Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 97: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A HATFUL OF TROUBLE. -you until then a secrecy proportionate to that which he requested at the time of engaging you.” 3 “T understand the importance of the re- quest and will comply.” “ He suggests that it might not be a bad idea to change your hotel. If neces- sary, change it more than once, to avoid the possibility of being followed by any one to-night. Just a second.” Arthur next instant heard the cheery tones of Mr. Black himself. “ All set, Jones?” “Yes, sir.” “Sorry to have been interrupted. Vis- itors—important—-see you at time set. So- long.” Arthur acted upon part of his instruc- tions without delay. He went at once to the Romaine. The clerk of that hotel was rather frigid. He said Arthur’s trunk was in his room, but it had been searched by the police, and his manner intimated that he would reach for the telephone to speak to them when the suest went upstairs. ‘“1 know,” smiled Arthur. “I saw Mr. Cassidy and Mr. Lyons twice yesterday. They know where I am _ staying with friends, at an out of town point. Phone right in to them if you have any doubts about it.” He paid his bill from the wad. It looked even bigger than when Mr. Black had given it to him. The bills corseted by the huge rubber band were actually more numerous, due to the fact that he had changed one of them. The clerk was rather more civil when he came down, but Arthur merely called a cab, nodded, smiled and left. He went to a railway terminal, gave the baggageman half of a five dollar bill, told him to take the trunk out again in fifteen minutes to the El Capitan Hotel, a mon- strous and ornate hostelry hard by, without letting any one suspect it had not left on an outgoing train. After doing this he was to get the other half of the bill at Arthur’s room. ‘“ Boss,” grinned the chap, “if youse say so, I'll throw it up on the front of the big clock outside and hang it on the minute hand. And if anybody finds out from me where it goes, I'll give ’em my mother-in- law free gratis.” By a devious route, through subways and buildings, Arthur reached the other hotel. Registered, he paid for a room with a parlor and bath, directing his baggage to be sent up the moment it arrived. Ensconced within, he summoned the ho- tel tailor, and ere the trunk came with the grinning baggageman to get the other half of his gratuity, Arthur was submitting to various measurements under deft hands. Inside the hour Solomon, in ail his glory, would not have despised meeting him in his new garb. - Arthur paid the bills, locked the door, and sat down for a few minutes’ thought. The xyz-men, if they still had him in tow, would have to be more adroit than they had been so far. As for the police, they were a factor still to be counted upon. Mr. Black’s instructions made it man- datery upon the young scientist to avoid any surveillance, even that of the “‘ bulls.” This, too, was as cryptic as everything else in his instructions, but not unlawful, of itself. Being a condition of his employ- ment, he must obey it. Until now Arthur had scant leisure to speculate on how his arrest at Bonicrest had been brought about. on the chain of known facts. simple enough. They looked “TI was registered under my right name at the Hotel Romaine. After I slipped out of the station house they could have traced me through the Wolverine to the hotel, and next telegraphed or telephoned to Schofield. Evidently they did do something like that. They may have communicated with Pro- fessor Evans, and he may have alluded to the fact that I was a friend of Mrs. Moran and her daughter. I'll phone Professor ’ Evans myself.” He did. Within five minutes ‘the pro- fessor was in part confirming the state- ment. Only, the professor Misicted that word had first come to him from the Cres- cent Laboratory that Arthur was in some sort of trouble in New York with the po- lice; and the laboratory only knew that the man who cared for his laundry had been 567 © He started back — (EC) Gomicbooks