Page:O'Higgins--The Adventures of Detective Barney.djvu/77

 Snider’s expression indicated that there were almost as many hotels as barber shops.

Babbing glanced at his watch. “I can locate him in an hour if I can locate him at all.” He rose briskly. “Explain to Archibald. I ’ll ’phone to tell you where I am, as soon as I get in touch with anything. Where ’s my bag? Dump those reports into it.” He opened the door of a clothes closet in a corner by the window and took out a soft black felt, a black raincoat, and an umbrella. He put on the coat, and it looked as provincial as a linen duster. He shook out the rolled umbrella, untidily. “Come on, boy,” he said to Barney. “Carry that bag.” Barney grabbed it eagerly. “This is no day to be in school, is it?” Babbing said to him at the door. And Barney’s throat was so choked with excitement that he could only gulp and grin.

Snider, seeing them go, had the puzzled eyebrows and the doubtful smile of the man who does not believe that you can do it but would