Evening star., 1934-10-02
INSTALLMENT XXI.


come upstairs. He had been gone for
10 or Is minutes and Hover had gone
to find him.
The nurse was upset because Raw
Inns was not in his room. She had
gone off duty for an hour because he
said he was tired and wanted to
sleep. When she came back the bed
was empty She called several rooms
and could not locate any of the men
on the team who roomed at the hotel.
She then became alarmed and called
the manager. There was no trace Of
Rawlins anywhere. They looked into
the courtyard first; they searched the
hotel from top to bottom. There was
no sign of struggle in the room. The
bed covers were thrown back as If he
had slipped from the bed. His slip
pers were under the bed and his bath
robe was on a chair. His clothes were
hanging in the cupboard.
The house detective was called in.
The maids on the floor had not seen
anything unusual in the halls and
none of them had seen a man in
pajamas wandering about One of
the maids, however, could not be
found. She was not in the linen room
nor on any of the other floors.
The search then became twofold,
but neither the maid nor Rawlins
could be found. Then the police were
called in.
BY series of questions the police
unearthed the following facts: Huette,
Rawlins' assistant, went to see Raw
lins right after the game and was
with him for about Is minutes: Raw
Inns was pretty sore at him because
of the Butchers second successive de-
feat, and Huette went away sulking;
one or two of the members of the
team stopped at the door to inquire
for him; his talk with Huette had
tired him and he refused to take his
supper when it was brought in; he
wanted to rest and the nurse had
left him for about an hour. That was
all that turned up from the police
efforts. The missing maid was checked
and had not left the hotel by the
usual means. Her clothes were in
her locker and there was no reason
to suppose that she was anything
other than she appeared to be. She
lived in South Chicago and had been
employed by the hotel for over four
years. She was competent and well
liked by the management.
Nov you've got the whole story" "
Hover said when the bottle was empty,
"and know as much as I do"
Both Terry and Craven looked to
Doc Biers for confirmation. Biers
nodded.
It's true" Hover said. You can
wire your papers if you want to, but
Doc and I beat you to it." He lurched
to his feet and ambled toward the
door Come on, Doc, I'll buy you
q drink
Doc Biers smiled and followed
Hover through the door.
Its crazy" Craven said. This
whole thing is a crazy nightmare,
What will happen next? Know any
body here, Terry, anybody at head
quarters who would give you the in
side dope?"
Terry shook his head. He knew
no one and was glad of it. He was
secretly glad that for once he had
not been in the thick of the mystery.
He heaved sight of relief.
II know one of the bulls here"
Craven said. Maybe he can help us
out. I'll call him in the morning."
They both sent wires to their pa
pers and sat talking about the proba-
bilities of Rawlins' vanishing. 1t was
Just ll:30 when Terry's telephone
rang. 1t was Doc BierS. He was
having trouble getting Hover to bed
and called for help.
They both went up to the eighteenth
floor and were working over Hover
when they heard Mortified cry in
the corridor. A cold chill ran down
Terry's spine. The three men looked
at each other in startled amazement.
Doors were opening along the cor
ridors and they heard excited voices.
Craven raced down the hall, following
Terry.
The hotel was one of the older
Chicago hotels, as things go now, but
new enough to be one of the first OF
the moderns. 1t was one OF the
first to put in service doors. They
were not like the more recent ones.
They we're longer and deeper than the
new ones and there was no chance of
squashing a suit, nor was it neces-
sary to fiatten out your laundry-bag
in order to get it in the door.
bellboy stood shaking in the
center of a crowd before an opened
service door. The inner half of the
door was open and outlined against
the light which came from a lighted
window across the court dangled the
body of man.
The body was hung from the hook
meant to hold coathangers. The
head was bent forward on its chest
and the long pajama- clad legs hung
Imply down into the room beyond.
Craven knelt down and looked up
at the face.
ITS Rawlins," he whispered to
Terry.
There was the sound of excited
voices and three men came hurrying
down the corridor. They were Clay
ton. the manager; Ternan, his house
detective, and the night clerk, who
was just going on duty.
What's the matter, Carter?" Clay
ton asked the still shaking bellboy
The boy pointed to the body in the
doorway. Ternan whistled and moved
forward to have better look.
The house doctor came hurrying
up just then, went into the room
and closed the door.
Call the police" Clayton said to
Ternan. He turned to the people
grouped in the hail. Won't you peo-
pie please go to your rooms?"
The crowd moved back little, but
did not disperse.
Ternan came back and stood on
guard.
Come with me-" Clayton said to
the bellhop. He moved down the
hall and stopped at an open door
about four rooms down, the night
clerk close on his heels.
Go in there" Clayton ordered,
land find out who is registered in
that room" He turned to the boy,
Carter. What do you know about
this?"
THE captain gave me a ticket to
come up here for a suit. When I
opened the door that thing was hang
ing there" His voice quavered.
irI o1a bon nL -