The Crimson Patch

ying vainly to write letters or concentrate her mind on a book. But it was useless, and at length she determined to put an end to her misery and suspense, in that direction at least,

less suspense for the answering knock. The curly head and 104merry eyes of

ever happened to you? I t

ment. "I don't get yer!" he remarked.

I gotta eat sometime or other. An' half past seven's about as e

ed Chet as he came into the room

rying to tell me this afternoon. What is it that you

iously, then tiptoed over and

't have a chance to finish it now, I will come some other time. I bet you'll hardly believe me, but I knew before ever you folks landed he

arily. "How—how did you k

. They was sending for things constant, eats and drinks an' what not,—an' I was kept runnin' to their room as reg'lar as clockwork. I got onto the fact that they was on the watch for some one from one or two things they said befo

omething worth lookin' into. He's comin' here in a day or two. He's got to be watched an' watched hard. He's camouflagin' it, too, with some lecture stuff or other, but that don

107especially by a pair of Huns, like them two looked, so I decided to keep my eyes open. Well, sure enough, them two gave up their room the night before you came, an' I've never laid eyes on 'em since. The next day you arrived, an' I just naturally cottoned to you

wo if I could help it. So I kept my eyes open an' managed it so's I could answer most of t

s is fine of you, and I 108appreciate what you have done more than I can tell you, and so would Father if he knew

count. Naturally, they ain't the names any one would hand in here. But I got my suspicions about one person in t

waiter, Peter Stog

a shady one, all right! Say, if you'll believ

d Patricia, i

I looked back an' saw him take somethin' out of his pocket an' raise his hands to his mouth. Oh, he's slick, all right! An' that funny droop in his eye, too. Once in a while he ain't got tha

ll me, Chester, one more thing. I must ask it, though I hate to. Have you ever discovered anything—queer abou

t queer to that little mam'selle; or at least the mam'selle acted queer to her—as if she just couldn't stand her. But I never saw the madame act ugly to her till to-day when she wouldn't give her a chance to send you that message. I watched 'em like a cat, but I nev

to-day, I had an errand on this floor, an' I just sauntered into their vacant room a moment, before the chambermaid cleaned it up, to have a look

into Patricia's hand and was gone before she