The Holbrook news., 1922-07-14

1 uellVereu nm ut lenStn 10 tne OlHce waitingroom of Captain Anderson head of the bureau of missing persons The Runt, surveying the numbers ir the waitingroom and those passing iI and out, was ready to revise his opin ion about the possible difficulty of the job. He judged that half the popula tion of New York must be missing.
 After a time the captains secretary notified Johnny that it was his turn As soon as he was admitted the punch CT began his little piece without wait. ing for any preliminaries.
 Say, captain, want you to find my friend Clay Lindsay. He" Just moment" interrupted the captain. "Who are you? Don't think got your name"
 Johnnie remembered the note of in- troduction and his name at the same time. He gave both to the big man who spent his busy days and often part of the nights looking for the lost millions.
 The captains eyes swept over the note. "Sit down, MT. Green, and let's get at your trouble. This note says that you're looking for a man named Clay Lindsay who came to New York several months ago. Have you or has anybody else heard from him in that time?'
 "We got letter right after he got here. He ain't writ since"
 Perhaps he's dead. We'd better look up the morgue records"
 "Morgue" The Runt grew excited instantly. "That place where you keep folks that get drowned or bumped off? Say. captain, I'm here to tell you Clay was the livest man in Arizona, which is the same as sayin' anywheres. Cowpunchers don't take naturally to morgues. No, sir. Clay ain't in no mOrgue. Like as not he's helped fill this yere morgue if any crooks tried their rough stuff on him. Don't get me wrong, Cap. Clay is the squarest he-man ever God made. All I'm sayin' is"
 The captain interrupted. He asked sharp, incisive questions and got busy. Presently he reached for phone, got in touch with sergeant at the police desk in the upper corridor, and sent an attendant with Johnnie to the po- lice department
 The Irish sympathies of the ser hx,f esty of the little man. He sent for another sergeant, had card records brought, consulted couplc of patrol men, and then turned to Johnnie.
 We've met your friend all right" he said with a grin. Hes wan heluva lad. Fits the description to T. There can't be but one like him here" !" And he went on to tell the story of the adventure of the janitor and the hose.
 The washed-out eyes of the punch CT lit up. "That's him. That's sure him. Tell me where he's at?"
 'We don't know. We can show you the place where he tied the janitor, but that's the best we can do." The captain hesitated. If you find him. give him a straight tip from me. Tell him to buy ticket for Arizona and take the train for home. This town is no healthy place for him. Your friend has made an enemy-a powerful one. He'll understand if you tell him."
 "Who is this here enemy?"
 "Neve- mind. He hit up too fast a pace."
 You can't tell me thing against Clay-not a thing" protested Johnnie hotly. Hell sure do to take along. Clay will. There can't any guy knock him to me- if he does wear a uniform"
 "Tm not saying a thing against him." replied the officer impatiently. I'm giving him friendly tip to beat it. if you see him. Now I'm going to send you uptown with a plain-clothes man. He'll show you where your friend made his New York debut. That's all we can do for you"
 An hour later the little cowpuncher was gazing wistfully at the hitching- DOSt. iuNC iNlSltu lDeI- ically to a question mark. It was as though he thought he could conjure from the post the secret of Clay's dis appearance. Where had he gone from here? And where was he now?
 In the course of the next two days the Runt came back to that post many times ,.. the starting-point for weary high-hee,c tramps through streets within circuit of a mile. He could not have explained why he did so. Per haps it wa. because this was the only spot in the city that held for him any tangible relationship to Clay. Some one claimed to have seen him vanish into one of these houses. Perhaps he might come back again. It was very tenuous hope. but t was the only one Johnnie had. He clumped over the s0s0s0s0s0s0scs0scs0ecs0st