The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-11-16
CHAPTER xxx.
Blrdman.

IuC odlu0 udy mOlOICdI ucpOSlIcu dI
the Hotel Monolith gentleman whose
weather-beaten and oil-stained motor
ing-cap and duster covered little cloth
ing more than shirt and trousers and
assorted oddly in the eyes Of the desk
clerk with the rather meticulously
Arthur Lawrence and to the manage
ment of the hotel as Mr. Alan Law in
cognito.
Eventually persuaded, the clerk
yielded up the key to Mr.. Lawrence's
suite of rooms, together with two
notes superscribed with the same nom
de guerre.
Alan's impotence was so great that
he could hardly wait to examine these
communications until he was quit of
the public eye.
The first proved to be character
istic communication:
Dear Ulysses-Thanks for the Jail
delivery. got in this morning just in
time to motor over to Jersey in hopes
of seeing your finish as a bachelor;
instead, was favored by being made
an involuntary witness to your spec
tacular ascent, following your almost
equally spectacular high-dive.
"But to business: my time Is linn
tied; in half an hour more I am to
double in black-face for the purposes
of the author Of this melodramatic
farce which you, no doubt, call the
history of your grande passion.
Il mean to say-well, several things,
to-wit: When saw you snatched out
of the North river I was engaged in
trailing a pale-faced villain in a motor
car concerning whom. you probably
know far more than L; he on his part
was busy being bold. bad kidnaper;
Rose was in his power, as we say in
such cases. His intentions, however,
were nothing more blameworthy than
to return her to the arms of her doting
parent. / know, because I sleuthed
after 'em, even to the house of Seneca
Urine. Later I sleuthed some more,
following a furtive young man from
the house of Urine to the Office of the
general manager of the New York Cen
trail, where he made arrangements for
a special to convey the said Urine and
retinue to Chicago and points West.
1t leaves at three this afternoon.
was unable to ascertain whether or
not Rose is to participate in this
hegira, but know l shall On the Off
chance of being useful, 1 have bribed
the train crew to let me impersonate
the porter. So, should you be moved
to follow and succeed in catching up
with us, and observe anybody who
looks rather off-color in the party
don't shoot: the said party will be me.
Yours for the quiet life,
tom BARCUS."
The second note yielded a commune
cation written on notepaper Of the sim
plest elegance in a woman's hand-a
hurried scrawl:
"They are taking me West by spe-
cial train-I don't know where or why.
A servant has promised to see that
this reaches you. Save mel"
Over this Alan wrinkled an incred-
ulous nose The hand was the hand Of
Rose, but the phraseology was not in
her spirit. He examined It more close
~ and thought to detect beneath its
semblance of haste a deliberate and
carefully guided pen. He picked up
the envelope to compare the handwrit-
ing of the address with that of the en-
closure-and shook out trey OF
hearts.
This last was covered, as to it's face,
with a plainly-written message.
with the compliments of Seneca
Urine to Alan Law. We are due in
Chicago at eleven tomorrow morning
and leave Immediately for the Pacific
coast via Santa Fee route"
Comparison between this and the
message purporting to be from Rose
distilled the conviction that the same
hand was responsible for both.
Alan shrugged. So he was to be
lured away from New York and Rose
by this transparent trick, was he? No
fear!
He glanced at his watch, finding the
hour far too early to attempt what he
had in mind.
With plenty Of time on his hands,
he gave the matter serious considers
ton and concluded to take no chances:
it was just possible that Urine had
taken Rose with him on his western
trip, after all. In such case the only
possible way Of overtaking the special
would be by air line.
ITO Be Contfnued.)