| Show the men on the dead melr ails 0 41 I 1 it b chest AN by ba Y CLIFFORD C wa FT ayrd RAYMOND W service 1 copyright the bobbe babbe merrill ce co CHAPTER VII continued 10 lo 1 I don t know it said stanton if I 1 did they t have walked out of the room I 1 in only guessing yes guessing NN V ell I 1 d rather you guessed that I 1 was alive because they were dead than that they were alive because I 1 was dead that s what it comes conies to I 1 can cant t go back to new york tonight but how am I 1 to know that they have gone they may stay here in newburgh if I 1 may use mr darlings darling s tele phone ill loose the on them there theres s the extension here on the table and there theres s an instrument in a closet off the hall said mr darling not bother you with the mys teries of police business said sald the lieutenant use the other phone when he returned roberts was brae ing himself with another drink of scotch they will be quietly escorted into new york the lieutenant said and from then on the watchful eye will be in the middle of their backs now roberts here we are in a case which stumps me to tl ti ink of the like of it it seems that the only thing I 1 can vin do as john law confronted with one transparent killing and two fairly plausible ones Is to wait for another I 1 will you let me stay at your hotel with you tonight roberts asked figure out something maybe I 1 can go back to chicago with you it may not be as hopeless as I 1 think I 1 might be able to get west if I 1 could get away from san francisco I 1 might be able to disappear somewhere in the far east somewhere in the pacific islands he brightened perceptibly in tone and confidence of motion as he walked to and fro on the hearth rug I 1 ive ve got sixty thousand dollars a year now instead of thirty thousand dollars that s right isn t it mr darling owing to the fact that mi clay ton mr bron brown n and mr trembly are no longer where they can receive checks you are quite light mr rob erts well now sixty thousand dollars a year ear Is money it gives a man freedom he can live where its pleasant and convenient he ile can take tale meas ures to protect himself if I 1 can get a fair break at the start that s all need now if lieutenant stanton will help I 1 know I 1 can rely on mr darling well ill be lea leaving ing mr darling said stanton shall I 1 see you again lieutenant the old gentleman asked hold ng ug out his hand I 1 hope so I 1 must be go ng no back tomorrow after I 1 ve gone down to new york I 1 ive ve always said I 1 was no de but this beats even my usual experience I 1 get my man I 1 I 1 in nurse maid to the handsome gentl gentleman ernan who expects to be murdered that s all I 1 ve got to show for my expense ac count come along mr roberts and gooc day to you mr air darling it was late dusk as stanton and roberts walked walled toward the palatine they chey passed by the hasbrouck house you might go in there a while to morrow said stanton where in there why its washington s headquarters what of it oh go in and look at st uzal knapp s grave I 1 loure ou re a nut chief theres there s only one grave I 1 want to see and it isn t filled yet I 1 you ou discount ashley don dont t you 1 I I can handle him can you I 1 id d guess that in this Ws elimination he bed d be the burvin or don t be rid culous what makes you think that just looking at you three I 1 fancy ashley when they entered the hotel stan ton told his companion to get him self a room I 1 must send some telegrams he said I 1 must go to the local chiefs chief s office and I 1 may be able through I 1 lin and find by telephone to avoid going to new york do you think you 11 be gone long I 1 id d not think so 11 why hy you be claimed here in the hotel I 1 sometimes you seem s mple to in nd ed I 1 lieutenant leu tenant you ought to know that often the safest places are the most dangerous 1 I d get hold of myself if I 1 were you mister you re safe here when you are back I 1 must buy come some linen and things ill get a room and wait rait for aou ou here in the lobby k finhen W hen stanton returned a half hour later roberts was as in a leather chair in a smoking corner I 1 got a room room with two beds he said and I 1 ve had your things moved into it don dont t mind do you ill f feel eel aas er X meant to speak peak to you about it 11 I 1 doubt that you did roberts you you preferred to have it done and then a tell me about it I 1 don t mind if it it mikes sou any iny happier the furnish ing stores afe are down evl bibi fp fp the old to town be better ter go aas and make maie pa your ur purchases before pr I 1 im in not goli agolig g down there alone all right III go with you ashley and blair are on their way to new york but I 1 can it afford to report back home without you alive so come along and then we well it have dinner CHAPTER VIII A night visitor at room at dinner stanton said he was going to the monies and that his corn coin panion might please himself remain in the hotel or accompany him rob orts was NN as glum for a moment and then smiled I 1 III go with you I 1 don dont t mind hick town amusements I 1 like them if the movies are hick the big bt towns are the center of the sticks said stanton I 1 know but I 1 only enjoy the amov les when I 1 in laid up in a small place come on then I 1 in a two show man mister when I 