The Ear in the Wall

eriences with that gentleman that he would most likely be found at his laboratory, and I did not worry, but put the f

auntered around to the Chemistry Building. Precisel

door opened and Clare Kendall entered with a cheery gr

st-office form indicating that the addressee could not be found and that the letter was returned to the sender. The stamped hand of the post-office pointed t

e letter over, "there are some queer smudge

ly, as if he had fully expected t

ad a little scientific letter-opening. This was a case of scie

en held it over a steaming pan of water until the gum was softened and it could be open

separated only by the thin film of gum. Now when steam is applied to soften the gum, the usual method of the letter-opener, the tannin and the sulphate are brought together. They run and leave these blots or dark smudges. So, you see, someone has been found at the Montmartre, even if it is not Betty Blac

our good friend, young Dr. Harris," reminded Clare. "Between ca

dy, adding, "at least it would be if

ep our appointment with Miss Kendall at the Futurist Tea Room, where we hoped

growth of afternoon dancing. One never realizes how large a leisure class there is in the city until after a visit to anything from a baseball game

he "boys" who had the checking concession we c

the inevitable piece of change to the head waiter. "If we sit over there in that sort of little

hough a great deal of money had evidently been expen

almost an impossibility in such a place. In fact, I noticed before we had had time to seat ourselves that we had already attracted the attention of two show girls who

as only a woman and a detective could. Craig rose and advanced to meet her, and as she caught

reached the table and I rose to greet her. "Two men alone here are quit

retaliated, "that it is a pleasure to be with Mi

s. We ordered as a matter of course, then settled back for a long interval until the waiter out of the goodnes

ows on the tip-edge of the table, "do you see that athletic-looking young lady, who see

establishment for turning them out, even down to a trademark concealed somewhere about them, "Made in England." Only Ogleby seemed a little different in the respect that

ered, indicating to us th

s and ill at ease. Now and then he looked covertly at his watch as if he

rter bowed as if she were familiar. It was evident that this w

died artificiality which constituted her chief attraction. As Harris greeted her I noted tha

yebrows, all were a marvel of the dexterity of her artificial beautifier. And yet in spite of all there was an air of unextinguishable coarseness about her which it was difficult to de

om the tip of her aigrette to the

you can see that she is the envy of every woman here who has slaved and toiled for that same effect without

h his companion attracted. They seemed to be on very good ter

round an "L" from us and sat down. For once waiters

, that was foreign rather than American, at seeing demi-monde and decency rubbing elbows. I felt sure that a large percentage of the women there were really young married women, whose first step downwar

than we were, but seemed oblivious to it. Now and t

act the feeling which she had concealed as she came in,

dance?" I h

re to tell you about

d as belonging exclusively to one class of women in the

quealed, but who-" I caught in th

as as bad as that,"

success. What were they talking about? Was it about Dopey Jack? Or did they know something about Betty Blac

om the side of the table where Kennedy was seated he could catch an occasional glimpse of the face of Marie. I n

ot quite catch. Beneath that he had written "Ears," which in turn was followed by some words which he was setting down carefully.

-" I caught as the musi

a solo and I shifted my chair so as to get a better view and at

ge which he quickly handed to Marie. As their hands met, their eyes met also. I fanci

ttle package into her handbag of gold mesh and rattling the va

is n

to some-" floated o

mpleted and the appl

s … badly off … don

y Marie and a host of others were depending on Harris for something. At any rate, it seemed, now tha

asked as the orches

you, Harr

ost and found in the dizzy swaying mass. The music became wi

it was she had wanted to tell him, that neither had noticed the other coupl

who had succeeded in getting something besides a cheque from the waiters. Two tall glasses of g

of where Ogleby was sitting. As Harris swung around she faced Ogleby in such a

ed something to her partner. Ogleby leaned over, without the least confusion, and made a witty remark to his partner. It was ov

over in the direction of Marie. He gave a quick s

eady to leave. As they rose to move to the door, Kennedy quickly paid our own cheq

, apparently making his adieux. Deftly Kennedy manage

low Harris if they sep

l. "You foll

e literally bribing the taxicab starter. Our own cab s

etective work took me more often to afternoon dances. There, they are going down the steps. Here's the cab I called. Let me know

ng whether to take a cab himself, then sl

ght afternoon sunshine after the atmosphere of the Futurist Tea Ro

eet after another, not as if debating where he was

then after a few blocks turned into a side street, quickened

nded to the real estate speculators, less desirable to live in, but more valuable for the future. The moving in of anyone who could be got to live there had led to rapid deterioration and a mixed population of whites and negroes

y on the block, and that evidence was confined to the two entrances on the street, on

Kennedy in a tone that indic

is collar and the brilliancy of his checked suit,

went on, "at least downstairs-negro

me," I

th a careful eye on arrivals and departures. The place was deceiving from the outside. I

the Futurist which we had just left, the leftovers of a previous generation in the Tenderloin. There was also a fair sprinkling of white men, equally degraded. White men and coloured women, white wom

wery, too. But that is all passing away now. Reform and agitation have closed up those old dives. Now they try to veneer it over with electric lights and bright varnish,

improvement over the-the

here's Harris, down there in the back,

grinning, for we had assu

chair tipped to the wall, talking to the

waiter with obvious pride that such

with many others of his type, had migrated uptown from the proverbial hau

or the fact, and he and his kind were reputed to be living on the earnings of women to whom they were

reciation of time if of nothing else, and two others with voices that might not have been unpopular in a decent minst

one-stepping, each in their own sweet way. As the music became more lively their dancing came more and more to resemble some of the almost brutal Apache dances of Paris, in that the man seemed

an and a white woman. They had been talking in low tones, but I could catch whole sente

I heard the man say, "or with a poke or a souper, but inst

ke everything a victim had, or at least his pocketbook or watch, b

ughed. "You are '

see them here and know what they were than to be jostled by them in a street car. The sleek proprietor kept a careful eye on them and I knew

ss to us, expressions like "crossing the mit," "nipping a slang," a "mouthpiece," "ma

still sitting at the table. Of course it was none of my business wh

stance it was absolutely impossible to gain any idea of what they were talking about, and indeed our chief concer

ning the select audience with some choice bits of ragtime.

ly slip out a package much like that which we had already seen him hand to Marie at the Futurist. Ike took it, looked

Harris seems to be passing

aps," I vent

like to know

neither seemed interested in the other occupants. Harris having evidently fulfilled his mission, whether of delivering the package or receiving news which Ike seemed to be pouring into his ear, had but one thought, to escap

of his wizardry of mechanical eavesdropping. I fancied that his roving eye was considerin

good-bye and disappeared up the steps

d the "dip" sitting alone bac

-just like that?" he asked with a quick ges

piciously, as if considering w

just went out, wasn't it?" p

givin' us?" responded

either. It's just a plain proposition. Will yo

For a moment he looked us over, then s

acious whisper. "I'll tip yer off if the boss

e Dropper go ou

with the

es

el

e put into the right-hand outside pocket of his coat. Now it

five now and the othe

ppeared t

k with a mouthpiece who wants fifty bucks to beat the case for one o

wyer to get him out of jail. Well, I'll take a chance. Bring the packag

is place and sidled out of the joi

the lay?

Walter. We might as well go before any of these ye

uch as to say, "Come agai