The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-06-20
THE EYE OF BEATRICE.
EDWARD ). wHEELocK
PRIZE NOVELTIES, No.u5.

ficient calibre TO carry the little square
bullets which had been found imbedded
in the victims brains.
Stacey felt that species OF elation which
comes TO the mathematician who sees
ahead OF him the end OF a difficult prob
lem in calculus. He carefully lifted the
heavy picture from its fastenings. In the
wall where it had hung was an orifice
about the size of silver dime cut very
smoothly and neatly through the maroon
colored paper and the plaster. And the
wall sounded hollow when Stacey tapped
1t with his cane. Carefully replacing the
picture, he rang again, had the stepIadder
removed; then, calling the steward, de-
manded to be shown into the apartment
adjoining the maroon-papered room.
This proved TO be meagerly furnished
place, fitted with a plain bedstead, n
bureau and n washstand, and intended
for the use of the day servants who might
be called upon to stay at the clubhouse all
night. Left alone, Stacey locked the door
upon the inside.
In the wall at the end OF the apartment
next TO the maroon-papered room was a
narrow closet reaching nearly to the cell
ing, which, as the detective expected, was
fastened. Rather than further divulge
what he was doing by making another
call upon the servants he cleverly forced
the lock. In the top OF the closet was a
board shelf. BY sounding with his cane
Stacey quickly located a hollow in the
wall above one end OF this shelf, and by
the light of a wax vesta he found that a
piece of thin board, painted white, had
been rather roughly fitted into an aper-
ture about six inches square cut through
the plaster. Upon removing this there
was revealed an opening OF the same size
cut nearly through the entire thickness of
lath and paster, upon the other side of
which shone little round point of light |
from the eye of Beatrice.
But what. interested the detective most |
was peculiar piece OF compact mechan- |
ism, which was mounted upon a species |
OF rough foundation, placed in the open |
ing. Taking this out he examined it |
closely.
1t was sort OF miniature cannon with
a barrel of Furnished steel about seven
inches long. The bore (if such it could
be called) was square-probably quarter
OF an inch square. Upon the rear end
there was a curious .clock-work arrange
ment, with piston fitting into the tube,
and figured scale which seemed so show
that the machine could be set to be
sprung at a certain hour at the will OF
the operator. Every part of the apparatus
was OF forged steel, finished with the
greatest care and minuteness. There were
no signs OF smoke or powder stains upon
the machine, which drove Stacey to the
that it was nothing more nor
less than powerful air gun. He also
that 1t was of foreign work
such niciety and care in the
of steel not being within the
province of the average American work.
nan.
He carefully wrapped the deadly ma
'hine in his handkerchief, deposited it
n his coat pocket, replaced the white
board over the opening in the wall,
orced the lock upon the closet door back
nto position, let himself out OF the apart
nent and quietly left the clubhouse.
The manner in which Roger Laroue and
iugues Narbon had been killed was now
lear enough TO him. But there remained .
he still more difficult problem as to the
human intelligence that had acted be- ,
lind this powerful little bundle of steel ,
which now reposed SO quietly in his coat {
,ocket.
Who had loaded the airgun, set it to
discharge its fatal square bullet at GER
ain time, and trained its muzzle through
he eye of Beatrice with such precision