The Tracer of Lost Persons

nter of the room as the pretty stenographer

hotography plays a par

sn't

But

a smile. "I made another guess that yo

ung man, astonished

observed Keen calmly. "We may

astonished gray eyes until that gentleman laughed outri

of every sort and condition who are in our employ, of the ceaseless yet inoffensive surveillance we maintain. For example, when your letter came last week I called up the person who has charge of the army list. There you were, Kenneth Harren, Captain Philippine Scouts, with the date of your graduation from West Point. Then I called up a certain department devoted to personal detail, and

mean to say that I have b

ating gesture. "Ours is a business, my dear sir, like any other. We, of course, are obliged to know about people who call on us. Last week you wrote

concerning me?" as

y, my d

h of malice, "you didn't learn that

earned th

ntment for the day after to-morrow

ely in the eye. "Your leave

ha

has been exte

you kn

for extension

ning red, "but I don't

ca

-y

nsion you desired. And now, Captain Harren," with a singularly pleasant smile, "what can I do to help y

dropping one knee over the other, and

ectus distinctly states that Keen & Co. undertake to find live peopl

tered; the Tracer wa

important," he sai

he

u say 'she

I did

for anticipating you," s

now it is not a man I am in

u have no father, no brother, no sister. Therefore I i

In l

ately,

st," said Harren almost sullenly, "but they

en you are n

ow whether

the Tracer of

re than I," retor

erficial muscular phenomena and facial symptomatic aspect of such people to an exact science founded upon a schedule approximating the Bertillon system of records. And," he added, smiling, "out of the twenty-seven known vocal v

oesn't know whether he is or not? If a man isn't in love no Bertillon system can make him

aid the Tr

tell you I mys

know. That is the easiest way to be sure that you are in love, Captain Harren, because you always are when you

lip and twisting his short, crisp mustache which

; I'm not fanciful, not sentimental. I'm perfectly healthy, perfectly normal-a v

who does it," commen

the window, squinted at the ceiling, then straight

Perhaps, after all, I am a lunatic; perhaps I've

dge," said the

ll begin by telling you

things," obser

ht; I mean a phantom-a real phantom-in the sunlight-standing before my very eye

Tracer gravely. "Please c

g along Fifth Avenue with the crowd, I looked up to encounter the most wonderful pair of

hat the Tracer said: "I am listening, Capt

ing? How far ha

to the

he face was extremely youthful, and ornamental to the uttermost verges of a beauty so exquisite that, were I to attempt to formulate for you its individ

" mused t

t a poet, nor do I read poetry or indulge in futile novels or romances of any description. Therefore I can only add that it was a figure, a poise, absolut

y; don'

"it is useless"; and he relaps

?" asked Mr.

n't k

er again

e time my senses were humming like a top and my heart kept jumping to get into my throat, and I hadn't a notion where I was going or what time it was or what day of the week. She didn't see me; she didn't dream that I was looking at her; she didn't know me from any of the thousand silk-hatted, frock-coated men who passed and repassed her on Fifth Avenue. And

steady hand ove

ing beet, she began to turn pink like a rosebud, and she looked full into my eyes with such a wonderful purity, such exquisite innocence, that I-I nev

hands over his knee unt

y, Mr. Keen," h

of

at Keen: "No, not all. You'll thi

saw her

er! Th

ev

-in the

in dr

r since-in the sunlight, in the open, in my quarters in Manila, standing

id the Trac

here to say?" m

antom which resemble

N

u speak

I held out

happ

here," said H

vanis

w. I-I didn't s

t she

. She-there was only

es has she ap

t many

our r

friend's house-turning on the stair to look back at me! I saw her standing just back of the firing-line at Manoa Wells when we we

at in the Pullman twice between Denver and this city. Twice in my room at the Vice-Regent she has sat opposite

been forced to admit such things, and, as you know, we are on the verge of understa

trifle pale, gaze

lieve in s

ion; case after case of dual and even multiple personality; case after case where apparitions played a vital part in the plot which was brought to me to investigate. I'll tell you this, Captain: I, personally, never saw an app

y red, "that I should tell you I have s

He was astounded, but

photograph, C

es

re i

my r

h me to

st sacred to me in that photograph. . . . You understand

less astonishment, "you desire

I want to find her? Man, I

certain whether you re

aptain's bronzed cheek

t of the window. "Suppose we walk around

ting, lingering on the threshold. "You don'

Mr. Keen,

er apparition is so superbly healthy

h. I think, Captain, that she has been seeing you, too, during these three years, but probably only in her dreams-memories of your encou

t the door, hat in hand. Then he straightened up

" he inqui

r room, Hotel Vice-Regen

bent, gray eyes lost in retrospection, and on his lean, br