POOR FISHING
"Have a drink, Colonel?" "Eh?"
"I said - Here, boy!A Scotch high and a mint julep."Colonel Ashley, roused from his reverie as he sat in his club, gazing out on the busy, fashionable, hurrying, jostling, worried, happy, sad, and otherwise throngs that swept past the big Fifth avenue windows, shifted himself in the comfortable leather chair, and looked at his cigar.It had gone out, and he decided that it was not worth relighting.
"Cigars, too!" ordered Bruce Garrigan.
"Oh, were you speaking to me?" and the colonel seemed wholly awake now.
"Not only to you, but in your interests," went on Garrigan, with a smile."Hope I didn't disturb your nap, but - ""Oh, no," the colonel hastened to assure his companion with his usual affability."I had finished sleeping.""So I inferred.Do you know how many hours, minutes and seconds the average human being has passed in sleep when he reacnes tne age of forty-five years?" and Garrigan smiled quizzically.
"No, sir," answered Colonel Ashley, "I do not.""Neither do I," confessed Mr.Garrigan as he sank down in a chair beside the colonel and accepted the glass from a tray which the much- buttoned club attendant held out to him."I don't know, and I don't much care."Then, when cigars were glowing and the smoke arose in graceful clouds, an aroma as of incense shrouding the two as they gazed out on the afternoon throngs, Garrigan remarked:
"I didn't know you were here.In fact, I didn't know you were a member of this club.""You wouldn't know it if my attendance here were needed to prove it," said the colonel with a smile."I don't get here very often, but I had torun up on some business, and I found this the most convenient stopping place.""Are you going back to Lakeside?"
"Oh, yes!"There was prompt decision in the answer.
"Then you haven't finished that unfortunate affair? You haven't found out what caused the death of Mr.Carwell?""Oh, yes, I know what killed him." "But not who?"]
"Not yet."
"Do you hold to the suicide theory?"
"I don't hold to anything, my dear Mr.Garrigan," answered the colonel, who was in a sufficiently mellow mood to be amused by the rather vapid talk of his host - for such he had constituted himself on the ordering of the drinks and cigars."That is I haven't such a hold on any theory that I can't let go and take a new one if occasion warrants it.""I see.And so you came up to get away from the rather gruesome atmosphere down there?""Not exactly.I came up on business - I have a business in New York you know, in spite of the fact that I am here," and the colonel smiled as he looked about the room where were gathered men of wealth and leisure, who did not seem to have a care or worry in the world.
"Oh, yes, I know that," agreed Garrigan."Well, has your trip been satisfactory?""I can't say that it has.In fact it's pretty poor fishing around here, and I'm thinking of going back.I want to hear the click of the reel and the music of the brook.I wasn't cut out for a city man, and the longer I stay here the worse I hate the place, even if I do have a business here.""Then you don't care for - this," and Garrigan waved his hand at the congestion of automobiles and stages which had come to a halt opposite the big windows of the exclusive and fashionable club.
It was four in the afternoon, just when traffic both of automobiles and pedestrians is at its height on the avenue.Of horse-drawn equipages they were so few as to be a novelty.
"I care so little for it that I am going back to-night," the detectiveresponded.
"Then you have found what you came looking for?""I told you the fishing was very poor," said the colonel with a smile."My friend Mr.Walton, were he alive now, would never forgive me for deserting the place I left to come here.When did you come up?""Last night.They insisted I had to put in an appearance at the office merely to take away the salary that's heen accumulating for me - said it cluttered up the place.So I obliged.Do you know how many automobiles pass this window every twenty-four hours?" Garrigan asked suddenly.
"I do not."
"Neither do I.It would be interesting to know, however.I think I shall count them, when I have nothing else to do.I understand there is a checking or tabulating machine made for such purposes.But perhaps I am keeping you from - ""You are merely keeping me from ordering another portion of liquid refreshment," interrupted the colonel with a smile."Boy!"And once again there was diffused the aroma of mint and the more pronounced odor of the Scotch.
