Tombstone epitaph., 1915-07-25
dish before a customer at . front

Quick as a flash Poe turned into an alley which ran behind the restaurant. and made his way stealthily to the rear. There a small stoop indicated the back door to the restaurant. which | Poe knew. from the plan of the in terior fixed in his mind. led outward | from the kitchen. He sneaked up to within a foot of | the small vestibule. and stood fiat | against the outside kitchen wall, in | such a position that he would not be | seen by chance from any Of the win | dows looking onto the alley. He stood for five minutes listening l hopefully. Finally he heard Giovanni l | enter the kitchen and stride to the l stove. which he knew from the loca- | ton of the pipe was near the vestibule | door. The steps stopped. and Poe held his | | breath as the same sound of tinkering | with the stove came to his taut ears. A moment later Giovanni walked into the vestibule and began sitting ashes. Poe stood motionless and silent. lis tening intently. In a minute or so Giovanni was call ed away to serve a customer Poe slip ped up the steps to the small entry way and quickly lifted the lid of a rickety ash-barrel standing there. | Plunging his hand in. he pulled out a fistful of ordinary stove ashes, and thrust it into his outside pocket. | He darted down the steps and I ,A .l.a he heard Giovanni returning.
 He joined Burns on the wagon a block away. All their purchases hay ing been gathered up, they drove downtown directly. Poe was reticent beneath Burns curious questioning.
 "I don't know that 1 have anything worked out" he said finally, having showed Burns the sweated coins re- ceiyed from the last dealer. but here is something tangible at least" He held his coat-pocket open and showed the handful of stove ashes.
 But what on earth has that to do with these shrunk coins?"
 'I don't know for certain that 1t has anything to do with them, but I'm going to find out. I'll call you up about noon if things work out the way I think they will, so you can be in at the finish"
 Poe hoped down from the wagon, and walked cross-town to an office building on Broadway. There he dumped out the handful of ashes on a piece of paper in the office of chem ist friend held a short conversation with the man, and at twelve o'clock went to his rooms. called up the chem ist, held a short conversation with him which seemed entirely satisfac- tory, and then 'phoned Burns, saying simply:
 Everything is in hand now. Meet me here at once"
 Burns came. still dressed as a mer chant Poe called up a taxicab office left an order. and then took Third avenue street car uptown, alighting at 10ith street, having blocked all of | Burns attempts to find out what had passed in the hours they had been apart.
 You enjoyed Giovanni's cooking so much this morning I thought you'd like to lunch here today" said Poe, 1 pushing open the door to the "Ris- torante del Etna" as they reached it.
 The place was deserted but for three or four Italian customers. and when Giovanni came out to take their orders he seemed quite pleased that the merchants had seen fit to con tinue their patronage.
 p1a for such a modest restaurant, and Gio- vanni busted himself in the kitchen; for whatever else he was, he was good cook.
 | Once Pee reached oyer, and touch ed Burns arm significantly. IL was when Giovanni made clattering with the doors of his carefully tended stove.
 The meal came on, and was eaten with relish. Twice Giovanni left his work in the kitchen. and peered be- highly through the little serving-win- dow to make sure that his customers were well provided for.
 When Poe called him finally and put the question, "Quanto costa?" Gio- vanni looked at him sharply as he produced a five-dollar gold piece with which to pay.
 The cook seemed i'll at ease, and had some difficulty figuring up the price of the meal with his stubby . pencil.
 Meanwhile Poe held out the gold piece toward Burns and remarked: Pretty badly used for 1913 coin, isn't it?"
 Burns agreed. glanced wonderingly from Pce's tense features to Giovan- ni's glowering face.
 , Somebody has stolen a dollars worth of gold from that coin" con- tinued Poe, paying no attention to Gio- | vanni. He reached into his pocket , and pulled out the two tens and the r twenty dollar gold piece given him by the Italian wholesale grocer
 Giovanni stopped down. peering over
 Poe's shoulder with ominous gaze. his , fingers fumbling with the account he 5 had been penciling-
 "See,- cried Poe to Burns These