Part 32 (1/2)
”You're missing a bargain,” warned the other. ”Say, I've still got that shoe-blacking stand I told you about. No, I didn't tell you, did I? I left a note under your door one evening, though. Did you get it?”
”Note? Why, yes, I think so. Yes, we got it. I'd forgotten.”
Durkin chuckled. ”That was the time I gave Sawyer the scare.”
”How?” asked Steve idly.
”Didn't he tell you?”
”Sawyer? Not likely.” And Steve smiled.
”That's so, I did hear that you and he were sc.r.a.pping one day. You used to be pretty chummy, though, didn't you?”
”Never,” replied Steve with emphasis. Durkin blinked again and looked puzzled.
”Well, he was trying to find you that night. So I supposed----”
”What night?”
”The night I went to tell you about that shoe-blacking stand. It's almost as good as new, Edwards----”
”You say Sawyer was looking for me that night? How do you know? He couldn't have been, because I'd met him earlier in the hall downstairs.”
”I don't know. He said he was. Anyhow, he was in your room----”
”Sawyer?” demanded Steve incredulously. ”Eric Sawyer?”
Durkin nodded.
”You're crazy,” laughed Steve.
”Well, he was,” answered the other indignantly. ”He came out just as I was tucking that note under the door and fell over me and let out a yell you could have heard half-way to New York. You see, I didn't know there was anyone there. I knocked at first and thought I heard someone moving around in there. Then I tried the door and it was locked----”
”You had the wrong room,” said Steve. ”We never lock our door except when we go to bed.”
”Wrong room nothing! You got the note, didn't you? Well, I didn't leave any notes anywhere else.”
”But--now, look here, Durkin. I want to get this right. You say you went to our room and knocked and---- Was there a light there?”
”No. The transom was dark. When I couldn't get in I went back down the corridor to where the light is and scribbled that note. Then I went back and tucked it under the door. I guess I didn't make much noise because I had a pair of rubber-soled shoes on and so Sawyer didn't hear me.
Anyway, he opened the door just then and it was fairly dark there and he nearly broke his silly neck on me. Scared me, too, for the matter of that! I didn't think there was anyone in there. Say, is there anything up? You look sort of funny.”
”N-no, nothing much. You're sure it was Sawyer who came out?”
”Of course I'm sure. He let out a yell and picked himself up and began to scold. Wanted to know what I meant by it and I said I was sticking a note under your door and he said 'Oh!' and something about wanting to see you and waiting for you. Then he said he guessed you weren't coming back yet and he'd go on.”
”What time was this, Durkin?”
”Oh, a little after eight, I suppose; half-past, maybe. I stopped to see Whittaker on the floor below, I remember. He said he'd look at that stand, but he never did. If you want a bargain, Edwards, now's your chance. I'll let you have it for a dollar and a quarter. It cost two and a half. I bought it from----”