one. I thus escape the annoying attention of the multitude,
which is very disagreeable to a proud man of good family, like me.
Young man, do you ever drink? In Dubuque, they got me drunk so I
didn't know what I was about and I signed a contract with a dime
museum company for twenty-five dollars a week. Take warning from my
fate. Never drink, never drink."

"I can well imagine your sufferings at being a spectacle for a ribald
crowd," said William. "To a man of refined sensibilities, it must be
excruciating, and it was an outrage to entrap you into such a
contract."

"I ought to have had seventy-five and could have got fifty. So I ran
away. Well, now, how are we going to get out of here? Can you climb
over the transom, young man?"

As he said these words, the door flew open and in rushed some
villainous looking men, who gagged, handcuffed, and shackled Miss
Montmorency, William, and the two-nosed man.

"We have the legal right to do this," said the leader, displaying the
badge of the Jinkins private detective agency. "Advices from Dubuque
set us at work. We early located Sheldrup at this hotel, and when the
clerk saw the rubber-skinned boy and the snake-eating lady come in, he
suspicioned who they was at once and by a great stroke, put 'em in
with old two-nose. Do you think we are going to put you through for
breach of contract and for swiping that money out of the till on the
claim it was due you on salary? Nit. Cost too much, take too much
time, and you git sent to jail instead of being back in the museum
helping draw crowds. We are in for saving time and trouble for you,
us, and your employer. To-night you ride out of here for Dubuque,
covered up with hay, in the corner of the car carrying the new trick
horse for the museum. Save your fare and all complications. Now, boys,
we want to work this on the quiet, so we will just leave 'em all here
until the streets are deserted and there won't be anybody around to
notice us gitting 'em into the hack."

"Hadn't one of us better stay?" asked a subordinate.

"How can people gagged, their ankles shackled, their hands handcuffed
behind 'em, git out? Why, I'll just leave the handcuff keys here on
the table and tantalize 'em."

Tears welled in the soft, beauteous orbs of Miss Montmorency and
William's eyes spoke keen distress, but Mr. Sheldrup's eyes gleamed
triumphantly above the cloth tied about the lower part of his face.
Hardly had the steps of the detectives died awa