The Huttig news., 1913-02-08

 throat and was quite unintelligible to the anxious listener.
 Seif-revealing words, which an in- stant before would have aroused Sweetwater's deepest interest! But they had suddenly lost all force for the unhappy listener. The sight of that hole still shining brightly before his eyes had distracted his thoughts and reused his liveliast apDrohensions. If that book should be allowed to lie where it had fallen, then he WAS in for period of uncertainty he ehrank from contemplating. Any moment his neighbor might look ID and catch sight of this hole bored in the backing of the shelves before him. Could the man who had been guilty of submit ting him to this outrage stand the strain of waiting indefinitely for the moment of discovery? He doubted it, if the suspense lasted too long.
 Shifting his position he plsced his eye where his ear had been. He could see very little The space before him. limited as it was to the width of the one volume withdraw preeleded his seeing aught by what lay directly before him. Happily, it was i'll this narrow line of vision that Mr. Broth erson stoos. He had resumed work upon his model and was so placed that while his face was not visible, his hands were, and as 58eetWafer watched these hands and noticed the delicacy of their manipulation. hn was enough of workman to realize that work 20 fine ca'led for an undivided attention. He need not fear the gaze warily as they did now.
 Relieved for the moment, he left his post and, sitting down on the edge of his cot, gave himself up to thought.
 Suddenly he started upright iIe would go meet his fate--be present in the room itself when the discovery was made winch threatened to upset all his plans. He was not ashamed of his calling, and Brotherson would think twice before attacking him when once convinced that he had the de- partment back of him.
 Excuse me, comrade," were the words with which he endeayored to account for his presence at Broth erson's door My lamp smells so, and I've made such a mess of my work today that I've just stepped in for chat. If Pm not wanted. say so. I'd like big room like this. and lot of books, and-and pictures"
 Look at them, then I like to sec a man interested in books. Only, I thought if you knew how to handle wire, l would get you 10 hold this end while l work with the other
 T guess I know enough for that" was Sweetwater's gay rejonder. But when he felt that communicating wire in his hand and experienced for the first time the full influence of the others eye. it took all his hardihood to hide the hypnotic thrill it gave him. He found himself gazing long and earnestly at this mans hand, and wondering if death lay under it. It was strong hand. a deft. cIeau-c,:t member. formed to respond to the siighest hint from the powerful hrain controlling it. But was this it's whole HtplS. ildu liS sdlu dll 8ntU DF H&u said this?
 Fascinated by the question, Sweet water died a hundred deaths in his awakened fancy. as he followed I 2 sharp. short instructions which fcil with cool precision from the others lips A hundred deaths I say. but with no betrayal of his folly. The anNinty ba ch IF eager to please. which may explain why on the conclusion of his task, MT. Rrotherson gave him one of his infrequent smiles and remarked, as he buried the model under it's GOV. CT, You're handy and you're quiet at your job. Who knows but what 1 shall want you again. Will you come if I call you?"
 Wont I?" was the gay retort, as the detective, thus released, stopped for the book still lying on the floor. "Paolo and Francesca" he read from the back as he laid it on the table. Poetry" he querled.
 Rot" scornfully returned the oth- CT, as he moved to take down bot tie and some glasses from a cupboard let into another portion of the wall.
 Sweetwt. CT, taking advantage Of the moment, sidled towards the shelf where that empty space still gaped with the tell-tale hole at the back. He could easily have replaced the missing beck before Mr. Brotherson turned But the issue WAS too doubt ful. He was dealing with no absent- minded fool and it behooved him to avoid above all things calling attea. tion to the book or 10 the place on the shelf where it belonged.
 But there was one thing he could do and did. Reaching out finger as deft as Rrolherson's own. he pushed a second volume into the place of the one that was gone This yelled the auger-hole completely: a fact which SO entirely relieved his mind that his old smile came back like sunshine to his lips. and 1t was only by a distinct effort that he kept the dancing humor from his eyes as he prepared to ra-