The Washington times., 1913-02-12

a dim, cavernous hall whose walls Were
| lined with cane-seated armchairs pune
tuated at every second chair by a COM
modious brown-fiber cuspidor.
A cubicle fenced of in one corner
formed the office proper, for the time
being untenanted
There was indeed no one in sight, but
| detected bellboy, innocent of any sort
| OF livery.
On demand he accommodatingly dis
| entangled himself from a chair, a cig-
arctic, and a paper-backed novel, and
wandered Off down a corridor, avowedly
to unearth the boss.
Whitaker waited beside the desk-a
gaunt, weary man, hag-ridden by fear.
There was in his mind a desolate pic
ture Of the room upstairs when he-his
soul, the imperishable essence OF HIM
se,f-should have finished with it.
AT his elbow lay the registration book.
a fresh page neatly headed with a date
in rcd ink
AZ absence CT entries beneath the
date line seemed to indicate that he was
the first arrival of the day.
Near the book was small wooden
corral neatly partioned into stalls
wherein were herded an inkwell. tooth
picks. matches. some stationery. and.
severely by itself-a g.im-loolking raw
potato of uncertain age, splotched with
ink and wearing like horns two inn
paled penholders.
Laboriously prying loose one Of the
pens. he started to register; but two
third of his name was all ne entered.
When it came to Whitaker" his pen
paused ard passed on down "Pnilade!-
phia'' in the residence column.
The thought came to him that he
must be careful to obliterate the laun-
drymarks from his clothing.
In his own good time the clerk az
peared-a surly, heavy-eyed, loutisn
creature in clothing that suggested
he had been grievousiy misled by pic
lures in the advertising pages of mag
azines.
Whitaker noted with senseless irrita-
ton that he wore his hair long over
one eye, his mouth ajar his trousers
high enough 20 disclose bony, purple
ankles
was comprised in an Indifferent nod as
their eyes met, and a subsequent Elance
at the register which seemed unac-
countablv to moderate his apathy.
Mr. Morton-uh?'' he Inquired.
Whitaker nodded without words
The youth shrugged and scrawled a
hieroglyth after the name. .lfere. Sam
my" he said to the boy-''forty-three."
To Whitaker he addresser further
remark: "Trunks?'
NO"
The youth seemed about to expostu-
late, but checked as Whitaker placed
one Of his 500 notes OH the counter.
Il think thatll cover my liability he
said with a significance lost Upon the
other
II amt got enough change
That's all right: I'm in no hurry.
The eyes Of the lout followed him as
he ascended the stairs in the path Of
Sammy, who had already disappeared.
Annoyed Whitaker Quickened his face
to escape the stare
On the second -tOr,- he diScOvereI III.
bellboy waiting some distance down a
long, darksomc corridor indifferently
lighted by single window at the far
end
As Whitaker came into view. the boy
thrust open the door. disappeared for
an instant, and came out minus the bag.
Whitaker gave him a coin i'm passing
an attention which he acknowledged by
pulling the door to with a bang the mo-
m.nt the guest had entered the room
At the same time Whitaker became
aware of contrefemps.
The room was OF fair size, lighted by
two windows overlooking the tin roof of
the front veranda.
1t was furnished with a large double
bed in the corner nearest the door. 4
washstand, two or three chairs, ban
dy-legged table with a marble top: and
1t was tenanted by-a woman in street
dress,
She stood by the washstand, with her
back to the light, her attitude one OF
tense expectancy. hardly more than
silhouette of a figure moderately tall
and very slight-almost angular in its
She had been holding a tumbler in one
hand. but as Whitaker appeared this
slipped from her fingers: there followed
a thud and sound Of spilled liquid.
simultaneously she cried out inarticu-
lately in a voice at once harsh and
tremulous.
The cry might have been "You.' or
"Hugh"'