Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-01
CHAPTER XXI.
At the Boarding House.


since the morning of the preceding
day. Johnson was not in sight and
let myself in quietly with my latch
key. It was almost midnight and
had hardly settled myself in the
library when the bell rang and I was
surprised to find Hotchkiss, much out
Of breath, in the vestibule.
"Why, come in. Mr.. Hotchkiss"
said. II thought you were going home
to go to bed"
$50 I was, so was" He dropped
into chair beside my reading lamp
and mopped his face. "And here it is
almost midnight and I'm wider awake
than ever. I've seen Sullivan, Mr..
Blakeley."
"You have!"
81 have" he said, impressively.
"You were following Bronson at
eight o'clock. Was that when it hap
pened?"
Something Of the sort When left
you at the door of the restaurant !
turned and almost ran into a 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
eating much these days. ! at once
jotted down the fact. because it ar.
gued that he was being bothered by
the man with the notes."
'It might point to other things" ]
suggested. Indigestion, you know"
Hotchkiss 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 around the private entrance there
while he ran across the street and
get something to eat It seemed q fair
presumption that, ~ he had gone
there with lady they would dine lei
surely and Arnold would have plenty
Of time to get back"
what about your own dinner?"
asked, curiously.
Sir" he said, pompously. II have
given you wrong estimate of Wilson
Budd FIotchkiss il you think that a
question Of dinner would even obtrude
itself on his mind at such time as
this
He was a frail little man and to-
night he looked pale with heat and
over-exertion.
Did you have any luncheon?" I
asked.
He was somewhat embarrassed at
that.
"I-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-
ton. Just wait minute"
I 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 unattractive looking cold
chops, some dry bread and 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 were 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
but Hotchkiss ate his cold
chops and gnawed at his crusts as
though he had been famished. while
he told his story.
Il had been there only few min
utes," he said, with chop in one
hand and the cake in the other, when
Bronson rushed out and cut across the
street. He's tall man. Mr.. Blake
ley. and had hard work keeping
close. It was a relief when he jumped
on a 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 he looked at
his watch now and then and when I
did once get a look at his face it made
me-er-uncomfortable. He could
have crushed me like fly, SIR
had brought Mr. Hotchkiss glass
Of wine and he was looking better.
He stopped to finish it, declining with
a wave OF his hand to have it refllled,
and continued:
About nine o'clock or little later
he got OF somewhere near Washing
ton circle. He went along one of the
residence streets there, turned to his
left a square or two, and rang bell.
He had been admitted when / got
there, but guessed from the appear
ance of the place that it was q board
ing house.
'tI waited few minutes and rang
he bell When maid answered it,
asked for Mr.. Sullivan. OF course
here was no Mr.. Sullivan there.
81 said was sorry; that the man
vas looking for was new boarder.
She was sure there was no such
,oarder in the house; the only new ar
ival was man on the third floor
she thought his name was Stuart.
a = Il