The Monmouth inquirer., 1918-03-14
NO. y = - - - = =, = = "
THE ST. DUNSTAN'
MYSTERY !
BY PERRY NEwRERRY. !
Copyright,
The Frank A. Munsey Co. {
Nv PERRY NEWRERRY.
CHAPTER /.
The Girl In the Elevator.

ne AziFl III NtlG EiCN0hSit
I should cease packing gun; that
was one thing. For eighteen years
had Iugged forty-one caliber six-gun
in a pocket-holster at my hip, and l
was tired of it. ! pulled out the leath-
ern case with it's deadly contents and,
consigning it to a bureau drawer
where my collars and cuffs reposed,
went back to my Morris chair before
the fire.
1t was my fortieth birthday -whew!
Forty! Forty years old! Going some
on life's highway, thatl And what to
show for it?
This was a good time to take lnVen-
tory, before went to bed. ] had come
home late from the Office, as usual,
same as any night in eighteen years,
but there was difference. was for
ty, and had resigned.
/ had come home late but was it
home? To begin the inventory, did
have a home? Could call this apart
ment of two rooms by any such name?
| had lived here six-no, eight years;
that is, l had slept in the rear room
and sat before the gas-grate in winter
and the open window in summer in the
front room what few hours ! was in
the place and not asleep. Well, let 1t
go at that; call it home.
Item one, home. A two-room apart
ment in the st. Dunstan, bachelors on
ly, sixth floor; conveniences and SER
vice; rent paid until end of month.
Item two; that should be friends.
Without home ties, one should have
friends. Let me see, there are = but
they're all business associates, news
paper men like myself-or like was.
Thank God, I've resigned! Cut out
item two. / haven't had chance to
make friends, working from one-thirty
to twelve, afternoon and nights. When
could 1 see friends if had them?
Item three, funds, money, coin of
the realm, capital. After eighteen
years labor, fair-sized bank-account
might make up for loss Of friends and
for a two-room home. had saved,
am proud to say. ! was not like most
newspaper men who spend their salar-
les Tuesday night-pay-day Tuesday
except what they spend before and
owe. l had handbook and balance;
business of figuring stubs, adding and
subtracting; one hundred and twenty
seven dollars and thirty-three- cents.
That seems to be correct-one hum
dred and tWenty-seven dollars and
thirty-three cents. Eighteen years
savings, one hundred and twenty-seY-
en- dollars and thirty-three cents!
Item four, experience. had that all
right! Value? Well, I'd be finding
out the value soon enough, for that
experience had to land me something
outside the newspaper game which
would pay for roof and three square
meals day.
Item five, a hard, rugged constitu-
ton, which had never bothered over
what went into its interior or when;
which reminded me that was hungry.
A quarter past two; time for supper
long past. Of course l was hungry.
Darn these newspaper habits! Won't
I ever get over them? l had come
right home from the last day on the
paper, intending to get to bed early, to
get up early, and to turn over new
leaf. Now I'd have to go down and
find an all-night chop-house; I'd new
er sleep with my stomach craving
food. / should hurry the inventory,
then chase sandwich and a couple of
cups of coffee.
Item six, a rather tiredlooking face,
as the mirror shows, with plentiful
crop of black hair in proper place,
grizzled a bit here and there; item,
one pair of keen eyes taught to OBJ
serve and transmit to the brain the
impression on the retina; item,
straight body with barrel chest and
no surplusage of waist, owing to con-
ditions of profession which keeps
the body, at least, active; item, two
good legs and two good arms, properly
muscled.
Inventory complete; and now for
supper! Slipping into my coat in place
of a smoking jacket, went to the door
and had the feeling that l was forget
ting something article of APP
parel; wasn't fully dressed. Hat? 1
fad that on. My left hand went to my
tie, the other to my pocket for as
surance as to money. Coat, yes;
trousers, of course; shoes, could see
them. Then what?
AS l drew my brows down in con-
centration on the problem, heard the
soft purr of the elevator going down.
It meant nothing-then; but after
wards, remembered that l heard it
just at the second when recalled the
fact that had discarded my revolver.
wasn't completely dressed without q
gun tugging down my hip-pocket!
couldn't feel appareled unless lugged
cannon Well, I'd get over that news
paper habit, starting right now.
I closed the door to my apartment
and walked down the hall to the ele-
vator, pressing the button which
brought the automatic lift to my floor
1t came up, purring softly like lazy
IL. IL I