Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 168: what you’re looking at

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

THE HERMIT’S SECRET. 161 tion in half an hour,” replied Cavan, going to the office of the hotel, where he examined the register, after giving the night clerk his pocketbook to deposit in the safe. Then he pointed to a name on the book. CHAPTER XXX VITI.—THE GENTLEMAN FROM CHICAGO. > 33 ““Davip WESTLAWN, ” continued Mr. Cavan, reading the name on the register at which he pointed. “I want to see this gentleman at once, for he is an old friend of mine,” he added, turning to the night clerk. “Do you wish to have him called, Mr. Cavan?.” asked the clerk. “No; I will see him in his room, for I was to meet him in the morning, and I have to leave the city at once.” A servant was called and directed to show the gentleman to Mr. West- lawn’s room, and the agent told the _ he had better go up with him, which Phil was quite willing to do. “ David Westlawn has had hard luck in ‘business, for he lost all he had in Chicago, though he was well off when he went there,” said Cavan, as he walked up the stairs. “ He employed me to look up a couple of children about seven or eight years old, and I told him in the end they had been sent to Paris to attend a school there.” “ A couple of children! ’’ exclaimed Phil. “ Where did they live?” “In New York.” “Were they lost? ” “No; I don’t remember much about the case now; but to the best of my recollection, the children were his nieces or nephews, and he had been told they were sent to Paris to attend a school, for their mother was a French lady. For some reason which he did not explain, or which I have forgotten, he did not believe the statement. But I found the steamer in which they were taken to Paris with another uncle, or something of that sort; and my report satisfied him. After that David and I became strong friends, and have had business relations in the West.” “Ts his business now about the two children?” asked Phil. “ Of course not, for that matter is eight years old; and I don’t think he ever mentioned the subject to me again.” “Some real estate operation then,” suggested the captain. ‘“T don’t know; I have done no detective work for years, and he cannot wish to see me on account of the old affair. I have forgotten all about my old cases, and very likely I have not stated the matter of the children exactly as it was. But I have all my old notes of cases in the house,” replied Cavan, as the servant stopped at the door. The agent knocked vigorously on the panel, and the summons was an- swered by a sleepy demand on the part of the occupant of the room. “Who's there? ” he asked a minute later. “ Cavan,” replied the ex detective. ‘I want to see you at once.” “ All right; I will open the door in a minute,” responded the guest. Presently Mr. Westlawn opened the door, and showed himself, dressed only in his night shirt and trousers. II GOH GoOOO ‘SS COLNT