The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-10-18

| NAMED Mr.. Hugh MOrten in the mama
gerial comprehension.
He lifted finger; the boy swerved
| toward him, rendered a blue envelope,
accepted gratuity and departed.
1t was cable message; very prob
ably an answer to his to Grace Petit.
Whitaker tore the envelope and I'M
folded the Enclosure, CHANGING first at
the signature to verify his surmise. AS
he did SO, he heard his name a second
time.
Pardon me; this is Mr.. Whitaker?''
a man stood beside the little table
one whom Whitaker had Indifferent
~ noticed on entering as an equally
lonely lOunger at another table.
Though he frOwned -involuntarily
with annoyance, he couldn't well deny
his identity.
Yes he said shortly. looking the
man up and down with a captious eye.
Yet it was hard 70 find much fault
with this invader Of his preoccupatiOn.
He had the pOise and the dress OF a
gentleman: dignity without aggressive
ness. completeness without Ostentation.
He had spare not ungraceful body, a
plain. dark face, a humorous mouth,
steady eyes man easily forgotten or
overlooked unless he willed it other
wise
MY name is 'Ember," he said quiet
ly. ''If you'll permit me-my card"
He offered a slip of pasteboard en-
graved with the name of Martin EN-
Der. 'And III sit down, because |
want to talk TO you for few min
utes."
Accordingly he sat down. Whitaker
glanced at the card, and questioningly
back at Mr.. Ember's face.
Il don't know you, but
What are we to talk about, please?'
The man smiled, not unpleaSingly.
'Mrs. Whitaker" he said.
Mrs. Whitaker didn't send you to
me? Then how What the deuce"
Il happened to have a seat near your
box at the theater tonight" Mr.. EN-
Der explained coOIly. "From-what
saw there, / inferred that you must be
yourself. Afterwards l got hold of
Max, confirmed my suspicion, and ex-
tracted your address from him.
II see" said Whitaker, slowly.
''Who the devil are you?" he demanded
bluntly.
II was" said the other slowly, "once.
a private detective. NOw-I'm q per-
son of no particular employment, of in
InrnnInnt
you're at liberty to assume-for polk
ing my nose into other peoples bust
ness. Mrs. George Petit once en-
ployed me to find her sister, Miss Mary
Ladislas, who had run away with a
chauffeur named Norton
"Just a minute" said Whitaker sud
denly-"by your leave"
Ember bowed gravely. For q thought
longer Whitaker's gaze bored into his
eyes in vain effort to fathom what was
going on behind them, the animus I'M
discovered by his words; then, remem-
bering, he looked down at the cable
message in his hand
Martin Ember (it RAM private
agency 1885 Broadway, Grace Petit"
Whitaker folded the paper and put it
away in a pocket.
''Go on, please" he said quietly.
''In those days. Mr. Ember resumed,
Il did such things indifferently we'll
had little trouble in following the run
always from Southampton to Green
port. There they parted. He was want
ed for theft in a former position, was
arrested convicted and sent to Sing
Sing; where he presently died, I'm
glad to say. Miss Ladislas had
registered at the Commercial house as
Mrs. Morton. She was there, alone,
under that name, for nearly week
before you registered as Hugh Nor
ten, and in the space of few hours
married her, under your true name,
and shipped her off to New York"
Right Whitaker agreed steadily.
'And them
Il traced her to the Hotel Belmont,
where she stopped overnight, then lost
her completely; and so reported to
Mrs. Petit. | came into little money
about that time, and gave up my bust
ness: gave it up, that is, as far as
placing myself at the service of the
public was concerned. After some time
Mr.. Drummond sought me out and
begged me tc renew my search for
Mrs. Whitaker; you were dead. he told
me; she was due to come into your
| estate-a comfortable living for an in