Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-08-12
CHAPTER XIII.

were he 10 QO IQdC upon WHOSE
Al doing he had set his heart 1t
irked him sore to have to lose the in
valuable moments demanded by GER
tain imperative arrangements, but his
haste was such that all was consum-
mated within an hour.
Within the period Of a single hour, |
then, be had ransomed his luggage at
upon a four wheeler and transferred
to a neighboring hotel Of evil flavor.
but moderate tariff, where he engaged
a room for a week, ordered a. imme-
diate breakfast and retired with his
belongings to his room. He had shay
ed and changed his clothes, selecting a
serviceable suit Of heavy tweeds, stout
shoes, q fore and aft cap and q negli-
gee shirt of a deep shade, calculated at
least to seem clean for q long time.
Finally he had devoured his bacon and
eggs, gulped down his coffee and burn
ed his mouth and. armed with a stout
stick, set off hotfoot in the still dim
glimmering Of early day.
By this time his cash capital had
dwindled to the sum Of e. los. Sd.
and would have been much less had
he paid for his lodging in advance
At Kings Cross station on the I'M
foreground an acute disappointment
awaited him. There likewise he
sympathetic bobby Informed him that
no trains would be running until after
$50 and that. furthermore, no buses
would begin to ply until half after {.
Its tramp it or cab it. them" unused
the young man ~mournfully, his long
ing gaze seeking Il nearby cat rank,
just then occupied by Il solitary han
som. driver somnolent on the box.
"Oftcer'-he again addressed the po-
lice,nan, mindful of the English AK
iom, SWhen in doubt ask a bobby
"%oficer, when's high tide this morn
ing?"
The bobby produced a we'll worn
pocket almanac, moistened a massive
thumb and rippled the pages.
London bridge, Ugh tide twenty
minutes arfter 6. sir" he announced.
with a glow of satisfaction wholly
~pardonable in one who combines the
1ulCl1UuS VI dll1uLuC,
guidebook, encyclopedia and conserv-
er Of the peace.
Kirkwood said something beneath
his breath, q word in itself a com
Portable mouthful and wholesome and
emphatic. He glanced again at the
cab and groaned, 20 Lord, l just das-
sent!" with which, thanking the bu-
reau of information, he set off rapid.
ly down Grey's Inn road to find the
Alethea before she sailed. Proceeding
upon the working hypothesis that Mrs,
Hallam was a polished liar in most
respects, but had told the truth so far
as concerned her statement to the eff
feet that the gladstone bag contained
valuable property, whose ownership
remained a moot question, though
Kirkwood was definitely committed to
the belief that it was none of Mrs.
Hallam's or her sons, he reasoned
that the two Adventures, with Doro-
thy and their booty, would attempt to
leave London by a water route in the
ship Aethea, whose name had fallen
from their lips at B~ermondsey OLD
Stairs.
Kirkwood's initial task, then, would
be to find the needle in the haystack.
The metaphor is poor-more properly,
to sort out from the hundreds Of YES
sells of all descriptions at anchor in
midstream, moored to the wharfs of
l%ongshore warehouses or in the gigan-
tic docks hat line the Thames. thai
one called Alethea. OF which he was
so deeply mired in ignorance that he
could not say whether she were tramp
steamer, coastWise passenger boat,
n of the liners that ply between Til
bury and all the world, channel ferry
schooner, four master, square rigger,
bark or ~brigantine.
London had turned over once or
twice and was pulling the bedclothes
over it's head and grunbling about get
ing up, but the city was still sound
asleep. when at length he paused for a
minutes rest in front Of the Mansion
House and realized. with a pang of
despair, that he was completely tuck
cred out.
With a sigh he surrendered to the
fesh's frailty. An early cabby, cruis.
ing up from Cannon street station on
the off chance Of finding some one
astir in the city aside from the doves
and sparrows, suffered the surprise of
his life when Kirkwood halted him.
Jump in. sir" he told Kirkwood
cheerfully az soon as he had assimilat-
ed the latter's demands. II knows
precisely wotcher wants. Leave it all
to me-"
The admonition was all but super.
fuous. Kirzwood was unable for the
time being to do aught else thar re.
sign his fate into another's guidance.
Once in the cab he slipped %insensibly
into a nap n slept soundly on, as
reckless of the cabs swift pace and
continuous bouncing as Of the sunlight
glaring full in his tired young face.
He may have slept twenty minutes.
He awoke faint with drowsiness, tin
Cling from head to toe from fatigue