Murray Leinster

“ The clerk slipped from the room and telephoned frantically, while he gave orders that assured the continued presence of every one of the hotel employees and a careful note of every guest who left the place. He would be able to give the police a list of every man who slipped out, and would be able to produce all the hotel help. It was quick and efficient work. But once that was done, the desk-clerk allowed himself to think sympathetically of the man in the room above. He had seen Craig stroll into the elevator, pleasantly flushed by his dinner and walk. ”

“ Say, your firm is a bank. You come through every so often. Suppose you leave a letter-head. Banks sometimes send currency from one place to another by messenger. A chambermaid or bell-hop might notice....”
Craig’s face brightened. Jamison wore an air of innocent pride.
“You have to think of those things,” he said modestly. “I’ll tell you. You go down and get the desk-clerk and a cop. Tell the desk-clerk to have the darkies that clean up this floor come in, one by one. Come back with the clerk and the cop.” ”

“ Craig was huddled in a chair in the police-station. The big policeman stood guard beside him and the desk-sergeant listened sympathetically to Jamison’s tale of woe.
“My Gawd,” said Jamison disgustedly. “I haven’t seen a really neat job in so long you’d think everybody with brains had turned honest. Look at him, now. He passed through here once a month for six months or so, carrying stuff from New Orleans to New York and back. He was a regular at the hotel, and the clerk always gave him the same room, and he saw it had one o’ these cheap made-by-the-million bureaus in it. ”

“ The prisoner seemed to shrink a little farther into himself, but did not reply.
"That was it," said Jamison gloomily. "Once he'd been tried, you know, they couldn't have done a thing no matter how much proof they got that he had recovered and was selling the bonds later."
"He gave himself away, you say?" the desk-sergeant asked.
"Dead away," admitted Jamison depressedly. "I knew he'd done it, the minute I first saw him, and if that wasn't enough, I sent him out to get the room-clerk and he stopped in the doorway to take a last look straight where he'd put the bonds. ”

“ He lay back in his chair and frowned at the clerk.
“I wish you hotel people wouldn’t hire known criminals,” he complained. “They’re always making trouble. If there’s a smart darky in the city, it’s that same Sam. He’d steal the brass plate off a coffin—and get away with it. I guess we’ll have him now, though....”
He rolled a cigarette and puffed gloomily on it until the policeman returned.
“Got him, sorr. An’ he had the bonds. A thick wad av thim, sorr.”
Craig sprang to his feet.
“What!”
“He’s got the bonds,” said Jamison wearily. ”

“ Craig began to look hopeful. "Do you suppose some one of the help—"
"How big a package were the bonds?"
"There were eighty of them. They'd make quite a wad of paper."
"Make a man's pocket bulge out?"
"Surely."
"The hotel-clerk kept all the employees waiting," observed Jamison. "I'll take a look. Was your place much messed up when you got back?"
"Practically like this. I left the bonds in my suit-case. When I opened the door I saw the place was torn upside clown, everything thrown all about."
"You'd left your suit-case open?" queried Jamison. "They'd look in there first. ..." ”

“ Dey usual’ is. Y’might ax at de desk.”
The elevator-door clanged open at the third floor and he went out. The elevator-boy saw him fitting a key into the lock of his room. He was still humming. The elevator-door shut, and the cage dropped to the lobby floor again.
“Gosh,” said the elevator-boy to his confrére, the chief bell-hop. “Dem trabelin’ men sho’ has it easy. Dey goes to de shows an’ jes’ chahges it in d’ expense account. Y’ bettuh tote out half a pint. Dis gen’leman in three-eighty looks lak he mought be intrusted.”
The chief bell-hop rose. ”

“ He took an envelope from his pocket and scribbled a few words on the back, then handed it to the officer.
“You can attend to it better than anyone else,” he commented. “See to it, won’t you? I’ll wait here.” ”