The Washington times., 1911-08-29

She indicated a man with a bald patch
on the back of his head who was prop
ping himself up against the raining o.
the balcony. and gazing calmly into the
| ballroom.
::welI? Who is it?"
| Isn't it JuIes?'
"Gemini! BY the beard Of the prophet
1t is!'
Perhaps Mr. Jules is guest of Mrs
| Sampson Lew"
Guest or no guest, he goes out of
this hotel, even If have to thro" MIN
| Theodore Racksole disappeared with
out another word, and Nella followed
| him.
| But when the millionaire arrived on
/ the balcony floor he could See noshing
| of Jules, neither there nor in the oali-
room itself.
Saying no word aloud, but quietly
whispering wicked expletives, he search.
last, by tortuous stairways and cor
ridors, returned to his original post ot
observation, that he might survey the
place anew from that vantage .Srounu.
| To his surprise he found man In the
dark little room watching the scene o.
| the ball as intently as he himself >had
been doing a few minutes before.
Hearing footsteps the man turhe"
with a start.
The two exchanged glances in the
halt light for a second.
Good evening. Mr.. Racksole. saia
Jules calmly. Il must apologize LOT De-
ing %9Force of habit, Suppose" said
Theodore Racksole. dryly.
Just so, sir.
Il fancied | had forbidden you 10 re-
enter this hotel?"
Il thought your order applied only to
my professional capacity. l am here
tonight as the guest of Mr.. and Mrs.
In YOUR new role of man about town,
eh?'
Exactly"
But l don't allow men about town
up here, my friend .
For being here l have already apollo
Then, having apologized. you had
better depart; that is my disinterested
advice to you"
Good night. SIR
And l say. Mr. Jules, II Mr.. and Mrs.
Sampson Levi or any other Hebrews or
Christians, should again invite you to my
hotel, you will oblige me by declining
the invitation. You'll lind that will De
the safest course for you.
Good night, sir.
Before midnight struck. Theodore
Racksole had Rscertained that the in
vitation list Of Mr.. and Mrs. sampson
Levi, though a somewhat lengthy
one, contained no reference to any
He sat up very late. To be precise,
he sat up all night.
lie was a man who, by dint OF
training. could comfortably dispense
with sleep when he felt so iuclined,
or when circumstances made such
course advisable.
lie walked to and fro in his room.
and cOgitated as few people besides
Theodore RRcksole could cogitate.
At a. m. he took a stroll round the
business part of his premises, and
watched the supplies come in from
Covent Garden, from Smithfield, from
Billingsgate, and from other strange
places.
He found the proceedings Of the
kitchen department quite interesting.
and made mental notes Of things that
he would have altered.
AT a. m. he happened to be stand
ing near the luggage lift. and wit
messed the descent of vast quantities
Of luggage, and its disappearance into
a van.
Whose luggage is that7" he inquir-
The luggage clerk. with an aggriev-
ed expression, explained to him that
1t was the luggage of nobody in par
ticular that 1t belonged to various
guests. and was bound for various
destinations: that II was. in fact, "ex-
pressed" luggage dispatched in ad-
vance, and that a similar quantity OF
1t left the hotel every morning about
that hour.
Theodore Racksole walked away.
and breakfasted upon one cup of tea
and half a slice of toast.
At 10 o'clock he was informed that
the inspector of police desired to see
him.
The inspector had come. he said, to
superintend the removal of the body
Of Reginald Dimmock to the mortu-
and a suitable vehicle waited at the
hack entrance of the hotel
The inspector had also brought sub
poenas for himself and Prince Aribert of
Posen and the commissionaire TO attend
the inquest.
Il thought Mr.. Dimmock's remains
were removed last night" said Rack
mo. sir. The fact is. the van was
engaged for another Job"
The Inspector gave the least hint Of
professional smile, and Racksole. dis
gusted, told him curtly to go and per-
form his duties.
In a few minutes a message came
from the inspector requesting Mr.. Rack
sole to be good enough to come to him
on the first floor.
Racksole went. In the ante-chamber
where the body of Reginald Dimmock
spector and Prince Aribert and two po-
Iicemen.
"WeiI?" said Racksole, after he and
the prince had exchanged bows. Then
he saw coffin laid across two chairs.
IT see coffin has been obtained" he
remarked. quite right"
He approached 1t.
It's empty" he observed unthink-
inPly.
lust So" said the inspector. THE
body of the deceased has disappeared.
And his serene highness Prince Aribert
informs me that though he has occupied
a room Immediately opposite. on the
other side of the corridor. he can throw
no light on the affair"
Indeed I cannot" said the prince.
and, though he spoke with sufficient
calnnness and dignity, YOU could see
that he was deeply pained. even dis
tressed.
A C2ntinuntion of This Story VIII
n In Tnr,nnrrnU,a