The Washington herald., 1912-06-02
CHAPTER XIX.
The Search.

~ ZANE remembered sfterward,
with a painful exactness, every
- step which he took in his stock
inged feet down the dimly-lit corridor.
Only one of the electric lights had been
left burning. and that one was encased
in a shade of red glass, and was set
in the wall facing him. A few seconds
ago he had heard Big Ben strike 4
o'clock For the last two hours he had
sat in his room and waited. Time
seemed to have stood still. In that two
hours he had seen himself stripped OF
all his possessions, dishonored, friend
less. He had seen himself married to
Lady Olive, richer and more prosper
Gus than ever, a successful politician,
a man on whom the eyes of the world
were turned always with respect and
approval. Hope and fear had swung
in his mind like the movement of a
pendulum. All that he needed was that
paper! If once he could see it burning
into white ashes, or torn into hundred
pieces, he knew that there was nothing
in the world strong enough to bar his
progress.
Four o'clock at lastl At the sound
of the hour he had sprung to his feet
Before the echoes of the last stroke had
died away he was absolutely committed
to his enterprise For a moment he
stood outside the door of his room,
which he had left ajar. He looked to-
ward the main corridor and listened
intently; there was no sound to be
heard. The night watchman-if, in
deed, he were making his roundS-was
nowhere in that vicinity In all the
great hotel, not a soul seemed to be
stirring.
Deane drew one long breath, and
without G-second's hesitation stole for
ward until he stood in front of No. p.
Once more he looked around him. The
lights from all the transoms in sight
had been extinguished. There was only
that dimly burning electric light at the
end of the corridor, to diSsipate the
gloom. He fitted the key into the lock
and turned it. The door swung open.
Deane closed it behind him, turned on
the electric light, and gazed around MIN
with fast beating heart. He was there
at last! Within this room, if anywhere,
was his salvation!
It was, after all, very ordinary hotel
apartment. There was a small single
bed, a wardrobe, toilet table and chest
of drawers, a hard, uninViting-l looking
sofa, and an eaSy-chair with a stiff
back, and armless. Upon the bed were
laid out a number of articles of wear
ing apparel, and upon the floor were
two empty pOrtnanteaus. Upon the
were a number of papers,
arranged with some appearance OF
method. The toilet things were still
in their places Everything was arrang-
ed in a stiff and precise condition. It
was evident that official hands had been
at work
Deane's rapid glance around lasted
barely a few seconds. Then be moved
toward the dressing table and commenc-
ed a careful search among the papers
there. One by one he glanced them
bill for clothes, a restaurant
account, half a dozen counterfoils of
theater and muSic-hall tickets an ac-
count for wines and cigars consumed
on the steamer Arizona, homeward
bound from Cape Town. There was
the address of a manicurist, a pro-
gramme of the Empire. Very soon
Deane had come to the end of them.
From the hrSt 70 the last, there was not
a single document there of any interest
or importance
He turned away toward the clothes
which were laid out upon the bed. One
by one, he lifted them up and laid them
down again, until he came to the gray
suit which the man Sinclair had been
wearing on the day when he had made
his eventful visit to the city. Deane
held up the coat. and little exclama-
tion almost escaped from his lips as be