I'll be
in room five until twelve o'clock to-night. Any time after eight he
will find me there--alone. You know where he lives; go and find him.
Then make sure that Braddock is at Dick Cronk's room. That's all."
At half-past eight o'clock that evening Ernie Cronk stole up the
stairway in the rear of Broads's saloon. He slunk down the narrow,
dimly-lighted hallway until he came to a door which bore the numeral
five. For a full minute he stood there irresolute, held inactive by
the two mental elements that bear such close kinship to each other--
apprehension and greed. At last, with a stealthy glance at the lighted
transoms down the hall, he tapped on the panel of the door. Colonel
Grand himself opened the door and held it ajar that he might enter.
The hunchback glanced quickly around the room. He had never been there
before, but he knew in an instant where he was and what manner of
traffic was carried on in this small, close room with the green-
covered table in the center, over which was suspended a fully lighted
chandelier. The door closed gently behind him and a key was turned in
the lock.
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