"I meant to pay Stuffer to-day," said Smith, "but I guess he got tired waiting and came to you and squealed."
Smith figured for a few minutes with a small notebook in his left hand, and then wrote on a slip of paper the following summary:
| Services and expenses | $2,040.00 |
| Stuffer's fake bird collection | 5,000.00 |
| Fee to my man for appraisement of birds | 50.00 |
| Payment for safe return | 3,000.00 |
| Interest on above for two months at six per cent | 100.90 |
| __________ | |
| $10,190.90 |
Captain Martin did not approve the summary.
"Smith, don't try to dodge me," said he, sternly. "Put that Obreeon $1,000 item on there, and add the board bill of the Tescheron family in Hoboken for six weeks at $63 per week, making $378—add interest—your subpœna servers kept them over there as your guests, remember."
Smith did not whimper. He took the paper and in a few minutes added $1,391.78, making the total $11,582.68.
I was astounded beyond measure. Flanagan's eyes bulged. Captain Martin was unruffled. He dealt with that sort of deviltry every day, and read the mind of Smith as if it were a child's primer. He gave the impression of knowing all about the mysterious Stuffer feature of the case. If the hotel proprietor had robbed Mr. Tescheron, I was surprised he had not mentioned the matter to me. He said nothing of birds. He couldn't have eaten them, thought I. My curiosity was greatly aroused.
"Mr. Smith, alias Mr. Van Riper, alias Mr. Stewart, what name have you your bank account under, these days?" asked Captain Martin.
"Under the name of William P. Smith, at the Lincoln Bank." He answered without hesitating, being duly impressed by the official atmosphere of the place, whereas I wouldn't have had the thing made public by a regular complaint for all the world.
"Got no blank checks with you, I suppose?" asked the captain.