The Saint Paul globe., 1901-12-15
nad gone-and the diamonds of course

had gone-and the diamonds of course
with it"
ST suppose it is not possible that the
chain had broken?' He shook his head
decidedly.
"Quite impossible. It was nearly a
new one, and though the links were
small it was very strong, and was made
capable of bearing much greater weight
than what I had attached to it,
Did you make an examination of the
cellar?"
LAS far as 1 could by the light of a
candle, for you see could not go down
without sending for ladder, and
thought 1 had better keep the matter
as quiet as I could for the present.
l nodded approvingly.
'Qute right. About how much of the
chain had gomez"
Nearly half, I should say"
$50 far said, although the affair IS
little unusual, see nothing in it too
strange to be accounted for. Someone
must have heard of your hiding place
and watched for an opportunity when
you were out of the room to rob you.
If they had once discovered the ex-
istence of the trap-door, the rest would
be comparatively easy. The only thing
I don't understand is why they should
have troubled to cut the chain when they
could have wound up the diamonds with
in reach. For, of course, the person who
committed the robbery must have known
all about your arrangements"
''But," he cried excitedly, 'I was never
out of the room! That Is where the
mystery comes in"
Never out of the room" I echoed.
"Oh. you must have been. 1t might be
only for short time and you have for
gotten"
81 never left the room," he repeated
solemnly ''from eleven o'clock yesterday
morning when returned from my office
until nine o'clock this morning: twenty
two hours in all. I was very busy with
some private affairs, and had my meals
brought in to me and went early to bed,'
"Then," I said. 'the thief must have
got in in the night when you Were
asleep"
"That cannot be- he replied "for the
door of my room was locked on the in
| side this morning, as I locked it last
night before going to bed, and the Win
| dow was fastened. Besides, I am light
| sleeper and no one could have moved my
| bed away from the trap-door, without
| rousing me- and 1t is impossible to open
| the trap unless the bedstead is puShed TO
| one side.
| I was nonplussed.
"And you were in the room twenty-five
| hours I unused, 'and you say the cellar
| has no ventilation whatever, so that If
| anyone had gained admittance to it be-
| fore your return home and remained shut
| up all night, he would be dead or un-
| conscious by this morning. No one could
| keep his senses in such a confined space
| for such length of time, without having
/ any fresh air.
s'Of course they could not he assented
| eagerly.
| .sThat is what made the place so safe.
You see how inexplicable it is
| Then, went on, there is a chance
/ We may find the thief lying asphyxiated
on the floor of the cellar. You could
not have seen very far into the darkness
blythe light of candle" He started.
'tI hadn't thought of that" he said.
! But do you think any man would have
risked his life in such way? Surely,
when he found his senses going. he would
have called for assistance? Penal servi-'
tude is better than DEATH" I shrugged
! my shoulders.
| II do not know; some men are very
obstinate and will take any risk rather
| than be caught At all events we will
| go round and have a look at the place;
it is the only thing 1 can suggest at
| present.
| We set out for the Gray's Inn road to-
| gether, buying a rope ladder on the way.
| The room and the position OF, the cellar