The Washington times., 1910-12-25

| VIII yOu2" thought the inspector. IF
I YOU do you'll be too late old man TF
/ BY tomsrrOw my name isn't Javel" F"
As matter of fact, the inspector had
: not told all that he knew He kept his
! main idea to himself. He was too re-
| Gently promoted to command much re-
! spect. no one would listen 70 his views
| and take them seriously. For that rea-
son he determined 70 play the game
i alone Ever since ne mad discovered
/ the fragments OF the torn envelope he
: felt that he had hit upon an important
/ clue. His nrst vague impression was
/ strengthened when he learned Barton s
| addreSs- He almost regretted the mint
| that ne had dropped 10 the chief. but
| cOSsoied himself with the reflection that
! the chief was too OBSTINATE TO adopt a
/ mere inspectors theories. Perhaps Il
was better that he had spoken. The
| chief would be all the mCfs reluctant
| 70 Weld he decided 10 ferret out Bar
| ton IN his own way. The singular coin
| cidence IN the number OF cartons resi-
/ dence and the number on he envelope
was worth explaining, even II II led 70
| nothing
Javei was man Of ideas Instead OF
/ Interpreting evidence, he used II IN
gathering more eviGence-the proper
mode Of procedure Tor a true deteCtlEe-
As he walked down Rue de Doua1 his
eye, In searching out the number OF
/ BartOn's apartment, fell upon the num-
/ Der - An idea. flashed upon him on
me envelope the postman nAd written.
Unknown al p, Try l6-'' II Barton was
I at all involved In the case. inquiry AT
2 ought 10 reveal something OF inter
/ est. he had nothing TO lose by inqulr-
ing. and accordingly he routed out the
concierge.
7 want 10 see NJ Victor Barton"
Don't know him"
Javei vas DISAPPOINTED. sim. he per
sisted tiTnicly: Hes a newspaper man.
can't you tell me something about
The concierge shook his head Just
then his wife appeared on the scene
a garTulous, rotund creature. con
sUmed with curlOsity-tO ascertain Tor
whom JaveI was asking The inspector
greeted her pleasantly and repeated his
question:
M Victor Barton, I'm looking for
He's a newspaper man I was told ne
lived here Perhaps I have the wrong
number and you may be able to
The man shrugged his shoulders The
woman stepped forward
Why! Don't YOU remember Then
turning 10 the inspector, she added
We haven't anybody here by that
name now We did have 8 reporter
ABOUT six months ago. Two or three
times the Dostnian has leit lettets 10. Lot
him here By mistake Now that / think
OF il, / n sure Il was the same man
you're looking for
Turning 70 her husband, the woman
reminded him
-'Tcn't YOU remember The postman
brought letter about a month ago
think he lives at i or. IS now
JaVei hastily took his leave De al
most danced down the street TO No lb-
a man with whom he collided in his
JOY and almost swept on his feet sWorc
al him and vowed ne was z blind luna
tic. Javei paid not the slightest at
tentfou 70 him and hurried on He en-
tered the house al 10 in frantic haste
and asked the concierge for Barton
He isn't in she replied.
DO you know when he win come
EaGEZ'T
no. He's out OF town"
Javel thought Fl awkward that his
man had slipped through his fingers
When do you expect him back
Cant tell Do you wish 10 leave a
MESSAGE Iii put in with some letters
which I've been holding for him. DE
hasn't been here for thre days"
Javel was disappointed. yet pleased
This disappearance might mean some
thing A. least i was suspicious Be
cause OF the possibility OF learning more
be thought he would leave a fictitious
message While he wrote IL he would
pursue the inquiry further. A chance
word might be dropped which he could
use RESIDES, q concierge would be less
defiant IN a room than in hallway.
Accordingly ne said:
I think III leave a note for him
nope Il won't disturb you If sit down
a minute
Not al all Have you paper and
pcncilZ'
No. he replied.
The woman brought him pen, ink. and
paper. He seated himself al 2 table
and began a long letter, in which he
panied himself as newspaper man
without employment, driven by poverty
ana misery &c the step OF throwing
hlIiStI on Barton's generosity and Of
soHcltlng Barton's good Offices in OBJ
tanning a position for a colleague. When
ne reached the end Of the paper he {
stopped, picked Up the corner between Z
nls numb and fOrefinger and swung n &
DO YOU want a bIotter7" szl-sy4 -.
concierge 'no
Don't let me trouble you"
an Nc .2 trouble at all all Maybe you'd like 4
Yes, If you have one
While he bloted the last line with the
most elaborate cars he remarked:
M m. Barton did not tell you he was
SNO. he didn't The woman who takes
care OF his room came yesterday TO u,s4
Things IN order She didn't know any
thing, either, and asked the same ques-
uons- She comes every morning TO
clean up, after he's gone It's very
strange and I'm just bit worried. he
always used TO tell me when he vvos
going away. Nine. Isabelle he wo1II5
say I'm going away for a few da-s
] may be back Monday; maybe Tues
JaveI listened rapturously, his pen
poised IN the air, in the Byronic attI-
tude Of q poet who had received in
spiration from the muse He was more
tOus departure was nothing but a fight
which, coupled with the numbers = 4
and is and the Boulevard Iannes nur-
der, placed Barton in a very bad light
The concierge babbled on. She di-
lated on his regular life. the hours
which he kept But all that was trivial,
for the time being at least He listened,
however, with an attentive ear.
The last time that he slept here ne
came in at about O'Clock in the morn
Ing as usual No one can ever hear
him come IN except me, he Is so careful
not 70 disturb anyone / know his way
OF closing the door-very softly, so that
you can't hear IL. There's some in here
that wake the dead when they come in.
banging the door as II there wasn't a
soul within a mile of them There's
some that stamp their way upstairs IN a
way that makes even the deaf woman
on the second floor complain But that
isn't II Barton ) way No. indeed Hes
careful, he is. About o'clock IN the
morning some one came and asked to
see him I let him up He didn't stay
long, for let him out again soon after.
Five minutes later down comes NJ Bar
ton and goes out I shouldn't wonder
but he's gone TO see his family. They /
i've in the country. Maybe somebody
Is cIcLr -