The fellow chuckled so that Wade was afraid he was lying. He did not believe any hotel could be twenty-one stories high. “Rather high houses,” said he coolly, “but not so high as they might be. The tavern in Midhampton, where I come from, is thirty-two stories high.” “Spake the truth, man!” “I guess my story is as true as yours.” “Wait here a minute,” said the man, halting at a narrow passage-way; and Wade thought it looked very like one he had passed twice before in his tour in the upper regions of the hotel. “I will go to the room, and see if the gintleman is within.” Wade did wait a minute, then five minutes; and then half an hour. The laughing seemed to be explained. The clerks had been making game of him. They had sent him on a wild-goose chase. He did not believe that Mr. Diddler was in the hotel, though the clerk said he was always there. He walked through the long passage-way, looking at the numbers on the doors: there were none as high as 942. Indeed, he could find none half as big. He kept walking till he came to what he thought was a closet, with a gas-light burning in it. A man was standing at the door. “Are you going down?” asked the man, as Wade looked into the thing. “That’s what I want to do,” replied the wanderer, who was wondering whether he could find his way down. “Jump in, then,” added the attendant. Wade began to suspect that this was some new trick, and he looked very cautiously into the closet. Then he concluded that it was not a closet at all. It had seats all around it like the depot omnibus in Midhampton, and was carpeted and cushioned like a fine parlor. At a venture, he concluded to go in, and he seated himself on the velvet divan. The man closed the door, and pulled a wire rope which ran through the thing. Then Wade thought the bottom was dropping out of the concern, but he soon found the whole affair was descending; and in a minute or two the attendant pulled the wire again, and it stopped. When the door opened, he found he was near the office where the clerks had fooled him. He was astonished to see how quick he had come down; and this was his first experience in an elevator, for he had never even heard of such a thing. “Did you find him?” asked the clerk, when he showed himself in the office. “I didn’t find him,” replied Wade indignantly; “and you knew very well I should not find him.” “I think he was out,” added the clerk, looking very serious now. “Did you go to No. 542?” “No, sir: we went to No. 942, where you sent us.” “No,--542. I think the bell-boy did not understand me. Try again; and I think you will find him this time. You can go up in the elevator.” Though Wade was satisfied that the clerk wanted to fool him again, he thought he would take another ride in that machine. Another bell-boy was called, and directed to show the young man to 542.