The Crime of the French Café and Other Stories

nderloin" district which provides its patrons with

putation is not strictly first-class in some respects, its

he one on the side street i

ning Nick Carter was standing abou

to a house on the side street, an

have the business managed quietly. This affair would not be worth mentioning, except that it led Nick to one o

saw a closed carriage stop before

hite apron, came hurriedly out of the side door and got in

very peculiar. The waiter had act

hastily from side to side, as if afr

urant's patrons, or possibly its proprietor. If Nick had had

n for whom the detective was wa

d not have to go far, for Chick was waiting on Sixth ave

is case over to his famous assistant, and return to clear up th

but it was as quiet as usual. He entered by the side door, ascended a fl

hould put down their names as in a hotel bef

s nobody

building, and there were three room

into these rooms, and then turned toward the desk. As he did

Gaspard. He was the head waiter,

k, "who's your waiter o

ective really was, but he remembered him as one who had assisted the poli

ied Gaspard. "I hop

," said Nick. "What sort

very thin. He has long, black hair, a

nt him out f

; he is

he

at the front. We have

" said Nick. "I want

d off at right angles with that in which Nick was stan

ngs of the building. Nick glanced at the register, and saw that "R.M. Clark and wife"

o note these entries on the boo

lips were working as if he were saying s

hat he had seen must have been horrible, to judge

before, and he did not waste time tryin

llow by the shoulder and pushed him

idently he did not want to see again

rasp. In five seconds they stood

nd there was a brigh

untasted. It illumined the gaudy furnishings of

d and perfectly white, except for a horrib

nt hair of a light corn color, which clustered in little curls around

pallid face, the fixed and glassy eyes, and the grim wound upon t

ong in that house. The waiter who had run across the sidewalk and got into that carriage ha

looked for a robbery, or, perhaps, a secret and bloody quarrel

ed her to be elegant in dres

n with the missing Corbut, unless,

the crime, there was another person, at least, as

house? How was it possible to account for his absen

explanation. Whether it was the tr

waiter had sunk down on a chair b

be a man without nerve, and he was not surpris

beside the table. The detective opened it and ma

to the man, and he was a

Apparently the tragedy was known only to Gaspa

woman when she cam

N

nd the man with h

rbu

ited on

rbu

on the peopl

rbu

gone, I

in there before

e any of th

the t

d that

all to call Corbut, who had not

one was

an in

o you

other man, later, c

s ro

es

e sure

fect

e see

e man came out and glanced around, but I stepped back quickly, becaus

did

the lady went with him, for I was sure

as Corbu

room

did he s

n was called by a waiter upstairs. Just as I tur

u speak

to stay by the desk

he an

said 'ver

the last you

es

Corbut. Now for the two

m A. I didn't notic

o came out of this room?

ard, slowly. "Yes; I feel sur

ing for a messenger. When he comes, send him here. Don't let anyb

ry pale face, went

alone with the