as daylight, but the motive was as profoundly mysterious as the
race itself. He hadn't patrolled old Pell Street as a plain clothes
man without getting a glimmer of the ancient truth that East is
East and West is West. He would have some sport with Mr. Ah Cum
before the day was over, slyly baiting him. But what had young
Spurlock done for Ah Cum in the space of twenty-four hours that had
engaged Ah Cum's loyalty, not only engaged it but put it on guard?
For O'Higgins, receiving light from the next table, had no doubt
regarding the identity of the subject of this old maid's
observations.

A queer game this: he could not move directly as in an ordinary
case of man-hunt. He had certain orders from which on no account
was he to deviate. But this made the chase all the more exciting.
What was the matter with Spurlock that was to keep him in bed three
or four weeks? He would dig that out of the hotel manager. Anyhow,
there was some pleasurable satisfaction in knowing where the quarry
would be for the next three weeks.

There was now a girl in the picture, so it seemed. Well, this was
the side of the world where things like that happened. The boy
would naturally attract the women, if the women were at all
romantic. Good looks, with a melancholy cast, always drew
sentimental females. Probably some woman on the loose; they were as
thick as flies over here--dizzy blondes. That is, if Spurlock had
been throwing money about, which was more than likely.

"As long as I live, I'll never forget that dress of hers," Prudence
declared.

"Out of a family album, you said," Angelina reminded her sister.

O'Higgins struck a match and lit his Henry Clay, thereby drawing
upon himself the mutual disapproval of the spinsters.

"Beg pardon," he said, "but isn't smoking allowed in the dining
room?"

"It probably is," answered Prudence, "but that in no wise mitigates
the odiousness of the procedure."

"Plumb in the eye!" said O'Higgins, rising. "I'll tote the
odiousness outside."

He was delighted to find the office deserted. He inspected the
formidable array of rifles and at length walked over to the
register. Howard Taber. From his wallet he brought forth a yellow
letter. Quickly he compared the Hs. They were so nearly alike that
the difference would be due to a shaky hand. But for perfect
satisfaction, he must take a peek into the bedroom. Humph. A crisis
of some kind was toward. It might be that the boy had taken one
drink too ma