The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

150 Spurzheim returned to his apart- ments, stopping only long enough on the way to send a message to Oakland. If it were possible, I determined to overhear the interview between Spurz- heim and Amelia Hoff which I thought would follow the Oakland message. Therefore I summoned the janitor of the apartment house, showed him my authority, and asked his assistance. I also telephoned to headquarters for a man, and to a justice of the peace, frem whom I obtained warrants for the ar- rest of the pair. These warrants were for use in case of emergency. The janitor admitted us to a room adjoining Spurzheim’s apartmenis, which happened tobe unoccupied. There we made arrangements to over- hear any conversation that might take place in the next room. But I was disappointed. Amelia Hoff did not show up. Spurzheim spent the earlier hours of the night in packing. I could no longer doubt that he meditated flight. About midnight he had a visitor. By his exclamation of impatience when he opened his door it was appar- ent that his caller was not what he ex- pected. ‘What the devil do you want?” he asked. “You are Mr. Ludwig Spurzheim?” é¢ Yes.” “ Owner of the building occupied by the institution known as the House of Lazarus?” “T don’t know. I own a good deal of real estate, but it is in the hands of an agent, and I do not care to trouble my- self about it so long as I am in regular receipt of the income.” “Where can I find your agent? I am a reporter for the Morning Tran- ‘script, Mr. Spurzheim. The House of Lazarus was totally destroved by fire to-night, with great loss of life, and I have been detailed to look up the insur- ance feature.” I'rom where we were we could not, of course, see anything of Spurzheim, but the sense of hearing was accurate enough to show that he was taken com- pletely aback by the reporter’s news. He walked the floor for a moment THE ARGOSY. before speaking, and when he did speak his voice had undergone a change. “This is a shocking thing!” he ex- claimed. “ You say there has been great loss of life?” “ How great was not known when I left the office. But five firemen per- ished, and a number of the inmates.” “Have any of the latter been identi- fied ? ” ‘I think so, but I have not seen the list. On a big story like this the work is divided, and I have been too busy find- ing you to look after anything else.” “ Well, voung man, I will give you the address of my agent, though I doubt if you will find him to-night. He looks after the insurance, of course, and you must trust to him for the informa- tion you require.” There was a rustle of papers and the scratch of a pen. “ Thanks,” said the. reporter. The door closed and his footsteps could be heard retreating along the hall. There was no sound from the adjoin- ing apartment until the footsteps ceased. “Hell and furies!” snarled Spurz- heim. “ If they have all perished I am in luck! But luck has turned against me of late, and I dare hope for no such good fortune. “'This means meddling by the press and the police. “I must see the list of the dead and the rescued at once, or the crash that has so long threatened will come! ” A few minutes later he went out. I knew that he would make for a news- paper office. We followed at a discreet interval. It was the easier as he made part of the distance on foot. He did not go to the Transertpi office, probably because he did not care to risk again encountering the reporter who had brought him the news. So I sent Weeks, my man, to the 7'ranseript for their list, while I waited outside the Chronicle building for Mr. Spurzheim. The latter appeared before my opera- tive got back. He looked at his watch, called a night-hawk, and directed the driver to get him to the Oakland ferry in tune for the one o’clock boat. GORMIGOOO (COL