The Cinema Murder

ich he had brought with him from England. Further, as Mr. Merton Ware, he was the monthly tenant of a small but not uncomfortable suite of rooms on the top story of a re

ALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL. WALKS OUT OF HIS ROOM WITHIN AN HOUR OF LANDING AND

HIPMAN DECLARES

made for him. Within an hour he was enquired for by several callers, who were shown to his room without result. The apartment was found to be empty and nothing has since been seen or heard of Mr. Romilly. The room assigned to him, which could only have been occupied for a few minutes, has been locked up and the

paragraph in a pa

F DOUGLAS

n on his person at the time of disappearance, and it is alleged that there was also a large amount, with which he had intended to make purchases for his business, standing to his credit at a New

Philip murmured, "that

ears, the rattle and roar of the overhead railway, the clanging of the street cars, the heavy traffic, the fainter but never ceasing foot-fall of the multitudes. He had sat there before dawn and watched the queer, pinky-white light steal with ever widening fingers through the darkness, heard the yawn of the city as it seemed to shiver and tremble before the battle of the day. At twilight he had watched the lights spring up one by one, at first like pin pricks in the distance, growing and widening until the grotesque shapes of the buildings from which they

. "She said a week. T

Mr. Douglas Romilly's Saville Row tailor, but a ready-made suit of Schmitt

'll go to the restaurant at the corner. I must find out for

quarters here, the lift had stopped outside. There was a brief pause, then his bell rang. For a momen

. Merto

lack indoor dress, over which she wore an apron. She was without either hat or gloves. H

r, you see. The waiter who brings our meals told me he thought you were some way literary, so I just stepped up to show you my prospectu

exception of a coloured waiter, she happened to be the first human being with whom

door open. "So you do typing, eh?

uscript look all right. Half a dollar a thousand words, and a quarter for carbon copies. Of course, if you'd got a lot of stuff," s

of his sheets an

I shall have to have this typed.

ore closely and realised that he had done her at first scant justice. She was very thin, and the expression of her face was spoilt by the discontented curve of her lips. The shape of her head, however, was good.

or a moment

r stand,"

ed, smiling. "I was just wonder

ent, then a little sulk

ome up here and beg for work. I don't care if you do," she

nvenience to me to have my typing done on the premises, and although I am

iter?" sh

told her. "This work I am g

th a shade of commis

iting for the stage unless y

irst effort,"

should see some of the truck I've had! I've hated to send in the bill. Waste of good time and p

?" he remarked, taking a cigarette from th

that sits about and smokes cigarettes with strange young men. If you'll let

d deprec

f me, by any chance,

contempt as she loo

should say not! I've met all sorts of

n again, plea

, then subsided once more

rked. "You'd much better be getting on with your work. Giv

ilding?" he enquired,

seldom in work, and he drinks. There are just the two of us. No

Philip a

oo, by the w

a," he told her, "for many ye

hould think, if you've come here hoping

eed, "but you see I am here-be

iting around?"

see, I don't know the city except from my win

lace when you're living in it from hand to mouth. Not but what we don't

and tell me where to find a restaurant in Broadway, somewhere where crowds of people go but not what they call a fashionable place. I want

t him a litt

want to spend?" s

t really matters very

expensive over h

ed him, "right at the corner of this block. It's

uppose?" he asked, glanc

at him wo

in't supposed to dress yourself out in glad clothes f

this place yours

op

e," he invit

t and threw the remains of h

rt, and the sooner you know it the better, especi

don't seem to understand me altogether. Wha

antly. "I guess you're not proposing to g

human being for a week, because I don't know a soul in New York, because I've

lf convinced. Her brightening expression transformed her face.

won't turn around afterwards and expect a lot o

od-humouredly. "All I want from you is to sit

e sudde

ighed. "Haven't

," he expostulated, "why

n off. You'll

ded herself. "It's no style, and Stella said yest

e insisted confidently. "You cla

towards

romised. "Can't be any quicker. This is your

a civility which seemed

ng for you," he d