1 get a chance and I 1 saw by the signs that john gilbert in twelve miles out Is at one place and sid chaplin in charleys charley s aunt at another they claimed their overcoats from the checkroom and walked along the shadowy street leading to the new burgh white way 1 I suppose you think I 1 im in an awful coward said roberts as they walked I 1 in not always I 1 ve had my share of danger there s some kinds I 1 haven t dodged I 1 fought a man with a pistol placed in the middle of a table you stand two feet away and at a signal the man who gets the gun uses it did you cheat asked stanton not much just enough to keep him from cheating more but I 1 didn dian t shoot him afraid to N no 0 I 1 t shoot a man who d t have a gun I 1 hope he appreciated it I 1 he ile took tool a shot at me a half hour later and then I 1 had to wing him here heres s the great white way said the I 1 eu tenant as they turned into the brilliantly lighted main street of the newer be newburgh on the top of the he t bluff above the old town which starts at the river s edge here s the chap lin nearest well take the first show here and john gilbert nert next you youre re a curious copper you may be right there mister but it isn t because I 1 like the movies its it s because I 1 do dumb things you re probably one of them roberts was amused bv by charleys charley s aunt but he was depressed by twelve miles out cheerful lot of gore that finish he said as they walked back to the hotel 1001 ed I 1 ke ie blair and ashley shooting each other s heads off they would wo uld grin and yell at each other just that way ghastly pa r of crooks I 1 nener ne er knew blair to have the slightest compunction in anything he ever did nor ashley either cometh ng they did to turner got us in this mess meaning sixty thousand dollars a year for you I 1 need the money because I 1 lye ye got it if you can figure that out id I 1 d be well off if I 1 d never heard of it what do you want to do smoke a cigar in the lobby or turn in I 1 feel restless smoke a cigar with ou but I 1 in not restless and I 1 in about ready for sleep lucky cass you are stanton got nothing to make you nervous or rest less ive IN e got you I 1 said lucky cuss you might have blair i once saw him strangle st a black boy in haiti who tried to slice him did it slowly as it if it were a pleasure 4 what did you the six of you do to turner tu the lieutenant asked I 1 in going to make iou ou come clean on that sooner or later I 1 don dont t know anything about it whatever it v as I 1 swear I 1 don t all right it will be later then did I 1 tell ou ive lye telegraphed for a drawing room or compartment when we pick up the train at albany ill not trust an open pullman ill get a magazine and go up to the room with you now if you want to he ile went to the cigar and magazine counter and came back with several period cals he ile looked about as they stepped into the elevator and glanced each a amy in the traverse hall on their ro room om floor when their door was locked he seemed relieved the lieutenant made ready tor for bed J 11 only keep this read ng lamp on sa d roberts that won wont t d esturb you will it no noth ng will disturb me sal said d the lieutenant stretching out later he was awakened by roberts who was shaking him when he opened his eyes in a naze daze roberts sig baled him nm to be s lent I 1 listen isten he said stanton raised himself and saw that roberts had a p stol in his hand the door said roberts he spoke in a whisper I 1 lor or a second or two stanton did not hear anything then there was the sound unmistakably of a key touch ing the lock outs de apparently some one was trying to put it in the key hole blocked by the key As soon as this was beyond doubt the lieutenant got out of bed what are you doing I 1 roberts asked nervously see who it is I 1 said stanton walt wait where a your gun I 1 don dont t need a gun eald said stanton as he turned the bey key and pulled the door back roberts instantly stepped behind him the door opened on a whiff of liquor and find a tat fat man who blinked stanton looked at him and smiled IN wrong rong room brother he said the fat man Is expression seemed to contradict that statement he ile said nothing but he stood his ground and blinked wrong room the lieutenant repeated the fat man then looked at the metal disk attached to his key six ten he said to prove he was right five ten wrong floor wrong floor not possible that Is six go to the elevator and begin all over all right III be back here six ten sou you come back here and ill pinch you I 1 im in a copper on your w way ay brother take some advice of the elevator boy stanton closed and locked the door do you think that fellow was drunk roberts asked I 1 wouldn t be so sure he was said stanton as he got into bed I 1 d say he wasn gasn f t he probably was touch of acting about him but probably he had made FIR A I 1 IV 60 r A fatty f the door said roberts a mistake in his floor and was trying to cover coner by seeming more stupid than he was you re a good old yo your u r self stanton that fellow had a pur p r pose he may have been only a bird b rd dog I 1 never saw him before but then t h in they wouldn t use a fellow I 1 ever had if I 1 had opened the door myself you d have been awakened soon or later it probably would have been by a draft through