Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-21
CHAPTER II.
nLU--.-

Dead" The Mortified whisper
came from the lips of the manager
before he could choke it back. Then
he remembered the crowded dining
room. The axiom of his business,
made a very part of him by the years,
governed his lex speech. Expert
ence had taught him that paying
guests should never be disturbed or
annoyed.
Come outside to my office" he
pleaded huskily.
Cotton nodded. "A moment, please;
I want to speak to my secretary" He
turned and retraced his steps through
the winding aisle of tables swiftly,
unerringly, his trained brain count
no conscious effort. He spoke a few
low-toned words to the apple-cheeked
young man who had patiently waited.
Sydney Thames face, which could
never mask emotion, lost it's color as
he glanced at the table with the silent
dead man. Then he inclined his head
in acquiescence to the evident order.
The manager waited at the door, his
eyes troubled as they looked over the
big room. He saw that the diners
were beginning to whisper among
themselves as they watched the beard
ed mar at the table and the blind
man who had touched his shoulder
anu IGII VI lie Wis.,. SulCh " GdlCl
the influence of the unusual, the
tragic, as are all highly keyed New
York habitues of restaurants, the sus-
piclons of the diners had already been
aroused; the gayety and laughter were
becoming strained. The manager
glanced in the direction of the orches-
ira leader, and a juggling cabaret air
filled the big diningroom as he led the
way to his private office.
Behind the closed door Manager
Carl mopped his sweating brown with
a handkerchief held in a trembling
hand. His face was colorless, and the
strain of having concealed his feelings
outside showed in the haggardness of
reaction.
My God. Mr.. Colton." he choked,
Hopping into a chair with the inert
ness of a jeIlyfsh. This is terrible.
Terrible" His tone suddenly became
vehement. 1T couldn't be! 1t isn't
possible! His wrists couldn't be cut
without attracting attention, and
his voice was almost childishly tri-
umphant as he jumped to his feet
there would be blood!'
You forget thai dead persons don't
bleed" Thornley, Cotton reminded
him seriously. The death of that
man occurred at least five hours ago."
Why, that's ridiculous" Manager
Carl was pacing the floor like a Gagged
Tiger. ne has not DbGn at the table
more thar half an hour"
"Thirty-three minutes, to be exact"
Cotton said, his sightless eyes appar-
emily fixed on the ceiling, his slim
fingers in his vest pocket touching the
face of his crystalless watch. THE
strangness of the couple, described by
my secretary, Immediately attracted
my attention. Time usually has a pc
culiar significance in cases like this,
and I try never to overlook the sig
nifcant!"
"You-you mean he was dead when
he came into the diningroom!" gasp
ed Carl.
Naturally" Colton's voice was dry.
But he walked into the dining
room, man. He walked"
with the assistance of the woman
and the waiter, yes" Colton's sight
less eyes were still fixed on the ceiling:
across his forehead n at the corn
ers of his eyes was the fine ~tracerv
of lines that always came when his
wonderful mind was working to visu-
alize each detail of the picture other
eyes could see but could not under
stand.
do you mean to say that a dead
man could walk, even with the as
sistance of two persons, and not show
Immediately that he was dead o.
with proper preparation, yes. The
~ VI hI9 IldIlu on MS shoulder
told me that under the clothes was
an ingenious steel framework to sun
port 1t naturally, and give to the limbs
the peculiar automatonlike move
ments that were so noticeable before
the woman attracted all the emit
and made the watchers forget even
the existence of the man. Her dress
her looks, everything about her. were
intended to distract attention from
the man."
Far fetched" snorted the manag-
en- petulance coming to cloak his ner-
v~ousress. THE waiter could not he
deceived like that! Why, his hands
would nave felt the steel framework
and the dead weight of the body at
once"
Certainly assented Cotton read
lily. Where is the waiter?"
Halfway across the floor. the MAN.
ager stopped his pacing to whirI.
What do YOU ?" he demanded,
and there was d tremor in his voice.
Merely, that the waiter was there
TO help the woman get the man to
1.-THE table. When his work was fin