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Rh forever looking for hidden meanings, for abstruse clews, for picturesque solutions, instead of following the plainly evident, of accepting facts at their face value. Well, Simmonds certainly would not make that mistake; he would have little difficulty in finding his man.

“And then what happened?” he asked. “I suppose this fellow went away?”

“Oh, yes; he stayed here talkin’ quite a while-he started t’ go onct or twice, but th’ rain was too bad. But about eight o’clock he said he couldn’t stay no longer, rain ’r no rain, an’ was jest buttonin’ up his coat, when a cab drove up an’ a woman got out. She had a thick veil on, so’s I couldn’t see her face, but from her style I judged she was a high-flyer. She come up t’ me an’ she says,’ I want t’ go t’ apartment fourteen—Mr. Thompson.’ ‘Madam,’ says I, ‘I wouldn’t if I was you.’ ‘Why?’ she asked, quick-like, ‘ain’t he there?’ ‘He’s there,’ says I, ‘but he ain’t in no condition t’ see a lady.’ ‘Never mind,’ says she, ‘I’ll go up.’ ‘All right,’ says I. ‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ I added t’ my friend. ‘No,’ he says, ‘I can’t wait; I must be goin’ an’ he started toward th’ door. ‘Well, good-night,’ I says, an’ stepped into th’ car an’ started it.

“I showed her th’ door o’ fourteen, an’ she knocked. I was waitin’ at th’ elevator, fer I knowed Thompson was too dead drunk t’ hear her an’ I’d have t’ take her down ag’in; when blessed if th’ door didn’t open an’ in she walked. Well, sir, I was so dumbfoundered I couldn’t believe my own eyes! But in she went, an’ I come on down, tryin’ t’ figger it out. It was mebbe ten minutes