The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-09-29


to see what he wanted, come out ihtC
the smokingroom. | want to sec
you"
Hanson" he asked, with a cur
of his lip. where did you get tha'
suit of clothes?"
what business is that of yours ?
| demanded
ITS lots Of my business he re-
torted. THAT suit belongs to me!
! felt my muscles weaken all over
but | kept up a show of bravado.
you must be crazy, Braxton'l ex'
claimed in a half whisper. u know
where got this suit and / know that
it's not yours"
Eyes, and know where you got IT,
too" he Kissed back. you took II
from the closet of my room down az
the factory a week ago! It's my suit.
"Braxton, you're wrong | protest,
ed. now thoroughly panic-stricken "lf
you must know the truth, | rented TINS
suit from Solomon's today. But | do
hope you'll be gentleman enough not
to say anything about it?'
He laughed fiendishly. Likely
tale Solomon doesn't buy stolen
suits. See here, Hanson, get your nat
and duckl If catch you in the ball
room again, you thief, I'll tell Miss
Walker and all the others about you.
Duck. I say, duck! You can explain
to me tomorrow"
You'd better take my advice" was
his parting shot to me as he disap-
peared inside the ballroom.
In utter despair / sank down on a
chair. | would far rather have faced
the lannon's lurid breath than Miss
Walkers and Mr.. Cramps eyes after
this contemplate Braxton had said
six words to them.
And the worse of 1t was that he
might be right. | might have on his
suit 1t probably had been stolen
from his Office and sold to Solomon.
left the hotel without bidding any
body good-by. The first thing was to
get off the clothes was wearing; my
flesh seemed to be burning under
their weight. | rushed off to my
boarding house, and went upstairs.
But | didn't linger to ponder on my
feelings. went straight for Solo
mons. In five minutes | had reached
that secondhand shop 1t was as
dark as Egypt inside.
| rang the doorbell, then pounded
within. But | knew that the owner
was sleeping upstairs, and I contin-
ued to pound and make all the racket
could without arousing the neigh
borhood.
Just as my patience was about ex-
hausted old Solomon in his night gar
ments, turned the knob and opened
the door few inches.
What is it?" he queried in a gruff,
frightened voice.
I'm the man you rented a dress
suit to today" l said. Its stolen
suit and you've got to take it back"
Il want you to write me a state
ment, at once, saying that rented
the suit from YOU" | said in deter
mined tones. THAT will square me
with the man who owns 1t. He is
the assistant cashier in the cloak
Give me this statement,
and then you two can fight it out"
"All right, I'll write it," he agreed.
leading the way back into one of the
rooms.
He took out piece of ruled paper
from his desk, and I dictated while
he wrote a line saying that | had
rented the suit from him, and that
he had bought it from a young man
with red hair, When he signed the
paper I took it, thanked him. and hur.
ried out of the place.
My steps led up the street in the
of the factory. As I
walked | also racked my brain
to think of some young man
with red hair who might have stolen
the suit. There were three or four
hundred men in the place. and the
task of settlingson the thief was like
looking for a wheat grain in sack
Of oats
AS the factory was close. I deter.
mined to so to it and telephone TO tbe
Braxton that Solomon had
given me written statement exon.
Grating me from blame. I dared NOT
20 back to the hotel in my sack suit
or fear of causing comment and nos.
'ible exposure.
1t was dark, but did not turn IN
he lights in going upstairs. I made
NY way over to the desk and in si.
ence sat down to ponder a few mo.
nents over the words | would use IN
phoning and in writing to Braxton
Finally, ] decided just what 70 saw
o him and was on the >oint Of got
ing up to go over to the telephone
when something don't know what
caused me to hesitate,
A strange feeling of the presence
u another person In the room sud
lenly came over me. Silently
'eered into the darkness. NV CARGO
llert for the slightest sound
Them saw a light-a round
fright light, fash out across tho baIi
through the open door. Was II thn
light Waterman? I listened ~
Distinctly heard soft foot.faI1s -.
wenty feet away from me. The HaSt
ppeared again-this time holding n
econd longer than before. Now !