The Montgomery tribune., 1910-12-02
pressive manner. He pu. bin hands

under his coat-tails and coughed.
MIR Blakeley," he began, by Mr..
| Meningitis advice we have arranged
| a little interview here tonight. II
all has gone as planned, Mr.. Henry
Pinckney Sullivan is by this time un-
der arrest. Within very few min
utes-he will be here"
| Il wanted to talk to him before he
was locked up Richey explained.
Hes clever enough to be worth
knowing, and, besides, I'm not so
cocksure of his guilt as our friend the
patch on the seat of government. No
murderer worthy Of the name needs
six different motives for the same
crime, beginning with robbery, and
ending with an unpleasant father-in-
law"
We were all silent for awhile. Nc
knight stationed himself at win.
dow, and Hotchkiss paced the floor
expectantly. "Its a great day for
modern detective methods" he CHR.
ruped. while the police have been
guarding houses and standing with
their mouths open waiting for clews
to fall in and choke them, we have
pieced together bit by bit, a fab
ric-"
The door-bell rang, followed imme-
diately by sounds of footsteps in the
hall. Mcknight threw the door open,
and Hotchkiss, raised on his toes.
flung out his arm In a gesture of SUI
perb eloquence.
"Behold-your mani" he de-
claimed.
Through the open doorway came a
tall, blond fellow, clad in light gray,
wearing tan shoes, and followed close
!, ly by an officer.
81 brought him here as you suggest
ed, Mr.. Mcknight" said the con-
stable.
But Mcknight was doubled over the
library table in silent convulsions of
mirth, and I was almost as bad. Lit
tie Hotchkiss stood up, his important
attitude finally changing to one of
chagrin, while the blond man ceased
to look angry, and became sheepish.
1t was Stuart, our confidential clerk
for the last half dozen years!
, Mcknight sat up and wiped his
: eyes.
Stuart" he said sternly, there are
: two very serious things we have
learned about you. First, you jab
your scarf-pins into your cushion with
t your left hand, which is most repre-
: hensible; second, you wear-er-night-
S shirts, instead of pajamas. Worse
than that, perhaps, we find that one
/ of them has a buttonhole torn out at
the neck"
}, Stuart was bewildered. He looked
from Mcknight to me, and then at
!. the crestfallen Hotchkiss.
81 haven't any idea what it's all
about" he said. 81 was arrested as
I reached my clearinghouse tonight
e after the theater, and brought direct
j ly here. / told the officer it was g
7, mistake"
t. Poor Hotchkiss tried bravely tc
r justify the f1asco.
l. You can not deny" he contended
"that Mr. Andrew Bronson followed
e you to your rooms last Monday eve
Ming"
e Stuart looked at us and flushed.
d mo, don't deny it," he said, "but
lueTe WAS uOlulu6 Ciiuiudi dUOut IL
Q on my part, at least. Mr.. Bronson has
3 been trying to induce me to secure
l. the forged notes for him. But l die
5, not even know where they were."
e And you were not on the wrecked
Washington Flier?" persisted Hotch
4 kiss. But Mcknight interfered.
There is no use trying to put the
a. other mans identity on Stuart, Mr.
1t Hotchkiss," he protested. HE ha!
Is been our confidential clerk for 81,
years, and has not been away from
the office a day for a year. 1 AN
)" afraid that the beautiful fabric W,
Is have pieced out of all these scraps Il
1t going to be crazy quilt" His toni
h was facetious, but could detect tn,
undercurrent of real disappointment
h paid the constable for his trouble
sr and he departed. Stuart, still indig
ls nant, left to go back to Washington
Is Circle. He shook hands with Nc
10 Knight and myself magnanimously
re but he hurled look of utter hatre'
at at Hotchkiss, sunk crestfallen in hi
D. chair.
"As for as can see," said Nc
n knight dryly, we're exactly as ia
le along as we were the day we met a
h. the Carter place. We're not ste
n nearer to finding our man."
Oh 1--WE have one thing that may be Q
value" suggested. HE is the hus
n. band of bronze-haired woman a
or Van Kinks hospital, and it is jus
y, possible we may trace him throug
g. her. hope we are not going to los
your valuable cooperation, Mr.. Hotel
/. kiss?" asked
"a He reused at that to feeble interest
TO 'I-oh, of course not, II you still car
!. to have me, IL was wondering abou
Is the man who just went out, StuarI
W l. q