The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-04-22
CHAPTER VII.

anu SOlucTu Wcul uOWn tHc
hall from Betty Lancey's room after
the clerk and his companion. who was
so excitedly seeking the papers that
had blown out Of the window and a
couple of bell boys.
We'll go right down through the
bar, it's the quickest" they overheard
the clerk say as the couple passed to
await the elevator. The two newspa-
per men ran down to the next floor,
caught the car at the second landing
and rode to the first floor with the
clerk and his plainly excited compan-
ion.
The bar was closed and while one
clerk procured the keys for entrance
Frankel covertly watched the man.
and Sothern nonchalantly strolled over
to the clerk behind the desk.
who is that MANI" he queried. Il
don't mean the little Jew. but the dark,
handsome fellow there? He has such
beautiful wife. looks like woman
knew in Paris once"
"So?" asked the clerk. They have
been here at frequent intervals this
last year or two. Don't know much
about them. except that his name is
Harcourt-Harold Harcourt-and they
always register from India. They've
got cash to burn"
What's the matter with him now"
questioned Sothern. The clerk laugh
ed.
"Oh. I don't know" he answered
He came bustling down here awhile
ago shouting about some documents
that had blown out of his window and
| lit on the fire escape opposite. He
wanted somebody to go up and help
| him get out on the fire escape. Tore
| around as if he was afire."
HE was crazy, too" supplemented
one of the bell boys. "Old lady in E22
where he went to get out of the win
dow wouldn't unlock the door to let us
at the fire escape. Don't blame her,
! but her hubby made her come to the
| scratch and let us in, and she was the
| tickledest when the papers were gone.
They's going down in the court now, to
hunt them up"
| Frankel by now had joined the
clerk at the door of the bar and was
enjoying that functionary's attempts
to make the key yield in the lock-
Whats on?" he asked, carelessly, "a
riot or a raid?"
Nothing at all, sir, private busi-
ness, private business only" interrupt
ed Harcourt, with the air of giving
Frankel his congo.
Frankel. however, refused to accept
such a gratuity and followed the two
men, and the several bell boys one
with a pocket light and the others
with various boxes Of matches through
the darkened barroom. The glasses
and mirrors and decanters cleaned
DULY in the half Light and the tiled
floors were slippery with recent scrub
hing. The door that opened upon the
court was heavily chained. barred and
bolted. but 1t swung wide at last and
Harcourt clutching the pocket light
from the grasp of its bearer flared 1t
into every corner and crevice Of the
clean cemented rectangle.
Nothing here. sir. nothing here. y
Commented the clerk. What was the
nature of the papers. II you please?"
Harcourt's face was livid. He rum
pied his thick hair nervously with his
long white fingers. oblivious Of all his
SURROUNDINGS. At the third repetition
, of the interrogation he reused frou
, his stupor and remarked:
"A picture of my wife. very waltz
! able handmade print, one I prize fol-
its associations as much as for its in
i trinsic worth. and some extremely i'm
{ portant passports. I would not have
{ lost them for half million dollars"
, The bell boys polked around In a de-
sultory fashion into imaginary crew
, ices that did not exist. The clerk led
( the way back to the ONCE and Har-
: court absently met the claims Of the
!, buttons upon his pockets
Excuse me. Mr.. Harcourt," said 1