The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-29

7
/ pictures Il contained all the doors Of the
! gallery had been made Of great strength
and fitted. moreover, with ponderous
] locks, TO attempt 10 force which. with
out special appliances. would have been
I a hopeless task. Terence went from end
I TO end Of the great gallery trying them
all. without result. He was as safely
locked in as a prisoner Of state. The
windows seemed to be out Of reachs they
We're all at hight seven feet from the
ground with lodges sloplng lnWarqs, Wnlcn
afforded no hold for hands OF feet
He tried shouting, being most anxious,
by counting discovery, TO avert the sus-
piciOns which he feared But although
I the echoes of his voice woke in the long
gallery seemed loud enough to rouse the
I dead, he got no sound M answer. The
great house was apparently as silent as
a tomb. Indeed, the servants who re-
manned at the han while its master was
away were by no means numerous enough
TO MI il: and they preferred 10 cOngregate
in their own quarters to unnecessary
Wanderngs about the windy corridofs ana
the museum-like apartments in which
their masters art treasures filled every
corner.
going to stay shut up in this melancholy
gallery all night, to be hauled out like a
thief amid feminine shrieks next morn
ing. with as much noise he could
make he collected the seats, chairs, so
fas, benches and piled them into solid
structure under one OF the windows. Then
| he mounted, forced open the window, ana
took such a survey as ne cou!u IN the
gathering darkness. 1t did not look very
far down to the ground. and there was
grass underneath. Besides, there was
some ivy on this side of the house, and
although il was pretty closely trimmed
and did not come right up TO the win
dow, il seemed to be well-grOWn enough
to afford him efficient assistance. He put
one foot cautiously out, scrapnS the
wall. A sound below made MIN draw It
in again and shout "HalloO! But stlll he
got no answer; and, seeing no one, he
began his descent without further de-
lay. 1t was an uncomfortable journey
4 fIaHF
him, that he slipped and grazed his
face and his limbs. He did not mind that.
He was full of the joyous excitement Of
having gotten out, and was debating with
in himself whether ne had better get
I clear away or 90 round TO the front en-
trance to give the alarm when he was
spared the trouble of making up his mind
by finding himself seized by the leg.
"All right" said rough voice, and his
last few efforts TO reach the ground were
assisted by strong hands, which were eY-
IDENTIFY warranted not TO let him fall. we
won't let him break his precious neck,
continued the voice, ironically.
And the next moment Terence found
himself on his feet, in the warm, If not
loving, clasp of the detective. who was not
Fred Jellett, and with pair of handouts
on his wrists
i've been shut up in that picture gal
lery, began the young artist in eXplana-
ton. by someone who
He had been prepared for disbelief, he
had been prepared for rough handling.
But he had not been prepared for the look
Nulsed the features OF the detective when
he saw who mis- prisoner was. Before he
could utter more than cry OF disgust, an
other man, whom Terence had once or
twice seen about the park, and whom he
had taken for an under-gardener, came up
and laid hand I'm his turn ON the captive )
shoulder.
'Nabbed this time by George" cried he,
in tones of great satisfaction.
The other detective cut him short an
grily.
Hold your jaw. Ben. It's the wrong
'un. He's given us the slip again"
Ben, though his spirits were a little
dashed tried TO keep up heart.
Wen, if we've got one Of EN-, it's some
thing said he, cheerfully.
IT. echoed the more important man,
disdainfuny. But ] tell you we ain [.
This amt one of the gang at all mani
Its only "A blooming juggins!"
Terence took fire at the same moment
that he took heart.
Then I'll thank you to take your hands
on me And IL l am juggins,' as you
can II, m not alone in that capacity
For I've not let the great picture be car
ried Off under my nose when 1 was paid
to look after 1t.
Both men were uneasy at these words
though both tried TO hide the fact Ter
ence, painfully conscious as he did so,
OF the weak points Of his own story
told how he had strolled into the park by
a side door, which he had found open
and how he had followed workman
through the unfinished wing for a chat
with him about the building how he
ON the pretense that that portion con-
tanned the workman's quarters, and how
finally, he had been thrown INTO the
picture gallery by an unseen hand, and
locked in, and how he had then discov-
cred that the picture was gone.
The. man dressed as a gardener re-
ceived this account with open ineredulity
as he and his comrade marched Ter
ence round TO the entrance. The other,
however, made no comment, cOntenting
himself with keeping Terence little
ia front of himself and his comrade The
young artist began to fidget and to flush
at the thought that the servant VINO
opened the door would see the handouts
on his wrist. Detective Hosker for that
was the name of the chief of the two,
said civilly:
well. SIR, I'll take them off if you'll
give me your word not to try to get
way. l don't think we shall need to de-
tain you long, sir
Ben looked amazed at this leniency.
But Terence detected Hosker in the act
of winking knowingly 10 his comrade,
after which the latter ceased his pro-
tests.
Released from the degrading brace
let's Terence accompanied his captors
upstairs with an easier mind. The
household was soon astir with the terrible
news of the disappearance of the cele-
brated picture, and CONSERVATION was on
every face. confidential servant Of
Lord Copleston' 5, whose special duty it
was to sleep in the little music gallery
overlooking the spot where the great
picture stood, was found helplessly in
housemaids then related how she had
seen him drinking with a workman
earlier in the evening.
"A workman echoed Hosker Yes,
that's the workman. That's Wiry Tom
To think of my never knowing him, when
I've been over EN- all too! Well, he beats
anyone, he doesr
What is his name?' asked Terence
"Oh, ask me another. He's got dozens
of haliases, but he's never been nabbed
yet under any of EN-. That comes of our
education. If he'd been a ignorant chan.
we'd have had him by the heels long ago
But your gentleman-rogue, who's been at
oxford and Cambridge, why he just can
ters over the course; and if he raced with
Old Nick he'd get place"
shall l go to the station?' asked Ben.
mo good. He's gone by the S:45. You
can wire up and down the line; but we
shan't catch him this time
WAS the woman with him?''
Somewhere about no doubt"
Hosker noticed the expression of deep
ening interest on the artists face as ne
exchanged this question and answer with
his comrade.
DO you mean his sister?" asked Ter
ence. trying to assume more Indifference
than he felt
His sister, sneered Ben. No more his
sister than l am. She's his girl: and he
uses her to catch the flats with
Terence felt giddy and sick as the coarse
words reached his ears. Hbsker noticed