The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-12-01
pressive manner. He put his hands
under his coat-tails and coughed.

A little interview here tonight. II
'inckney Sullivan is by this time vi
der arrest. Within a very few min.
ltes-he will be here"
Il wanted to talk to him before he
vas locked up Richey explained.
He's clever enough to be worth
moving. and, besides, I'm not so
'ocksure OF his guilt as our friend the
patch on the seat of government. No
murderer worthy Of the name needs
tx different motives for the same
rhine, beginning with robbery, and
ending with an unpleasant father-iL.
,aw."
We were all silent for awhile. Nc.
might stationed himself at q wiz.
dow, and Hotchkiss paced the foor
2Xpectantly. It's a great day for
modern detective methods" he CHR
-uped. While the police have been
guarding houses and standing with
heir mouths open waiting for clews
% fall in and choke them, we have
1ieced together, bit by bit, a fab
ric-"
The door-bell rang, followed imme-
iiately by sounds of footsteps in the
hall. Mcknight threw the door open.
md Hotchkiss, raised on his toes,
flung out his arm in a gesture of SUI
Derb ~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.
Il brought him here as you suggest
ed, Mr.. Mcknight" said the con-
stable.
But Mcknight was doubled over the
library table in silent commissions Of
mirth, and l 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
your left hand, which is most repre-
hensible; second, you wear-er-night-
shirts, instead of pajamas. Worse
than that, perhaps, we find that one
of them has a ~buttonhole torn out at
the neck"
Stuart was b~ewildered. He looked
from Mcknight to me, and then at
the c]restfallen Hotchkiss.
81 haven't any idea what it's all
about" he said. Il was arrested as
| reached my clearinghouse tonight,
after the theater, and brought direct,
ly here. l told the officer it was a
mistake"
Poor Hotchkiss tried bravely to
justify the iasco.
You car not deny he contended,
you to your rooms last Monday eve
ming"
Stuart looked at us and flushed.
"No, | don't deny it," he said, but
there was nothing criminal about it
on my part, at least. Mr.. Bronson has
been trying to induce me to secure
the forged notes for him. But | die
not even know where they were"
"And you were not on the wrecked
Washington Flier?" persisted Hotch
kiss. But Mcknight i%nterfered.
There is no use trying to put the
other mans identity on Stuart, Mr.
Hotchkiss," he protested. "He ha'
been our confidential clerk for 81,
years, and has not been away from
the Office a day for a year. l an
afraid that the beautiful fabric W,
have pieced out of all these scraps il
going to be a crazy quilt" His ton'
was facetious, but ! could detect thu
u~ndercurrent of real disappointment.
/ paid the constable for his trouble
and he departed. Stuart, still indig
nant, left to go back to Washington
/; Circle. He shook hands with Nc
, Knight and myself magnanimously
; but he hurled a look of utter hatre'
! at f1DLCHhlSS, SuuA NASSIldliSh ia la
chair.
"As for as ! can see," said Nc
: Knight dryly, were exactly as ia
along as we were the day we met a
the Carter place. We're not a ste.
nearer to finding u man."
I'VE have one thing that may be @
value" l suggested. He is the hus
band of a bro~nZe-haired woman a
Van Kinks hospital, and it is jus
, possible we may trace him throug
+ her. / hope we are not going to los
your valuable cooperation, Mr.. Hotel
kiss?" ] asked.
! He reused at that to feeble interest
, "T-oh, of course not, IL you still car
to have me, IL was wondering abou
> the man who just went out, Stuart
you say? T. told his landlady tt
night that he wouldn't need the roor
4 again. / hope she hasn't rented 1t t
somebody else"
: We cheered him as best we could
/. and l suggested that we go to Bait
more the mex day and try to find tn
:, real Sullivan through his wife. II
! left sometime after midnight, an
Pichey aud wpra alma