The spectator., 1921-05-20
CHAPTER xi
The Name on the Reaister

The Name on the Register
 So long as I was holding on to the notion that the man outside was one of Clanahan's thugs, hanging around to do the boss mischief, thought 1 knew pretty well what l should do when it came to the pinch. Would 1 really have hauled off and shot q man. in cold blood? That's tough question. but I guess maybe l could have screwed myself up to the stick ing point. as the fellow says. with a sure-enough gunman on the other side of that window-and the boss life at stake. But when l saw that it was young Collingwood, that was horse of another color.
 What on earth was the presi- dents nephew doing proving around Major Hendricks house after eleven o'clock at night, lugging pistol and peeking into windows? l could see him quite plainly now. He had both hands on the sill and was trying to pull himself up so that he could see into the end of the room where the fireplace was.
 Just for the moment, there wasn't any danger of a blow.up. Unless he should break the glass in the window. he couldn't get line on either the boss or Mrs. Sheila-if that was what he was aiming to do. An the same, I kept him covered with the auto matte steadying it against the door jamb
 While the strain was al its worst, with the man outside flattening his cheek against the window-pane to get the sidewise slant, heard the boss get out of his chair and say: I'm keeping you out of bed, as usual; look at that clock m go and wake Jimmie, and we'll vanish"
 Just as he spoke, two things hap pened: taxi chugged up to the gate and stopped, and the mans face dis appeared from the window. I heard quick padding of feet as of some body running. and the next minute came the rattle of latch-key and voices in the hall to tell me that the major and his folks were getting home. l had barely time to pocket the pistol and to drop into chair where l could pretend to be asleep, when I felt the boss hand on my shoulder.
 Come, Jimmie" he said. It's time we were moving along" and in min ute or two, after he had said good night to the major and Mrs. Kendrick, we got out.
 At the gate we found the taxi driver doing something to his motor. With the scare from which l was still shak ing to make my legs wobble, l grabbed at the chance which our good angel was apparently holding for us.
 Let's ride" I suggested; and when we got into the cab, l saw a man stroll up from the shadow of the side walk cottonwoods and say something to the driver; something that got him an invitation to ride to town on the front seat with the cabby when the car was finally cranked and started. l had sight of our extra fares face when he climbed up and put his back to us, and I knew 1t was Tarbell But Mir. Norcross didn't.
 When we reached the Bullard the boss went right up to his rooms, but l had little investigation to make, and l stayed in the lobby to put 1t over On the open page of the hotel register, in the group of names written just after the arrival of our train from the West at 80, found the signature that I was looking for Howard Col lingwood, N. Y." Putting this and that together, I concluded that our young rounder had come in from the West-which was bit puzzling, since it left the inference that he wasn't direct from New York.
 Waiting for good chance at the night clerk, l ventured a few Ques- tions They were answered promptly enough. Young Mir. Collingwood had come in on the 80. But he had been in Portal City week earlier. too, stopping over for a single day. Yes, he was alone, now. but he hadn't been on the other occasion. There was a man with him on the earlier stop over, and he, also, registered from New York. The clerk didn't remem-