Evening journal., 1899-01-03


about ths doorr' 1 went cautiously
back to tho steps, and pushed 1t gave
me quite a little thrill to find the door
immovable. Either some one held it or
heavy weight had been placed against
it | tiptoed back. The constable looked
rather pale in the oandlelight.
"Queer the word, sir' he whisper
ed. 81 don half like it. just thought
OF the coal shoot, and there's some-
thing on 1.-THE plate won't shift.
They know we're down here mark my
-'sh That's a cart stopping outsidel
Mr.. Girdlestono, they're clearing OFF,
Beyond Doubt Heavy footsteps
were passing along the passage and out
ON to the pavement. For a time we
stood, in a sort OF stupefaction. Then,
in a spasm Of rage made a dash at
that door, determined 10 chance any
thing. Useless--it resisted our united
strain. Clearly we were pushing
against some weighty object. We pound
ed and shouted, but to no purpose We
were caught in a maddening trap and
had only ourselves TO blame. But-the
modification Of it'll
LET them gor' painted, at last.
eve must have them sooner or later
she'll come down and let as ont tae
moment they turn their backs"
"Unless they've done for her ~ he
whispered ''It took something to
frighten that woman, sirr
And almost simultaneously-shall /
ever forget it?-there came lull in the
scurrying overhead, and then a voice,
thick with nervous laughter, just out
side that door:
"Er-mind the coalsl'
1t was Mrs. Varney's voice. The hall
door banged, there was the sound OF a
cart rumbling away, and then-utter,
significant silence.
"Great heavens ~ 1 could just gasp
out. For how long we stood staring at
each other, taking in the full realiza-
ton, l should not like to say. Trap?
Yes indeedl Tint sweet young "wid-
ow' was one Of the gang-perhaps
Mrs. Winston herself Possibly by ac-
oident, more probably through the aerv-
ants cunning chatter with the consta-
= bic, they had discovered that Detective
Girdlestone was on their heels and had
concocted this grotesquely simple trick
to inveigle the pair Of us into the house
while they removed the plunder TO q
place of safety. 1t was their one chance
and we had played clean into theii
p hands. Maddening? Not the word THAI
= it should have succeeded so merited &
far stronger expression-and doubtless
would get it. flew TO the coal shoot
l Still immovable.
C "Your truncheonw l gasped. "Yol
haven't one? Up with some of this coal
e Aim high, and splinter that door. II
It have them YETI
Bang, crash sounded through tn
@ house. The top hinge gave-a pane
. shattered. In two minutes we wer
clambering across a heavy wringin
machine that had been wedged betwee
% the door and projection of the wal
k A pause for breath, and then a hast
D. search Of the house. Five minutes sui
{, feed to prove how incredibly we ha
been fooled The place was, save fC
10 one or two rooms, practically destitui
y Of furniture-clearly enough, it Ina
ar been rented more for nefarious than f
m domestic purposes. Signs of tho sil
70 there were none. Now we were out
" the door. all but coming TO grief .agai
I'd over stone slab placed across the col
80 shoot. Ten minutes later we pante
into the police station and had sent a
~ the available men, with descriptions
90 the young "widow, flying over Can
s. den Town. Then started back fl
T. home. would get rid Of the CRIME an
coal dust, and then take a cab straigl
be to Scotland Yard.
ke got 20 the door and pulled out II
us keys. My keys They were not mine
ks with a gasp l stood and realized th
- that clever creature, asking to Il
it them, had handed me back her ow
he bunch in exchange. Why, what
ap Twice knocked loudly before the do
lg opened and showed me my wife's IA
as white as sheet.
en- "You, Jimmy? Oh, thank HEAVIER
k We haven't dared to novel;
on "W-what do you mean?" in Il
d. merest whisper
At "Oh, we've had such a scare, Jal
ad and II We were sitting in the kitohe
ne not half an hour ago, and we thong
we heard some one moving about I
rs here--creeping up and down the stair
he 1 screamed ont something, and Jai
1t says she heard this door click. Y
he couldn't stir hand or foot till / hea
he you knock knew it couldn't be you
rs "You knew" With a groan, 1 stro
into the parlor. knew what shou
ip, find. My handsome bronze timepieC
} a my choice vases and score Of 9th
he small valuables-all gone. Up stairs
lie sprang like a madman. On the bedroo
A table had lain my presentation 60
Id watch and chain, that ! would not ha
,or lost for fortune. One look-and
sps staggered back, fairly crushed. Con
Id A daring double stroke of villain
ex- They had walked in with my own k
lur while l was fooling at the station.
ore And as if this second humiliati
er- blow was not enough to permanent
ro- kill any mans good opinion of himse
BILE ON the looking glass frame was pinn
a scrap Of paper, bearing this masI
ext stroke Of irony: