The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-03-16

hurried up and down all night lono
| ana there was uniformed norter
| iouh2lng sieepily in the hall. He came
10 attention at Mr.. Catesbys tone 81
!, command
! would like to go to Mr.. Cates5y's
, apartment, he said briefly.
Ne man walked over to the index
BOARD which hung on the wall and s,7r
veyed it closely
| Amt no such name, sir" no said
respectfully
| once more Mr.. Cateshy's hand wet
ID his pocket and coin flashed be-
tween his fingers
sure they dtdnt move in today?"
he asked meaningly.
Amt nobody moved in here today.
SIT. replied the porter looking wistful-
+, " at the coin. Amt nobody moved
In here for two weeks. All the fats
are taken"
Funny" calculated Mr.. Catesby,
not feeling at all amused at the situa-
ton. He turned on his heel and walk
ed out of the building with a sensation
that his world was quite upside down.
He had heard Of men losing their
| wives or their children and calling
upon the police for aid In their recov-
cry, but the disappearance of a family
OF three persons. the furniture of a
seven room fat. besides q capable
| maid Of all work and an active bull
| pup was different proposition. The
| Janttor of the Alameda must know or
his greedy wife who had sent Catesby
on the fruitless chase to the Freenosia
Once more Catesby descended to the
| janitor's abode and pounded on the
door. This time there was no response.
and. after delivering threatening IT,
rade that greatly relieved his overbur-
dened mind. the weary man In search
of his family toiled up to his despoiled
! home. ,t 1..-.
| At least he was within the walls
that had recently housed his loved
ones. There was no use in searching
for them any further tonight When
morning came he would begin anew.
1t could not be that they had been
! long gone. for he had noted his own
name on the bulletin board in the low
er hall. The gas had been turned off in
the apartment. and after he had burn
ed what little there remained in the
pipes he was obliged to solace himself
with the single beam from his pocket
lamp.
| There was broad window seat in
| the little room he had called his "den."
and here. with pile Of newspapers to
soften the hardness. he huddled him
self to wait for morning. The window
gave on an airshaft. and from some
source came the delicious odor Of
freshly broiled beefsteak. He shifted
hungrtly. and his mouth watered. BY
rights he should have been eating
broiled steak and mushrooms at this
/ very moment, and his family would
| be rejoicing over the gifts he had
brought them
| The thought Of the gifts reminded
him that there was box of candy in
there for his wife. Well. he could buy
Fanny another box In the morning.
He was half starved. and his appetite
must be satisfied. He pulled out the
box and munched half heartedly at
the chocolates and bonbons- He
wasn't fond Of candy. and the sweet
ness soon appeased his hunger-for
cand But the steak still smelled tan
talizihgly from some other apartment
and he heard through the airshaft the
distant tinkle Of dishes.
OF course he could go out and get
something to eat-find hotel and re
main until morning should bring SO
luton of what he thought was the
greatest mystery he had ever known.
He saw in imagination the papers
headlining the unaccountable disap-
pearance of an entire family There
would be pictures of the twins and Of
his wife and of himself. and nndoubt
ably a drawing Of the fiat and little
ovals showing Capitola's broad fea-
lures and the SNUG countenance Of
Pedro, the pup.
| He yawned sleepily and thought of
the comfortable bed that would have
been his If Fanny had not taken 1t
into her head to move. OF course
wherever they were the comfortable
bed was awaiting him. Tomorrow
would divulge its whereabouts In
the meantime had Fanny received his
message? Perhaps she had not In
that case she would not be assailed by
such anxiety as be was now suffering.
In the morning he would try to trace
the telegram and see to what address
it had been delivered.
Cheered by this brand new idea. Mr.
Catesby carefully spread the newspa-
per on the floor. rolled his Overcoat
into pillow and gingerly laid himself
down on his hard couch. He WIS
| ch2stened in spirit by his fruitless
sea kh for his ia,nily. and he knew
that it would be useless to attempt to
| find them at this hour of the night, In
formation would not flow readily from
lips yawning with fatigue. His exper
ence with the janitor had taught him
that He even thought toierantly OF
|