Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-04
was that we might overtake that local
In a faYnrahla annf

was that we might overtake that local
In favorable spot.
Seventy-ninth and Eighty-Sixth
streets blurred past without sign.
Then little beyond the latter II
caught sight Of the local, and grad
ually we drew alongside He was still
there, drumming idly on the window
pane with his white fingers, and look
ing disinterestedly straight across at
me. had a momentary impulse to con-
ceal my face, until remembered that
he had never seen me. So for a second
we stared at each other, pursuer and
pursued, the one utterly unconscious
of the other. My train passed forward
with increasing speed, while
he was In the fourth. Either he must
come into Ninety-sixth street or get
off at Ninty first; and the chances
were in favor of my finding him still
in the train at Ninety-sixth.
got out there, crossed to the local
platform, and waited. When the train
came in, was opposite the fourth
car. The center seat was empty, and
l sought in vain among the passengers
thronging to the doors. Then hurried
back ahead Of the crowd, and from
before the ticket window ran my eyes
again over the platform to make sure.
Well, he had left the train at the last
station; it was question Of seconds.
was in the street above In less time
than it takes to tell it, and swung my
self recklessly aboard a passing south
bound surface car; but stream of
trucks and automobiles blocked the
track; and before we passed the next
corner jumped off and ran. Three
blocks I went at the top of my speed,
my breath growing shorter at every
stride. And then, nearly block away
to the westward, caught sight of the
silk hat against the reddening sky.
It was an easy matter enough to
overtake the man. He walked along
rather slowly and rather heavily,
glancing upward at the numbers OF.
the houses; and presently he paused
to verify an address in a pocketbook.
I might have spoken to him then, but
I hesitated for pretext. His name
was what wanted first; and in my
ignorance of the circumstances It
would be safer to settle one thing at q
time. While I debated with myself, he
went up the steps of a house near
West End avenue. Since it was evil
IDENTIFY not his home, nothing could be
lost by little patient consideration;
so lighting cigarette, Of which BY
now felt considerable need, strolled
to and fro before the house, while I
pondered my next move. Five or ten
minutes went by, and was on the
point of ringing the bell and asking
who it was that had just come In,
when the electric brougham purred
around the corner, with my friend
Thomas sitting stodidly at the wheel.
At the moment, I happened to pc
nearly at the other end OF the block,
and before reached the spot where
the brougham had drawn up my man
had come out of the house. I could
hardly question his servant before his
face. And the next minute he had
clambered in and driven decorously
away.
/ ran as far as the corner, looking
about in all directions for taxicab.
None was in sight; and to follow afoot
for any distance was. of course impos-
sible. should have to be content with
the number of the brougham and such
information as inquiries at the two
houses knew the man to have visited
might yield. Then boy came by on
decrepit bicycle, and caught at his
handles.
: LET me take your Wheel" | painted.
He twisted his face into position for
a howl. Nonsense, kid, I'm not going
to steal it. Look at me. Here" !
thrust bill into his hand. That's
more than your machines worth. and
I'll send it back to YOU in an hour.
Where do you live?"
He told me in daZed sort of tone,
and was wavering on my way almost
before he had finished. The wheel ran
abominably hard, and was SO much
too low for me that my knees barely
cleared the handle-bars; still, it meant
all the difference between losing the
brougham altogether and being able
to follow 1t easily. All the way down
to the fifties 1t led me, and eastward
beyond Madison avenue, hating at
last before rigid-looking domicile
whose lower window displayed strip
of ground glass with the legend:
Emmanuel Paulus, M. d.
Somehow the name was indefinitely
familiar, as the face had been. |
wasted no time in surmise, but went
straight to the door.
"Was that Doctor Paulus who just
came in?" l asked the maid. She
looked me over cautiously.
"Who was it wanted to see him,
sir?"
"He wouldn't know mo-" said. ITS
only that have something which I
think he lost in the street"
The trick worked, as had expected,
and moment later my man stood
before me identified. even to the
shrill precision of his voice with It's
tinge of German accent.
II found this in front of your door,
Doctor" said l, "and thought you
had dropped 1t as you went In" And
i handed him my silver pocket-knife.
Deliberately he produced his own, and
with deliberate courtesy pointed out
my mistake. thought as the door
closed behind me that there had been
a CLINT of recognition in his eyes. But
the final step remained to take; and
with an aching swarm of suspicious