of "playing-true" even in the veriest of fairy-tales. So for the
moment I let the other matter rest, not realizing at the time that he
had read more of it in my face than I meant to show.

Gates, also, had caught the excitement and was waiting with the launch
to push off; and thus, while he concluded official duties at the port, I
entered the cafe--in the present unfriendly light a changed place from
the night before. As luck would have it, my own waiter was the first man
I saw.

"Do you remember finding a small piece of crumpled paper on my table
last night?" I asked.

"_Si_, Senor; the mad _caballero_ came for it."

"Did he get it?"

"But, no, Senor," the waiter lowered his voice. "Yet he came near to,
being much angry, and calling you--pardon me!"

"Well, what? What, man?"

He still hesitated, so I carelessly took out my wallet. It's amazing,
the power of a wallet!

"He demanded the paper of our _maitre d'hotel_, saying you, Senor, were
a pig of a detective--and as we admire the detective not at all,
everyone searched for it. But I had seen other things, Senor," he smiled
knowingly.

"You have it?"

"_Si, si,_--but not so loud! Could I give it to the old one? Even a poor
waiter may sometimes observe! _Mas vale saber que haber, Senor_," he
shrugged and smiled as the ancient proverb slipped from his tongue.

"You've a mighty level head on you, kid," I agreed; a metaphor he may or
may not have understood. There was no doubt in my mind that his words,
"wisdom is better than wealth," were never more aptly spoken.

"I saw it after you left, Senor, and put it away--so! The mad
_caballero_ soon came--he was not happy. We searched the floor, and all
the time he was shaking his head and mumbling that Mademoiselle had
confessed to writing it--and to a detective! He was quite crazy. Ah,
with what care and sympathy did I help him, Senor, and how generously
did he reward my careful search!"

He shrugged and smiled, then drew the paper from his pocket, and I
slipped it into mine--passing him back another kind of paper that he
slipped into his with a grateful bow.

"Do you know who the man is, or if that was his daughter?"

"No, Senor. I have seen them, but can not remember where. Carlos served
their table--but Carlos is stupid," he shrugged compassionately.

The moment my cab turned the first corner I feverishly took out that
precious paper. Sure enough, on one side were marks _I_ had not seen,
but the pencilli