The Ordway new era., 1921-07-01
CHAPTER XII
The Name on the Register

The Name on the Register
So long as l was holding on to the
notion that the man outside was one
of Clanahan's thugs. hanging around
to do the boss d mischief, ] thought
l knew pretty well what l should do
when it came to the pinch. Would
l really have hauled off and shot
man, in cold blood? That's a tough
question. but l guess maybe l could
have screwed myself up to the stick
ing point, as the fellow says, with
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, prowling around
Major Hendricks house after eleven
o'clock at night, Juggling pistol and
pepking into windows? / 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 blow-up. Unless he
should break the glass in the window,
he couldn't get a line on either the
boss or Mrs. Sheila-if that was what
he was aiming to do. All the same,
1 kept him covered with the auto
matte, steadying it against the door
jamb.
While the strain was at its worst,
with the man outside flattening his
cheek against the window-pane to get
the sidewise slant, l heard the boss
get out of his chair Pnd say: I'm
keeping you out of bed, as usual
look at that clock II. go and wake
Jimmie, and Well vapjsh."
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. / 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 a chair
where l could pretend to be asleep
when 1 felt the boss hand on my
shoulder.
Come, Jimmie" he said. Its time
we were moving along" and in n min
ute or two, after he had said gootl-
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 1 was still shnk-
ing to make my legs wobble, grabbed
at the chance which our good angel
was apparently holding for us.
Lets ride" l suggested; and when
we got into the cab, saw n 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 tie
car was finally cranked and started.
mad sight of our extra fares face
when he climbed up and put his back
to us, and 1 knew it was Tarbell. But
Mr.. Norcross didn't.
When we reached the Bullard the
boss went right up to his rooms. but I
had little investigation to make and
stayed in the lobby to put 1t over.
On the open page of the hotel register.
in the group of names written irst
after the arrival or our train from
the West at 1880, found the signature
that l was looking for, Howard C,l-
lingwood. N. Y" Putting this and
that together, concluded that our
young rounder had come in from thc
West-which was bit puzzling. since
1t left the inference that he wasp,t
direct from New York.
| Waiting for good chance at tbe
night clerk, l ventured a few oues.
tions. They were answered promp,Iv
enough. Young Mr.. Collingwood Ind
come In on the z 80. But he had been
In Portal City week earlier. foo
stopping over for single day. Yes
he was alone, now, but he hadn't been
on the other occasion. There waa l
man with him on the earlier stor,.
over, and he, also, registered fron,
NoUy Yhrk n1n~1- -as-s