Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-20

ssFind out something while we're
about it," said. and we completed our
circuit of the damp wall. There were
no signs of any excavations whatever,
that we could discover. Queer! What
about the door?" went cautiously
back to the steps, and pushed. 1t gave
me quite little thrill to find the door
immoyable; either some one held it or
n heavy weight had been placed against
it. / tip-toed back. The constable
looked rather pale in the candle light.
'Queer's the word. sir!" he whis-
pered. ST don't half like it. I just
thought of the coaI shoot. and there's
something on 1.-THE plate won't shift.
They know we're down here, mark my
-'sh! that's cart stopping outsidei
Mr.. Girdlestone, they're clearing Off"
Beyond a doubt! Heavy footsteps
were passing along the passage, and
out on the pavement. For Il time we
stood, in a sort of stupefaction; then,
in a spasm of rage, made d dash at
that door. determined to chance any
thing. Useless-it resisted our united
strain; clearly, we were pushing
against some weighty object. We
pounded and shouted, but 80 no pur-
trap, and had only ourselves 20 blame.
But-the modification of it!
"Let them go!" painted, at last. I'VE
must have them sooner or later-she'u
come down and let us out the moment
they turn their backs"
"Unless they've done for her!" he
whispered. cit took something to
brighten that woman, sir!'
And almost simultaneously-sh I
ever forget it?-there came a iul! in the
sCurrying overhead. and then voice,
thick with nervous laughter. just out
side that door:
"Er-mind the coals!''o
1t was Mrs. Varney's voice. The hall
door banged, there was the sound of a
7cart ru1ebling away. and the1-utter.
significant silence.
'Great heavensi" I could Just gasp
out. For how long we stood staring at
each other, taking in the full realiza-
ton. I should net like to say. Trap?
Yes, indeedl That sweet young
widow was one of the gang-perhaps
Mrs. Winston heTself. Possibly bysac-
cident, more probably through the
servants cunning chatter with the con-
stable, they had discovered that Detec-
tive Girdlestone was on their heels,
and had concoctea this grotesquely SIM
pie trick to inveigle the pair Of us into
the house while they removed the plum
der to a place of safety. It YVES their
one chance-and we had played clean
into their hands. Maddening? Not the
word! That it should have succeeded
so merited a far stronger expression
and doubtless would get it. I
flew TO the coal shoot. Still immova bic.
"Your truncheon!" I gasped. "You
haven't one? Up with some of this
coal; aim high. and splinter that door.
I'll have them yeti"
Bang! crash! sounded through the
house. The top hinge gave--a panel
shattered; in two minutes we were
clambering across a heavy wringing
machine that had been wedgeG between
the door and projection of the wall.
A pause for breath, and Their hasty
search of the house. Five minutes suf-
feed to prove how incredibly we had
been fooled. The place was. save for
one or two rooms. practically destitute
of furniture clearly enough. it had
been rented more for nefarious than
for domestic purposes. Signs of the
silk there were none. Now we were out
at the door, all but coming TO grief
again over a stone slab placed across
the coal shoot. Ten minutes later we
painted into the police station. and had
sent all the available men. with deScrip-
tions of the young widow" lying over
Camden Town. Then I started back for
home. I would get rid of the CRIME and
coal dust. and then take CAB straight
to Scotland Yard.
I got to the door and pulled out my
keys. My keys! They were not mine
with a gasp 1 stood and realized that
that clever creature, asking to try
them, had handed me back her own
bunch in exchange. Why, what.
Twice I knocked loudly before the door
opened and showed me my wife's face
as white as a sheet.
you, Jimmy? Oh, thank heaveni
We haven't dared to novel;
''W-what do you ?"-in the
nerest whisper.
"Oh. we've had such a scare Jane and
I! We were sitting in the kitchen, not
half an hour ago, and we thought we
heard some one moving about up her
creeping up and down the stairs.
screamed out something, and Jane says
she heard this door click. We couldn't
stir hand or foot till L heard you
knock! / knew it couldn't b. you"
''You knew!" With groan. strobe
into the parlor. / knew what I should
find; my handsome bronze timepiece,
my choice vases, and a score of other
small valuables-all gone. Upstairs I
sprang like a mailman. On the bed
room table had lain my presentation
sold watch and chain. that would not
have lost for fortune. One lcok-and
! staggered back. fairly crushed. E.
Gone! daring double stroke OF viii
iainy; they had walked in with my own