Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-05-23
CHAPTER XVIII.

up stairs, said, with my gaze still fixed upon that marvellous countenance, ''your husband has returned. He is out side this door and hears the words that am now speaking. He is seeking a chance to kill me. He was figuring from the sound of my voice my exact position in front of the door, so that he would be sure of hitting me if he fired through the panel; hence my change of position. He can't do it now without first opening the door. That will give me as good . chance as he can have, which is all seek.
 But" 1 added, with a meaning which could not be mistaken, If he or any one of tho wretches in his employ fires shot at mo while you are within range 1 swear by the Eternal I will shoot you dead as you stand there. Your husband hears these words. Let him govern himself accordingly. Won't you sit down?'
 For tho first time after my repeated invitations she seemed to become aware that the chair was near her. She glanced at it, hesitated an instant and then walked to the stove. She seemed to be
 
 peCted nothing, but that beautiful fiend outwitted me. She did thing which did not sec, and whose meaning did not come to me until afterward. She threw something among tho emberS of the wood and tho ashes left by the sticks that were burning there before 1 entered the room. Then she came back to where she had been standing and sat down in the chair, three pacCs away and facing me.
 1 have spoken of a singular odor mo- ticcd upon opening the door and which at first was rather pleasant, but it be- came more marked as tho heat of the room increased and was oppressive al most to the point of nausea. How I longed for a breath of the cool, pure, bracing air from the outside, but there was not a crevice through which it could reach me.
 What are all those tnings?" asked flirting my head toward the long table on which lay the articles have referred | to-
 ''I do nat choose to answer that ques- tion.
 was listening intcntly, for knew that the East Indian was still in the hall outside and heard every word that passed. I spoke in 6 clear, deliberate tone, for l was talking to him as much as to her.
 ''It makes no difference I can look at them some other time. This room seems to be O sort of workshop for you or your husband, or both. ' She made no answer to this, but fold ing those beautiful arms, with the tiny | points of one shoe showing, calmly con- ] fronted me
 ''I have admitted that neither you nor your husband was in New York on the night that Mana Sahib's ruby disap peared, so that, no matter what takes place, the crime can be brought directly home to neither unless the thief you employed should turn states evidence Tiff you understand that?" She nodded her head.
 Before giving any explanation please wait until ask for it.
 "It shall be as you say. Do you know anything about the robbery of the ruby?"
 For the first time since WIG had ad- dressed each other her lips parted with that dangerously fascinating smile.
 ''Yes; I know all about it. "
 Will you tell me?'
 Ut is your business to learn such things. Why do you come to ms"'
 Because it is bsyond my skill. 1 can't comprehend how that ssonS was taken from the room in the Windsor hotel"
 ''Of course you can't. " she said. with still more marked smile, 'because you Americans arc stupid. You must come to India to learn wisdom"
 Will you become my instructor!
 No; I must have a pupil with . mind that will understand the simple truths that are plain to c child
 When the pupil is stupid, then the teacher should be patient and try ts make things clear to him."
 But when he is too stupid to under stand it Is 0 waste of time.
 You have not tried me"
 Because you cannot comprehend. know it by your looks. "
 II am said to bear Q close resemblance to your husband.
 "Bismallah, what islanders are heapeC l upon his headr' she exclaimed, witt such a tragic air that l laughed.
 Ut may be @ islander. I said. ''upor him or against me, but it ought to mak' you willing to try my ability to grasl those simple truthG Thought that par haps the owner of the ruby rose in hi ) sleep and removed it to some plact } which he forgot" ) No; it was simpler than that" ) Why not tell me at oncsr aaked more impatient than I ought to hav' been.
 : The one thing which troubled m more than all others was the odor tha had noticed and which steadily grsv more pronounced. It vaa naussating : though could soc no evidence that ! troubled her in the least
 To raise the window I would have t rrnsa the floor, and unless did 1t b