The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-14
CHAPTER XXI.
At the Boarding House.

! had not been home for sc hours.
since the morning Of the preceding
day Johnson was not in sight and
let myself iii quietly with my latch
key Il was almost midnight and
had hardly settled myself in the
library when the bell rang and was
surprised to find l1otchkiss. much out
Of breath. In the vestibule.
why, come in MIR Hotchkss,"
said. u thought you We're going home
TO 80 10 bed
so was. so ! was" He dropped
into chair beside my reading lamp
and moppcd his face. And here il is
almost midnight and I'm wider awake
than ever I've seen Sullivan, Mr.
Blakeley"
You have"
II have, he said. impressiyely
you We're following Bronson at
eight o'clock. Was that when 1t hap
pened?"
Something of the sort When | left
you at the door Of the restaurant
turned and almost ran into Il plain.
clothes man from the central office.
| know him pretty Well; once or twice
he has taken me with him on interest
ing bits Of work He knows my hobby
You know him, too. probably. 1t
was the man Arnold. the detective
whom the states attorney has had
watching Bronson"
johnson being otherwise occupied,
had asked for Arnold myself.
| nodded
Well he stopped me at once said
he'd been on the fellows tracks since
early morning and had had no time
for luncheon. Bronson, it seems. isn't
eating much these days. at once
1otted down the fact, because it ar
gued that he was being bothered By
the man with the notes"
1T might point to other things" I
suggested. Indigestion, you know"
Hotchkss ignored me. well Ar.
mold had some reason for thinking
that Bronson would try TO give him
the slip that night. so he asked me to
stay Ground the private entrance there
while he ran across the street and
set something to eat 1t seemed fair
presumption that, as he had gone
there with lady they would dine led
surely and Arnold would have plenty
of time to get back"
What about your own dinner?" |
asked, curiously.
sir" he said. pompously. q have
given you wrong estimate of Wilson
Budd Hotchkiss If you think that n
question OF dinner would even obtrude
itself on his mind at such time as
this"
He was a irail little man and to-
night he looked pale with heat and
oyerexertion
Did you have any luncheon?" |
asked
lie was somewhat embarrassed at
that
''l-really, Mr. Blakeley, the events
of the day were so engrossing
Well" said. I'm not going to see
you drop ON the floor from exhaus-
tion. Just wait minute"
| went back to the pantry. only TO
be confronted with rows Of locked
doors and empty dishes. Downstairs,
in the basement kitchen, however |
found two unattractiye looking cold
chops, some dry bread and Il piece OF
cake, wrapped in napkin, and from
its SurreptitiOus and generally hang
dog appearance destined for the coach
man In the stable at the rear Trays
there We're nOne--eVerything but the
chairs and tables seemed under lock
and key and there was neither napkin,
knife nor fork TO be found
The luncheon was not attractive IN
appearance. but Hotchkiss ate his cold
chops and gnawed at his crusts as
though he had been famshed, while
he told his story,
Il had been there only a few min
utes," he said, with a chop in one
hand and the cake in the other when
Bronson rushed out and cut across the
street He's a tall man, Mr. Blake
ley and ! had hard work keeping
close II was relief when he jumped
on passing car although being well
behind it was hard run for me TO
catch him. He had left the lady
Once on the car we simply rode
from one end of the line to the other
and back again | suppose he was
passing the time, for lie looked at
his watch now and then and when
did once get look at his face 1t made
me -er-uncomfortable He could
have crushed me like fly, sir"
had brought Mr.. EIotchkiss a glass
Of wine and he was looking better
lie stopped to finish il. declining with
wave of bis hand to have it reflled.
and continued:
About nine o'clock or little later