Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-04-23
CHAPTER Y.

E~~~NNN@~N~ -
ringing the doorbell Of the Van Rawl
ston mansion. He requested to see the
master of the house upon urgent bust
ness, and that gentleman soon presented
himself.
"Mr. Van Rawlston," said Mr..
Barnes, 81 am q detective May I have
few moments of strictly private con
versation with you?"
Certainly" was the reply. "SteI
into my study. We will be entirely safe
from prying ears there" A moment
later the two men were seated in com
Portable leather chairs facing each other.
"Mr. Van Rawlston," began the de.
tective, "to explain my purpose at once
/ have only to say that l desire your
permission to attend the masquerade
which will be held here tonight. I am
aware that this must seem an odd re
quest, but 1 make it entirely in your
own interests. "
"If you will explain more fully, sir,
I may be quite willing to grant your re-
quest" said the other.
"You should know that masquerade
is dangerous kind of entertainment.
At such affairs large robberies have often
been committed-the thieves operating
boldly and escaping through the aid Of
their disguises. l have good reason for
believing that such crime is contem-
plated tonight. "
"My dear sir, impossiblel Why, no
one will be admitted save those with
whom we are well acquainted. Tickets
have been issued by the society which
gives the festival, and every one must
unmask before being allowed to enter
Therefore, while I am grateful to you
for your warming, hardly think that I
need your services. "
"Mr. Van Rawlston, I regret to say
that you are mistaken. In the first place
your close scrutiny of all who enter will
probably be relaxed as the night wears
on. Again, there are ways Of getting in
and once within the thief
would be unsuspected But this is no
guesswork on my part. / do not think,
I know, that unless I am here to prevent
it robbery will be committed. Indeed
I may even fail to prevent it.
"Why, sir, you speak as though you
know the person who is to play the Grim
inal."
II do. For several weeks my men
have been watching certain suspicious
parties From data furnished by my
spies am sure that plans have been
perfected by which one Or more of your
guests will be robbed during the prog
ress Of the entertainment.
"Still it seems incredible AS I have
said, no one will be able to enter with
1ut our knowledge"
"Of course cannot intrude upon you,
Mr.. Van Rawlston, but if you are
obliged to appeal to the police tomorrow
or the recovery Of stolen property you
Alone will be to blame if the thief shall
lave had several hours the start of us. I
lave warned you. That is the best can
10. I wish you good morning" Mr..
Barnes rose to go, but Mr.. Van Rawl-
ton stopped him.
Zone moment" said he. eff you are
10 sure that there is scheme Of robbery
foot, of course must not be SO rash as
o refuse your aid. What do you advise?
Ne could postpone the festival"
"By no means. The course to pursue
S to keep what have told you strictly
ecret-in fact, if possible, dismiss it
'ntirely from your mind, so that by
'our behavior the thief may not know
hat suspicious have been aroused. Do
is / requsSted at first, and as I know
ny man I will be able to keep an eye
lpon him should he be present" I
II suppose it must be as you say. But
'ou must be in costume. / have It'll The
have ordered some costumes
which they will give to those who come
You may have one Of
hose"
"What costume shall ask for?"
ooh, they are all alikel They are the
Forty Thieves"
"The Forty Thieves?" Mr.. Barnes
vas surprised. "Is not that an odd cos-
Jume?"
ooh, mol 1t was Mr.. Mitchel's idea.
He is the chairman Of the committee.
He argued that rather than provide a
lot Of meaningless dominos the strag-
glers, who will be chiefly invited guests
who are not members Of the society,
may be thus garbed and still fall into
the scheme of the evening, which
Is that every one shall play the part
Of some character Of the Arabian
Nights. " -, =. ., !; =
"Very we'll. Mr.. Van Rawlston, for
once the detective will don the garb of a
thief. After all, you know the adage,
1t takes thief to catch o thief. ,"
every good, Mr.. Barnes-I believe
that is the name on our card? Yes.
Well, come tonight early, and you shall
be fitted out. Later, if you should wish
to speak to me, I shall be dressed as the
sultan, a character about as foreign to
my true self as yours will be to you"
Mr.. Barnes left the house thoroughly
satisfied with the result Of his visit. In
the first place he had learned something.
Mr.. Mitchell had decided upon the Co.'S
tuning Of the guests. He had arranged
that at least 40 of them should be dress
ed alike. Could there have been any Sc
cret design in this? If SO, Mr.. Barnes
was glad to be one Of the DO. Again,
this would be better than to use the
Aladdin costume, for the reason that he
had come to count Mr.. Mitchell as so
clever that it would not have astonished
the detective at all if it were known to
him that this Aladdin costume had been
In that case the absence of such
A costume among the guests would con-
fuse the conspirators. Mr.. Barnes had
FULLY decided that more than one person
was interested in the approaching even
ing.
As early MS o'clnck the maslzars ha-
Children fArv fNp