Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-08-25
While the Candle Burns
BY w. StreetOn Smith.
n az az IN M M ~ sSS az az M n,

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ask Petroff the story of that bat
tered old coin. That it had one
i felt morally certain, else why should
he guard it so carefully?
"Ies, mon ami, it has history
that coin" To my delight he had
broached the subject himself. Take it
in your fingers. Hollow ?-exactly.
And that small red spot there-you
see it2-that looks so insignificant,
but means so much.
1t began with that night in the
strange cafe, when the man with the
black bag seated himself at the table
where l was quietly slipping my alb
sinthe-
"a wet night, m'sieu." 1 looked up
conscious that 1 was being taken
stock ofpretty lHeenly. A queer figure he
was-a little, bent-backed man get
ting well on into years; his coat the
same, If appearances were any guide:
with a pair of eyes which missed
nothing, am sure, that passed.
"Very."
"But it will be finer soon"
Doubtless" 1 answered, civilly;
"the clouds are breaking even now
Again felt that strange glance eye.
ing me up and down. l cannot de.
scribe it to you, but there was an
unaccountable air of mystery, about
the man which puzzled me. A few
more commonplace, and then, after
q cautious look round the half-filled
cafe, almost as If fearing detection
there, he drank off the contents of his
glass at a gulp, took up his bag, and
vanished.
And then caught sight of a card
staring up at me from the table. !
couldn't help an exclamation, it was
so queer. / could swear that it was
not there before he sat down, but for
the life of me was unable to fix the
moment of his placing it there, right
in front of my glass.
Tomorrow at seven, Rue Scribe
70" Those were the words-in print
ed characters, not ordinary handwrit
ing--and i stared at them till the
letters seemed to be dividing up at
random and performing grotesque
dances before my eyes.
The mans peculiar demeanor. his
evident wish to escape observation
~ SbahSN NOhOlt lnC moment
] saw the card; but as for compre.
hending what it meant, was totally
lost 1 could only guess, and it was
poor guessing at that. The key to
the mystery plainly lay at Rue Scribe
20; and there, after some little cogita.
ton, / decided to search for it.
A rash resolve? Well, yes-but at
two-and-twenty an adventure is very
much like first kiss TO lover. You
cannot put an old head on young
shoulders, mon ami. The card !
placed in my pocket book for safety;
and then, finishing my absinthe, start
ed for home
The little Rue Scribe-a dirty. evil
smelling slum in q low quarter-iid
not, however, seem so inviting in the
reality as the prospect, when ]
reached there the next evening j had
left word with my fellow lodger wher.
was going, in case of unpleasant
developments.
IL / am not back at nine" / said,
something has happened Do not
lose moment; come at once in search
OF me-" And il was Iucky that took
so much precaution, as you will see.
No. &c proved to be gaunt, three
stored tenement, even dingier than
the rest; at first glance one would
have said that it was deserted. There
was no occasion to knock; the instant
l got up TO the door it opened eau
tiously two or three inches, and a
mans head became visible. Tt was
my companion of the previous night.
"a wet night" he said, slowly.
Then, Like an respiratory flash, the
thing dawned on me. In themselves
fireworks were meaningless; the night
was brilliantly fine Their significance
lay beneath. Without a seconds hest
tation I replied: But the clouds are
breaking already; it will be finer soon,
my friend"
The effect was magical. The door
opened wider in trice, and the bent
Janitor's features even took on a smile
of recognition.
To the right" he murmured, as l
stepped inside; and the door silently
closed again, leaving us in pitch-black
gloom.
! CROPPED along the passage; the
walls were clammy, and occasionally
/ started as my hands touched some
thing that crawled' away in trace Of
slime. The murmur of voices guided
me to a room a little way ahead on
the right. The doorway was screened
by thick curtain; pushed this aside
and entered
The room was but dimly lighted, but
this was no hindrance after the inky
blackness ofthe passage, and it had the
additional merit of shading me from
the observation of those already in
possession. There would be about IS
or 2O-all men; but, much to my re-
lief, no one challenged my entrance,
or seemed inclined to take any notice
of me. Stiffness appeared to be the
key to the whole proceedings; all
were quiet save one group of two or
three In a corner who talked together
in carefully guarded tones.
Here, then, was the explanations