Gunnison news-champion., 1916-12-29
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hin for His nanliness and indepea-
dence; and the doWagers eagerly
courted his fAvors. for like all artists
he vas an exceedingiy well-informed
gossip. He had the faculty Of leadine
them to the very lip Of tie precipies
and then swerving them back befosQ
they had time TO look over. The most
amiable kind Of . gossip. always prom
ising to disclose something and never
doing Il: and having . good deal Of
quiet fun out Of II without harmins
anyone.
Every man Who does one thing veil
has . craving to do anothsr mans
work badly. Forbes was always hun.
gering for detective work. He longed
70 pick up the tangled skein. unEavel
Il. rescue the heroine, march the VII
lain to Jail and all that. Heaven 10
witness Of the plots for detective
stories he has offered me! He has. ]
believe. the best library Of detective
fiction in town. Well. his longinga
went unsatisfied. The only thing like
detective work he ever did success
fully was to recover the new paint
tubes before the dachel poisoned him
self.
He walked uptown. wondering who
the mysterious burglar could be. He
searched carefully among his large nc
quaintance. principally among the men
he disliked: but even then there was
nothing tangible. Lots OF dunerf
sambled and didn't pay their debts
and never went to jai! Tor II. II only
he had q clue Of some sort to start
with! He knew that he had the abilt
ty; and 1t was . shame he could fnd
no outlet I'll give him credit for pos
sessing the chiefest attribute OF all
great detectives-hope
He continued on. whistling an ali
from one OF the popular operas Hif
thoughts. ever volatile. shifted from
plots Of criminals to the purbliudness
Of the general run Of art editors. and
their more or less slovenly mjnions
the threc-color process printers: &c
the pretty girl he had met At Cannet
last winter; to the campaign tonight
At poker. For once he IVES going te
play 'em close; he would keep out oi
every pot that dealt him no tVo-spot:
and when he got real hand. he would
play It hard. With deuces Wild even
an open player like himself had .
chance once in . while. He turned Q
corner. still whistling. The girl with
the copper-beech hair: supposing she
never went BY again? Gould he pos.
sibly do her from memory?
Forward with swinging stride.
twirling his cane and sometimes strik.
ing the ferrule against the nAgging.
pleased with the spangle OF answering
sparks; on toward the big drama For
he Was only an implement OF fate.
chosen haphazard to accomplish .
destiny not his own.
The Dryden was . new apartment
house. built especially for persons who
had plenty Of money and too small .
family for the upkeep Of largo house.
They were given all the comforts Of
home: valets. maids. cooks. walters
and bellboys. more like private hotel.
There were ten apartments, five on
each side Of the ornate marble en-
trance. Forbes ran eagerly up the
steps; the doorboy swung open the
door.
"Mr. Jillson's apartment. please
Third floor. left. sir"
"Ah!"
Forbes made for the stairs. The
elevator (called lift here) was up. and
he was too impatient to wait. Besides.
he wanted to surprise the boys. melo.
dramatically. He scarcely paused at
the first landing. He would rather
play poker than eat. And in his ex.
uberance he failed to hear the warn.
ing call from the doorboy. who had
come on that day and was not yet &C
curately versed in the topography and
occupancy of the apartments. Forbes
continued his rapid ascent, two steps
at time. He wanted 70 be at the
door at precisely eight. like that old
chap what's-his-name in Round the
World in Eighty Days"
He tiptoed into the private hall. the
outer door being unlocked. There
was q light over the transom. He
could see them in his minds eye:
Jillson. Wheedon. Jones. Carlyle. Nil.
Ter and Crawford. peering into their
hands. their faces like Buddha gods.
He listened. Not sound. In the
middle OF . play. no doubt. Stealthily
he put his hand on the knob, turned
and pushed It with the cry ''Police!
on hts lips. The word died there. dry.
y. He saw no poker game In action.
Instead. . man in evening dress. full
masked. knelt with his back to IN
open safe. A. for the artist, he gaxed
panic-stricken into the round. black,
sinister hole Of . Colts automatic.
CTo BE coNTlNUED.I
American Arehitseture.
Sir Christopher Wren, the archl.