being an early riser, had
breakfast ready. After breakfast he took a seat on the verandah, and
watched Maroney as he loitered around. At two in the afternoon Maroney
sauntered out, and started in the direction of the suburbs.

Roch concluded he was going to the place where he had lost him the day
before, and now he had the coveted opportunity of finding his hiding
place.

Walking slowly after him, smoking his pipe and gaping around, until he
reached a cross-street, a block from where Maroney had disappeared
before, he turned down this street, walked rapidly until he reached the
next street running parallel to the one Maroney was on, and turning up
it he ran to the corner above, where he got behind the fence, as if
urged by a pressing necessity. From his position he could see down the
street without being seen.

In a moment Maroney reached the corner, a block from him. Looking
around, as before, he pulled his hat over his eyes, and, walking rapidly
part way down the block, he entered a comfortable looking
frame-building. It was painted a creamy white, and its windows were
protected by the greenest of green blinds.

_CHAPTER VII._

Roch walked around for some time, and then returned to his
boarding-house. Finding no one but the landlord and the bar-keeper in
the saloon, he bought a bottle of wine, and asked them to join him in
drinking it. They gladly consented, and he entered into a conversation
with them, in which he pretended to give them a history of his life, and
his plans for the future.

He complimented the city very highly, saying that he was so much pleased
with it that he had determined to buy some property there. He then
informed them that he had been looking at some houses, and wished to get
the landlord's opinion of them. He--the landlord--had been in the city
for many years, and must be well acquainted with the value of property.

Roch now called for another bottle of wine, and proceeded to describe
some of the houses at which he had been looking. He described several,
but one in particular, he said, had taken his fancy; and he then
described the house Maroney had entered, saying further that he thought
there were several ladies there.

The landlord looked at his bar-keeper and winked, and then giving Roch a
poke in the ribs, said, with a hearty laugh: "Oh! you have found them
out, have you?" Then, with another poke: "You're a sly fellow, you are,"
and burst into a roar of laughter, in whic