Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-08-21

| sence of expreesion), or the few ques
tions he asked when Tom had finished.
These interrogations were aimed sole
ly at aiding Tom to remember the mo-
torboat's occupants; but excepting the
suppositious servant and the sandy
complexioned man-now identified an
John Callis-Tom's description was
exceedingly vague.
Before leaving. Mr.. Flint said to Van
] Vechten:
| II am liable to be looking you up al
most any minute of the day or night.
I expect to be pretty busy, but 1t is i'm
possible to foretell precisely in what
way my efforts will be directed. May
l count on you spending as much OF
your time here as you can?"
The young man nodded. "If / am
not here l shall leave word SO you
may know where to ind me-"
Tom, after the detective was gone,
reverted to a topic which he had
broached earlier in the day.
Are you going to use the motor for
while, Ruddy2 l want to take run
down to Maiden Lane II you're not"
The other reused sufficiently from
his puzzling reflections to give the
speaker a questioning look. Maiden
Lane7" he repeated.
Tom amplified.
Chap down there-wealthy dia-
mond importer-was wanting a skip
per for his steam yacht. Brownlow's
his name-met him at the Payne
French's last week. ks was asking
me about It; suppose he heard that I
Inf tn hov n
masters certificate. you know; that's
one Job can hold down."
Tom was moody, and for the time
being Van Vechten laid aside his own
perplexities.
"So." he said. you are still deter
mined to go to work."
Tom nodded Most OF the time you
chaps were talking was thinking the
whole thing over. It's really not like
ly shall ever meet that girl, Ruddy;
it's too deuced improbable to hope
such thing. Just the same, | mean
to get busy. l want to get away. l
want to feel that am doing something
worth while. ! can run old Brown
lows yacht Just as well as anybody /
might recommend. II not better. and
I'm going after the berth myself. Can
I refer him to your"
Certainly" said Van Vechten.
Take the car for as long as you want
1t; II have to go anywhere I'll use q
taxi. Send Mr.. Brownlow to me II he
wants any recommendations of your
qualifications to handle a yacht, steam
or sail. And you would be safe in men,
tioning Fred Carteret. too. Good luck.
Tom"
And Mr.. Tom Phinney departed to
call on the wealthy diamond importer.
Left thus to himself. Van Vechten
took from his pocket the key which
Mr.. Flint had given him. and sat con-
templating 1t for some minutes. By
and by he returned 1t to his pocket.
| then pushing back his chair, rose and
fell to pacing to and fro the width of
the lounging.room. AS he passed each
of the big plate glass windows-they
were screened, however. at this sea-
son-he would glance across the street
| at the silent house. At last he halted
and. hands in pockets, stood staring at
the dingy facade. his mien pensive.
why not2" his thoughts presently
crystallized. Now is as good as any
time. It's too late in the day to under
take anything else; besides. there is
nothing to do but wait. Lord-wait!
1t would be relief to have the uni
verse come tumbling around ones
ears. After Flint's yarn. 1t will be In
teresting to have a squint inside.
Queer, queer"
Now perhaps he forgot his promise
to Flint to leave word respecting his
movements, or else he did not consid-
er a brief absence merely across the
street OF sufficient consequence to be
mentioned: however that may be, he
left the club without a word to any
body.
A minute or two later he stood in
the indescribably Uttered and flthy
backyard OF Number 1913. In truth.
| the place was no more than a small
brick-paved court. II was walled all
about, and a short flight of stone eteps
leading downward to a basement door
bore the only evidence OF recent use
Here, patiently. was the door to which
the key belonged.
He unhesitatingly went down the
halfdozen or SO steps. and when he
stopped to insert the key in the lock
received the initial surprise OF his ad.
venture.
Before he succeeded in getting the
key into the keyhole, the door swung
open at his touch. Besides being un.
locked. the latch was not even caught.
CTo BE CoNTINUED)