The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-04-07

SuST8OJ1C61ly tudu U0IOICs - t04I W4I0
possible. An unromantic, apathetic
figure, fitting SO naturally into his sur.
roundings as to demand no second look
even from the most observant: yet one
seeming to possess a magnetic attrac.
/ ton for the eyes of the hallboy Of the
apartment hotel (who, acquainted by
sight and hearsay with the stout gen.
tleman's identity and calling, bent
upon him steacfast and adoring re-
gard, as well as for the policeman
who lorded it on the ST. Nicholas ave
nue. corner, in front of the real estate
| office, and who from time to time
shifted his contemplation from the In.
finite spaces of the heavens, the better
to exchange a furtive nod with the
| :dler in the hotel doorway.
Presently-at no great lapse of time
after the short and thick-set man had
! slowed away his watch-out of the
thronged sidewalks of Seventh avenue
man appeared, walking west on the
forth side of the street and reviewing
carelessly the numbers on the illumin
/ ated fanlights; a tall man. dressed all
| in gray, and swinging thin walking
| stick
| The short, thick-set person assumed
| a mien of more intense abstraction
than ever.
| The tall man in gray paused indefi-
nitely before the brownstone stoop of
! the house numbered 2O5, then swung
! up the steps and into the vestibule
Here he halted, bending over to scru-
| tiEize the names on the letter boxes.
The short, thick-set man reluctantly
detached himself from his polished
pillar and waddled ungracefully across
the street.
| The policeman on the corner seemed
suddenly interested in Seventh ave.
nue., and walked in that direction.
The gray man, having yainly de-
ciphered all the names on one side
of the vestibule, Strengthened up and
turned his attention to the opposite
wall, either unconscious Of or indif-
ferent to the shuttle of feet on the
stoop behind him.
| The short, thick-set man removed
one hand from pocket and tapped the
gray man gently on the shoulder.
"Lookin' for McCabe, Anisty.?" he
inquired, genially..
The gray man turned slowly, exhib-
| ting cOuntenance blank with aston.
ishment. beg pardon?" he drawled;
and then, with a dawning CLEAN OF
recognition in his eyes: why. good
evening, Hickey! What brings you
up this way?"
| The short, thick-set man permitted
his jaw to droop and his eyes to pro-
trude for some seconds. "Oh," he
| said in a tone of great disgust, hell
He pulled himself together with an
! effort. Excuse me, Mr.. Maitland" he
s.ammered, Il wasn't lookin' for yeh
"To the contrary, gather from your
greeting you were expecting our
i friend, Mr.. Anisty?" And the gray
man smiled.
Hickey smiled in sympathy, but with
less evident relish of the situation
hrmor
That's right" he admitted. Got q
| tip from the c'miss'ner's Office this
evening that Anisty would be here al
seven o'clock lookin' for a party
named McCabe. guess It's a bum tip
all right; but of course / got to look
into it."
Most assuredly." The gray man
bent and inspected the names again
'Ie am hunting up an old friend" he
explained, carelessly; "a man named
| Simmons-knew him in college-down
on his luck-wrOte me yesterday
There he is: Fourth floor, east I'll
see you when come down, hope, Mr.
Hickey"
The automatic lock clicked and the
door swung open; the gray man pass
ing through and up the stairs. Hickey
ostentatiously ignoring the existence
of the policeman. returned to his post
Of observation.
At eight o'clock he was still there
looking bored.
At $3.50 he was still there, wearing
a puzzled expression.
At nine he called the adoring hall
boy, gave him quarter with minute
instructions, and saw him disappear
| into the hallway Of No. EOS. Three
minutes later the boy was back
breathless but enthusiastic.
'Missis Simmons" he explained be-
tween gasps, says she amt neve,
heard Of nobody named Maitland
Somebody rang her bell a while age
an apologized for disturbin' her-said
he wanted the folks on the top floor
l guess yer man went acrost the roofs:
/ them houses is all connected. and yuh
en- walk clear from the corner here
tub halfway up tub Nineteenth street
on Sam Nicholas avenoo.''
"Uh-huh." laconically returned the
detective. Thanks" And turning On
his heel, walked westward.
The policeman crossed the street
to detain him for a moments chat. 81
Il guess it's all on, Jim," Hickey
told him. Some one must We tipped
that crook OF. Anyway. amt goin
i to wait no longer" ~