The Cotton Factory Times. — 1913-12-12 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

CHAPTER VII. The Murder.  It was well after midnight when Crew.n reached Gordon-square. He went into the smoking room, where he expected to find Hiram, but as he was not there he called a waiter.  " See if Mr. Blaker is in his room, will you, and tell him I am waiting for him here if he is. Let me have a whisky 'and soda and a cigar, too, when you come back," he said. The man was not the waiter usually in attendance in the room.  " Yes, sir." he answered. "Matt name shall I tell Mr. Blaker, sir?"  'Oh, you're' a fresh hand here, are you?" erewson asked. "Well, no, sir, not new in the hotel, but I've been sent to look after Jim's work here until he is free to come back. I'll find out about Mr. Blaker, sir." "Where's Jim, then?" erewson asked half indifferently as the man turned away. He came close up to Crewson before he replied. "Well, you see, sir. Jim knows most of the gents frequenting this room, so of course he was sent for first," he said in a low tone. "Sent for first?" Cre,wson said.  " Yes, sir, first, that is, amongst us chaps. But he ought to be finished by this time. If he is I'll tell him to fetch in your whisky and soda while I'm looking after Mr. Blaker." "Goah, how these chaps do play up for an extra tip," Crewson said to himself as he watched the man hurry away. " Tr 3 ing to make a mystery about Jim being off for half an hour as as to play the special favour to me. They're as bad as the New Yorkers."  The thought was barely from his mind when the man returned. "Very sorry, sir," he said, 'but Mr. Blaker is not in the hotel; he went away directly after dinner." Crewson looked at him steadily.  "You're making a mistake," he said sharply: "Mr. Maker and I dined together here to-night. When I went out about eight o'clock I left him in the hotel. His room is No. 76." "Yen, sir, I know, sir, the booking-clerk said No. 76, sir, and said the gentleman had gone, sir," the man interrupted. ",But, thunder, how can. the man have gone when I tell you—" Crewson began when he caught sight of Jim entering the door with his whisky and soda. "All right, 11P1 ta:k to Jim," he said tartly. The waiter left the room, but stopped to speak to Jim 23 he passed. _ "Look here, Jim," Crewson blurted out as soon as the waiter came up. "Why in thunder can't you run this place with men instead of silly—" "Beg your pardon, sir, for interrupting," Jim said, os he held the tray before Crewson, "but if it's about Mr. Blaker, sir, it's quite correct. He's left the hotel." _ .  —With his whisky in one band and the cigar in the other Crewson stared blankly in the man's face.  "Left the hotel?" he exclaimed. "I tell you he was here when I went out soon after eight." "Quite right, sir. He came in here to look for you, and had words with the hall porter when he said you had goue out, sir. Mr. Blokes. said he had just run upstairs to change his coat, and had not left you five minutes, eir. He had a telegram in his hand, sir; said it called him away to Paris at once. He scarcely had time to catch the 9-10 from Charing Cross, sir. That's how it is you missed him, I expect, sir." Crewson put the glass on the table at his side, struck a match, and took three vigorous pulls at bin cigar, and lay back in his chair. "That was before you took your half an hour off, I .ppose?" he said. "Half an hour off, sir? I've had no had an hour off, sir."  "That—What shall I call it? that other chap who was here—he said something about you being away."  " 'Yes, sir, that's right. Naturally they sent for imp, !toeing I know ever,zondi q*wiz comae is