Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-21

Il Gtccn Of triumph gligtcnC,5 IN his eye.
and shape. Any one who should attempt
TO piece together q note which Mr.
Barnes had thus destroyed would have a
task. Standing by the window, he tossed
them high IL the air and saw them scat
tered hy the wind.
Al half past O'Clock ho stood before
the apartment house in East Thirtietf
street. The janitOr was sweeping from
tho pavement Light snow which had
fallen III the early hours Of the morning.
Mr. Barnes, without speaking to the
man, walked into the vestibule and
scanned tie names over tie letter boxes.
None Of them contained the enc which
he sought, but there was no card in No.
j. Recalling that in Wilson's report a
light had disappeared from a window
Oh the fifth floor, he knew that it could
net be unCccupied. To get il he resorted
TO trick often practiced by sneal;
thieves. He rang The bell Of No. /, and
when the door silently swung open lie
walked il, apoloGiZing TO the servant on
the first landing for having "rung the
wrong bell," and proceeded up to the
fifth floor. Hero lie rang the bell Of the
private hall belonging to that special
apartment. He could have rUng the
lower bell Of this apartment at the out
set, but he wished to make it impossible
for any enc to leave after his signal an
nounced visitors. Ee stood several min
utes and heard 10 sC1nd from within.
A second pull ut the bell produced 10
better results. Taking a firm hold Of the
doorknob, he slowly turned it, making
not the slightest noise. To his surprise.
the door yielded when he pressed, and
III a moment he had passed III and
closed ii behind him. His fist idea was
that. after all, he had entered an empty
apartment, but a glance into the room
at tie farther end of the hall showed
him that it WAS Il furnished parlor. He
hcsitated q moment, then walked stealth
lily toward that room, and, looking in,
saw 10 one. he tiptoed back to the hall
door, turned the key, took it from the
lock and dropped it into his pocket.
Again he passed forward to the parlur.
this time entering it. 1t was elegantly
and tastefully furnished. The windows
opened on the street. Between them
stood cabinet writing desk, open, as
though recently used. Beside it was an
enamel piano lamp, possibly the same
which had furnished the light which
Wilson had suddenly missed several
hours before. Opposite tie windows a
pair Of folding glass doors communi-
Gated with an apartment beyond. These
were closed. Pceping through part Of
the pattern cut IN the glass, Air. Barnes
could just distinguish tho form of 2
woman IL bed, her long hair hanging
down from the pillow. This sight made
Inn uncertain as 10 tie next move.
IhlS was possibly Mrs. Rose Mitchell,
as she had announced herself. She was
asleep, and lie had entered her apart-
inent without any warrant for doing so.
True, he looked upon her with some sus-
picion, bit the most innocent Frequently
suffer in this way, ard without better
reason than he had he knew that he
could not account legally for what be
was doing.
As he stood by the glass doors cogitat-
,pg he charcel - ,,Jk down. Instant
y his eye was attracted by that which
made him shiver, IS accustomed as he
was TO strange sights. 1t was a tiny red
stream, which had managed to pass I'M
der the door and had then run along the
edge of the carpet for the space of a few
inches. Instantly he stopped, dipped his
finger into it and then calculated under
his breath:
"P1Ood au1 o1n. -oSl
Standing upright, he once more peer
ed into the room. The figure in bed had
not moved. without further hesitation
he slowly slid the doors apart One
glance within, and ,Eurmuring the single
word "Murderr' Mr.. Barnes was 10
longer slow in his actions. Stepping
across big pool CT blood which stained
the carpet, he stood ct the side of the
bed. He recognized the features Of the
woman who had claimed that she had
been robbed of her diamonds. She SEEM
ed sleeping, save that ;hcrc was az ex-
preston Of pain OF tie features, con-
traction of the skin between TIE eve
brows. and enc corner CT the mouth
drawn aside the ,-icla liant II, .Ii- No