New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-07-08

stake. But when / saw that it was
young Collingwood, that was a 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 a pistol and
peeking 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 a
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 a line on either the
boss or Mrs. Sheila-if that was what
he was aiming to do. All the same,
l 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, | heard the boss
get out of his chair and say: I'm
keeping you II of bed, as usual
look at that clock. I'll go and wake
Jimmie, and We'll vanish"
Just as he spoke, two things hap
pened: a taxi chugged up to the gate
and stopped, and the mans face dis
appeared from the window. l heard
a quick padding of feet as of some
body running, and the next minute
came the rattle of a latch-key and
voices i'm the hall to tell me that the
major and his folks were getting
home. | had barely time to pocket
the pistol and to drop into a chair
where l could pretend to be asleep,
when l felt the boss hand on my
shoulder.
"Come, Jimmie" he said. ITS time
we were moving along and in a 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 | was still shak-
ing to make my legs wobble, | grabbed
at the chance which u good angel
was apparently holding for us.
Lets ride" l suggested; and when
we got into the cab, | saw Il man
stroll up from the shadow of the side
4rnl1- .nt tnnNrnnIS and CIV Cn1nnthinU
to the driver; something that got him
an invitation to ride to town on the
front seat with the cabby when the
ear was finally cranked and started.
| had a sight of our extra fares face
when he climbed up and put his back
to us, and | knew it was Tarbell. But
Mr.. Norcross didn't.
When we reached the Billiard the
boss went right up TO his rooms, but |
had a little investigation to make, and
| stayed in the lobby to put it 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 Z 80, / found the signature
that | was looking for, Howard Col
lingwood, n. Y" Putting this and
that together, l concluded that our
young rounder had come in from the
West-which was a bit puzzling, since
it left the inference that he wasn't
direct from New York.
Waiting for a good chance at the
night clerk, | ventured a few ques-
tions. They were answered promptly
enough. Young Mr.. C|ollingwood had
come in on the 1880. But he had been
in Portal City a week earlier, too,
stopping over for a single day. Yes,
he was alone, now, but he hadn't been
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-
Der the other mans name, but he
o~bligingly looked it up for me in the
older register. 1t vas Bullock, Henry
Bullock.
/ suppose it was up to me to go to
bed. 1t was late enough, in all con
science, and nobody knew better than
| did the early-rising, early-office-
opening habits of Mr.. Graham Nor
cross, G.. NJ. Just the same, after |
had marked that Mr.. CollingwoOd's
room-key was still in its box, l went
over to a corner of the lobby and sat
down, determined to keep my eyes
open, If such a thing were humanity
possible, until our rounder should
show up.
Finally my patience, or whatever
you care TO call it, was rewarded.
Just after the baggage porter had fin
ished ~slng-songing his call for the
night express w%estbound, my man came
In on the run.
When he rushed over to the counter
and began to talk fast to the night
clerk, l wasn't very far behind him.
He was telling the clerk to get his
down from the room, adjectively
quick. While the boy was gone for