the open door and you d have stepped on me when you got up they re working on the case tou you can bet on that St stanton antons s response was to roll roil over in his bed and breathe heavily from that on roberts troubles were his own until morning on the way to breakfast roberts had stanton turn aside with him to the desk we were disturbed last night he said to the clerk I 1 have reason to question the explanation given by the d we are in room five ten he ile insisted it was room six ten he ile had a key who occupies room six ten the clerk hesitated as if about to refuse to give tha the information stan ton perceived his reluctance and sup ported roberts in the circumstances said stan tonu it is a fair question As mr roberts says we were d stubbed and were not satisfied with the tion have you made any complaint he the clerk asked I 1 have been on duty only 1 a half hour it isn t necessary to make a corn coin plaint lalit said the lieutenant we just want some information the clerk decided to give if it he looked at h s board room six ten Is 1 occupied by 11 C carroll of hence lence and her daughter I 1 and room four genrl ten the clerk turned again to his board room four ten by J D adams adam S of des moines that Is mr adams at the other end of the cigar counter lie ile indicated a man of slender build who was selecting a cigar our visitor could not have had either elther room Hewa he was fat hewes lie was or pretended to be confused by drink Is it something the management should take up the clerk asked no said stanton we are leaving today it was only an incident but we were curious just another thing said roberta roberts lieutenant stanton was moved yesterday from the room he was occupy ing what was it stanton three twelve to room five live ten would the reg ister still show him in three twelve let s see if it does he ile turned back the pages of the book and found the line where stan ton had registered yes it does who had room three twelve after six 0 clock I 1 the clerk again turned to the board mr peter L ashe of albany he said ask mr ashe will you when yon you see him if he was aroused last night we are going in to breakfast try to find out from him it seems to me r should know why I 1 in making inquiries of our guests if it Is a serious matter the manager should be informed if its a matter of any Im importance portana ce it s only to us said stanton or m may be it s not likely to be to the hotel or to anyone else elm ask mr ashe or we 11 do it if you don it want to you 11 have a better opportunity if I 1 see him I 1 will said the clerk at breakfast roberts explained that he had not registered his name but had assumed another he ile was not on the books as himself it if the fat man had been a bird dog he would not have found roberts but he would have found stanton if the occupant of room three twelve had any experience with a it fat visitor or intruder it would make the incident at room five ten un in only one fashion ihen you 11 admit said roberta roberts that they have begun gone at it quick the very night of the day they find me here ive been encouraging your ideas too much I 1 said the lieutenant they re improbable the only rea son I 1 ive ve taken any of them in Is because I 1 in m a bit fanciful myself and I 1 ive ve known the copper type which wont see at all with the minds eye eat your bacon and eggs man I 1 don t want to take only a package of coffee and gin back home put a little food around your ribs I 1 you still think I 1 im in yellow dont don t you im not wasting much time think ing about it you probably know your self better than I 1 ever will but if half the things you think are true happen to be true you 11 need both nerve and luck to get through ill get by I 1 in going out into the far pacific ill get a couple of malay knifemen knife men who will be million millionaires alres in their own coin as long as im I 1 in alive A few flower girls to go along with them some chinese music and the temple bells sixty thousand a year it won wont t be so bad when they came out of the dining room a bellboy asked them to speak to the clerk I 1 saw raw mr ashe said the clerk he ile says he was called os or the tele phone some time after midnight and asked if he was lieutenant stanton he ile said no and that was all that s satisfactory said the lieu tenant it explains all we need know thank you we it 11 pack and get out said roberts as they came to their room pretty plain what was up last night your must have stuck with blair and ashley for about two min utes I 1 thought you were rather sim slin pie about that mister im always simple I 1 said stanton it s my trusting nature did I 1 mention the fact that I 1 in not a detective tec tive lou ion dont don t need to mention it why don dont t you call up the police here and ask them what they mean what they mean what where blair and ashley are what do you think were interested in I 1 I 1 don t give a d n where blair and ashley are just now I ell ido I 1 do there theres s a train up from beacon on the other side of the river at ten we were re taking it NN well get started moving and keep moving 1 from then on until stanton had him behind the drawing room door in the car of the train they took in albany his nervousness nervous nese increased it had become acute just before train time |
