Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-04
CHAPTER xIII.

Il It was q possibility that had never
occurred to me, and came to me much
as II I had stretched out my hand for
some tangible object OF which was
perfectly certain and found only the
mockery OF Elusive shadows. Gone
out OF business!" The thing seemed
incredible.
ss''Do you actually mean that?"
asked after q moment. "or hasn't he
Just moved to some other placer"
~ II don't know" said the cashier.
COZ course I never saw him myself.
II only came In here from our down
town branch after the place was In
working order. But what they told
me was that he had gone out Of bust.
ness
"Well. what's his home address,"
I asked. e
I, you've got me- All this In
asides as she mechanically made
change for an intermittent stream Of
customers.
4 ''But, he must get letters here that
YOU have to redirect. Where do you
send, Them"
4 mo, he doesn't. They never get this
far. All the redirectinE Is done In the
postofYice, guess. Most firms send
down rubber stamp with their new
address on when they move. you
know. 1t saves time, and besides, it's
safer" &.:ss 3 e..
Il suppose i could get his address
from there. I said, rather hopelessly.
: The cashier was evidently little
bored. mo, you couldn't, mister"
she said, looking with absent satisfac-
tfon at her finger nails; the post
ONCE never gives out IN address. But.
I'll tell You what you could do. You
could Just send your bill in to this ad-
dress, and the postofilce will see that
II reaches him somehow"
Thank YOU" said; II suppose
that will have to do
As far as l could see, that was the
ctlly course left to me at the moment:
80 had my taxi take me back to the
Hotel Gloria, and there wrote Mr..
Slater letter asking II he could
make an appointment to see me on q
matter Of the greatest importance.
This once posted, I wassat loss what
to do next. knew Iscould not get
an answer before twenty-four hours,
and that there was great possibility
that l should not even get an answer
then. In the meantime I felt every
feeting second precious and inactivity
Tn uncomfortable torture. I had In
quired the evening before, and this
morning, and when had come In, for
any message from Nancy, and had
met expected disappointment. To hear
from her here meant, knew, that she
had got home again, the one stray
chance in q million; yet. half uncon.
sciously, hoped for It. And every
nothing for syou, Mr.. Ellsworth" Of
the hotel clerks was fresh disappoint-
mentment. Nov. a. I paced my little
bedroom, / ,racked my brains for some
further activity to MI the Y day, for
surely, It seemed to me, there must be
many ways Of finding Nancy II r could
only; think Of Thorn. Yeti had but
two clues, as far IS could see: one,
my rather uncertain knowledge Of the
appearance Of Nancy's escort, and the
other the collar and tieiin my pocket.
I could think OF nowhere that l might
inquire In . place 10 large as New
York City for these people sought.
To be sure, I might advertise for
them, but such an advertisement
would be just as apt to fall under the
notice OF the people who had taken
her az under that Of some other per-
son who might chance to be able to
direct me to them; and above all
things did not wish to brighten
Nancy's abductors, nor to serve any
s1ch open challenge upon them. Then
1t occurred to me that at least there
could be no harm In advertising for
the whereabouts of the Elusive Mr..
Slater. and that there was still time
to- get such an advertisement into the
late afternoon papers. So for an
hour went from newspaper ONCE to
newspaper ONCE, arranging for the
insertion OF this journalistic arrow I
was shooting into the air.
Information is desired as to the
present whereabouts of Oscar Slater,
late OF O. Park avenue. Address Mr..
Tyler, Hotel Gloria" .
4 also arranged that my advertise
.ment should appear in three morning
editions. At the Gloria they had
known me for some time, and the desk
clerk readily agreed to my innocent
.slbterfuge OF "Mr Tyler,
i was at dinner when the hrst and
only answer came. The desk clerk
brought 1t In to my table himself.
How did this GOMEZ" asked him.
tBy messenger he told me. II
meant to keep the kid 10 that you