own man waited on them; but
the waiter for this floor brought up the
dishes. At nine the dishes were
brought out and my man helped
Keatcham's valet to pile them little
farther down the corridor in the. hall. y
These items the colonel was reading
out of his little red book.
"You have put all that down. Do
you think it means anything?"
II have put everything down. One
can't weed. until there is a crop Of in.
formation, you know"
True" murmured Aunt Rebecca,
nodding her head, thoughtfully. "Well,
did anything else happen?"
''The secretary posted lot of let.
ters in the shute. They are all smo.
king now. Yes" he was on his feet
and at the door in almost single mo-
ton. There had been just the slight.
est tattoo on the panel. When the
door was opened the colonel could
hear the rattle of the elevator. He
was too late to catch it, but he could
see the inmates. Three gentlemen
stood in the car. One was Keatcham,
the other two had their backs to Win
ter. One seemed to be supporting
Keatcham. who looked pale. He saw
the colonel and darted at him a single
glance in which was something like
poignant appeal; what, it was too brief
for the receiver to decide, for in the
space Of an eye blink shoulder Of the
other man INTERVIEWED, and simultane-
ously the elevator car began to sink.
There was need to decide instantly
who should follow, who stay on guard.
Rupert babe the boy go down by the
stairs, while, with a kind of bulldog
instinct, he chung to the rooms. The
lad was to fetch the manager and the
keys of the Keatcham suite.
Meanwhile Rupert paced back and
forth before the closed doors, whence
there penetrated the rustic of packing
and murmur Of voices. Presently
Keatchams valet opened the farther
door. He spoke to some one inside.
eyes, sir" he said, "the porter
bought to be ere now"
The porter was there; at least he
was coming down the corridor which
led to the elevator, trundling his truck
before him. He entered the rooms
and busted himself about the luggage.
Doggedly the colonel stuck to his
guard until the valet and another man,
clean-shaven, fresh-faced young man
whom the watcher had never seen be-
fore, came out of the room. The valet
superintended the taking of two
trunks, accepting tickets and checks
from the porter with q thoroughly
Anglican suspicion and thoroughness
of inspection, while the young man
stood tapping his immaculate trousers
leg with the stick of his admirably
slender umbrella.
Its all right, Colvin," he broke in,
impatiently; three tickets to Los An.
geles, drawing room, one lower berth,
one section, checks for two trunks;
come on!"
Very methodieally the man called
Colvin slowed away his green and red
slips, first in an envelope, then in his
pocket-book, finally buttoning an in
side pocket over all. He was the image
of a rather stupid, conscientious Eng
lish serving creature. Carefully ne
co,1pfod o,,t Ehoro1 hit Mt Ia Il oI, IT..