Arizona republican., 1911-02-26

4
Even Connors might expect him 10
snatch bite of lunch about this time
so that could explain his absence If
the star man" should call up the
drug store in the interval.
Half an hour later. one Of the sales
men Of large wholesale button house
In the dry goods section OF Broadway
was critically examining between nm
ger and thumb a small white button
with black streaks. Yes. they made
that variety. Why, certainly. 1t was
one of their standard lines. Popular
with the western trade, but little used
In the East. Had they sold any guam
tity in the greater city recently!
Really, he would have TO ask the visi-
tor fo- his business card. A reporter?
Murder? He would have to refer him
TO one OF his superiors.
The head of The department listened
gTayely &C Bruce's story and then
turned 10 q fling cabinet and ran his
fingers swiftly over the cards in
narrow drawer. All. yes. The house
hed disposed of only two lots in the
metropolitan district in the last two
years. One had gone to firm in Ho-
/ bcken. The other had been sent to a
| large factory in Long Island City.
Would he care 20 give the address OF
the factory? In the circumstances, he
saw no reason why he should not.
| BY the time Bruce arrived at the fac
! tory al thought Of returning TO the
| police station had vanished. All the
| fever of the chase was in his blood.
Cover the station? Keep on that job?
Not If he knew it. His blood-his
cue - hlood-was up,
The factory superintendents inter
Est increased perceptibly as Bruce
went over the ground from the begin
ming. but the sharp-faced manager
could throw no light on the appearance
Of that button on the victims clothing.
Bruce showed his keen disappoint-
ment. Then a new idea struck him
with the force of a mental trip-ham-
mert
% You say these buttons" he began,
are used only on undershirts which
are sold out West. Isn't ii quite pos
sible that some of the men employed
mere take home buttons from the fac
tory and put them on their own cloth
ing?"
The superintendent smiled.
Its more than possible" he said.
u It's quite the usual thing. Petty
grating OF that kind goes on in all
establishments. But what Of IT,"
The younger mans eyes roamed over
the walls of the Office until they rested
upon a large framed photograph. He
indicated the picture with q nod.
Your employees" ne asked
The superintendent wheeled round in
bis swivel chair.
Yes" he said Taken about seven
months ago. Two hundred girls. a
hundred men. There's a key 10 the
group on the back of the frame"
The reporter looked ar the picture
curiously but did not rise from his
chair.
How many men OF your present
force" he said slowly. did not report
for work this morning."
The superintendent looked grave.
Yes" said he. as II to himself, yes.
that's more like"
He touched a bell. gave an order,
and. in a few minutes, slip of paper
was laid on the desk before him. He
scanned Il carefully and then turned
again 10 his visitor
One of them. Sam Leonard. has been
sick for three days with malaria. The
other. John Joyce. did not report this
morning Ee has not been in good
spirits for some months. the foreman
tells me. Probably sick. He's a
young man of superior education. An
orphan, | believe"
Bruce went first TO the home of the |
malaria victim. There was no ques- |
tion about the young man being there |
in the flesh. In fact. the caller saw, !
the half-opened bedroom door. |
the flushed face of the patient as he |
explained his quest TO the excited |
mother in the hall of the little frame !
cottage
A short walk from the cottage |
brought Bruce 20 a brick fat-hoUse |
which had been given as John Joyce's |
There Bruce made friends !
with the garrulous ianitress and was |
admitted into a small fat on the top |
floor at the rear
John. the janiiress said. had gone |
out alone at seven o'clock the night |
before. She had not seen him since !
and she did not believe he had come
back. What made her think so? Why. |
her own rooms were just across the
hal! and she could hear his alarm
clock go of every morning at seven.
She was always up herself at that
hour and had never missed hearing
the alarm till that morning. At first
she had thought she would knock on
his door and wake him up. Then she
had thought the clock must have rung |
and she had failed 70 hear it. Now
she felt sure it had not rung and that /
he young man had not slept there at
al.
Bruce looked AT the bed. II was In
disorder. but whether it had been slept L
IN the preceding night or not he could
not tell. The janitress thought not.
No, Joyce had not said where he was
going. And he had carried nothing Il
put light rattan cane.
thorough search of the rooms re-
7ealed nothing which seemed signifi- II
amt TO Bruce except a cabinet photo
graph of an unusually handsome
Toung woman which occupied what
vas evidently place of honor on the
bureau. There was no name on the
picture but on the back was written.
n a mans hand:
What therefore God hath Joined to-
,ether. let not man put asunder"