The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-11-21
CHAPTER v.
The Red Cloak.

w udI IeSulIS! Opedh up, 0WeeC
water"
None. Every man, woman and boy
connected with the hotel has been
questioned, but not one of them pick.
ed up anything from the floor of the
lobby, or knows of any one who did
A bulletin was put up.
Some hours later, Sweetwater re-
entered the room, and, approaching
Mr.. Gryce with smile, blurted out:
''The bulletin is a great go. I've
watched every one who stopped to
read it. Many showed interest and
many emotion; she seems to have a
troop of friends. But embarrass-
ment! only one showed that"
Embarrassment? Humph! man."
mo, a woman; lady, sir; one of
the transients."
"A woman! Where is she? Still
in the lobby?"
mo, sir. She took the elevator
while l was talking with the clerk"
"You mistook her expression"
Il don't thing SO. l had noticed her
when she first came into the lobby.
She was talking to her daughter whc
was with her, and looked natural and
happy. But no sooner had she seen
and read that bulletin, than the blood
shot up into her face and her manner
became furtive and hasty. Almost be.
fore I could point her out, she had
seized her daughter by the arm and
hurried her towards the elevator. Her
room is on the seventh floor, number
Up, and her name is Watkins. Mrs.
Horace Watkins of Nashville"
Call the desk. Say that I'm to be
told if Mrs Watkins of Nashville
rings up during the next ten min.
utes. Well give her that long to take
some action
Sweetwater did as he was bid
then went back to his place in the
lobby
But he returned almost instantly.
'Mrs. Watkins has just telephoned
down that she is going TOTO leave,
sir"
ITO leave?"
The old man struggled to his feet
mo. 712, do you say? Seven stories,'
he sighed. But as he turned with a
hobble, he stopped. There are diff.
ficulties in the way of this interview
he remarked. "a blush is not much
to go upon. I'm afraid we shall have
to resort to the shadow business and
that is your work, not mine"
But here the door opened and q
boy brought in line which had been
left at the desk. 1t related to- the
very matter then engaging them, and
ran thus:-
81 see that information is desired as
to whether any person was seen to
stoop to the lobby floor last night at
or shortly after the critical moment
of Miss Challoner's fall in the half
story above. can give such infor-
nation. was in the lobby at the time,
and in the height of the confusion fol-
lowing this alarming incident, 1 re-
member seeing lady-one of the
new arrivals (there were several com.
ing in at the time)-stoop quickly
down and pick up something from the
floor. l thought nothing of it at the
time, and so paid little attention to
her appearance. I can only recall
the suddenness with which she
stopped and the color of the cloak she
wore. It was red, and the whole gar
ment was voluminous. If you wish fur.
Their particulars-though in truth, l
have no more to give, you can find me
In room 356.
"HENRY A. M'ELROY."
"Humph! This should simplify our
task" was Mr.. Gryce's comment, as
he handed the note over to Sweetwa-
ter. "You can easily find out If the
lady, now on the point of departure.
can be identified with the one de-
scribed by Mr.. McElroy. If she can. I
am ready to meet her anywhere"
And so it happened that just as Mrs.
Watkins was watching the wheeling
out of her trunks, there appeared in
the doorway before her, an elderly
gentleman, whose expression, always
benevolent, save at moments when
benevolence would be quite out of
keeping with the situation, had for
some reason, SO marked an effect up
On her. that she colored under his eva