The Vestibule Limited Mystery — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

94 THE VESTIBULE LIMITED MYSTERY. I know full well, however, that my employer will look after that end of the line with benefit, so I do not worry at all, but proceed to the little hotel where we are registered under fictitious names. It is now nearly noon. ~The bracing fall air makes a man feel particularly good, and I am free to confess that I never appeared in better health in my life, despite the long journey just ended, and the events of the preceding night. Just at noon, Acton comes in. I see a little cloud on his face. He asks me how I get on, and I make a concise report. My success pleases him somewhat, for which I am glad. “Now I'll tell you what I have done, Craig. It was no trouble—hand mea match, please, to light up this cigar, which was given to me by Colonel Andrews himself—as I said, it was no trouble to find where they held out—-the names were on the register. “Singularly enough, I chose the same method as yourself for gaining my end; I pretended to be the ever-present newspaper réporter, who, like charity, covers a multitude of sins.” At this I laugh—the colonel goes on. I was about to send up a card requesting an inter- view, when I espied the object of my solicitude coming down the stairs. “‘Is that Colonel Andrews? I asked the clerk, -and he replied in the affirmative. “Then I approached him, stated that I was a re- porter for the News, that it was mentioned he knew ' something about the terrible event of the Vestibule Limited, and that as all sorts of stories would soon be afloat, he would be wise to give me the true facts ~-comicbooks co