Courier Democrat., 1902-07-17
By Fred M. @hhe
CHAPTER XXIn. (Continucd.)

that the latter could not see the strained
ANXIETY of his face. The man was alert
and quivering with excitement in every
limb. Still. he chuckled again. as If
che whole thing merely amused him.
The Crimson Blind is Van Sneck's
weak spot" he said. 1T is King
SCharles head to him. BY good or bad
aucl-it is in your hands to say which
you know all about the way in which
ut became necessary to get Hatherly
BELL on our side. All the same, the
Rembrandt - the other one-iS de-
Stroyed.'
Van Sneck has seen the picture
littimer said. doggedly.
"Oh. play the farce out to the end
Henson laughed, ood-humoredly.
~'Where did he see it?"
He says he saw it at No. 21S Bruns-
wick Square,
Eenson's knees suddenly came up to
his nose. then he lay quite fiat again for
a long time. His face had grown white
once more, his lips bloodless. Fear was
written all Over him. A more astute
man than Littimer would have seen
the beads standing out on his FORE
eead. 1t was some little time before he
dared trust himself to speak again.
"I know the house you mean. ''It is
next door to the temporary residence
of my esteemed friend. Gilead Gates.
AT the present moment the place is
void"
A'And has been ever since your bogus
!sHoma' broke up. Years ago, before
|you used your power to rob and op-
press us as you do now. you had a
Home there. You collected subscrip-
kions right and left in the Reverend
Felix Crosbie. and you put the money
In your pocket. A certain weekly jour
nal exposed you. and you had to leave
suddenly or you would have found
yourself in the hands Of the police.
You skipped so suddenly that you had
no time even to think of your personal
effects. which you understood were sold
Ito defray expenses. But they were not
sold as nobody cared to throw good
nonay after bad. Van Sneck got IN
with the agent under pretence of view
Arg the house, and he saw the picture
There"
why didn't he take it with him."
Hcnson asked. with amused scorn. He
was master of himself again and had
his nerves we'll under control.
well, that was hardly like Van
Eneck. Our friend is nothing if not
diplomatic. But when he did manage
Ito get into the house again the picture
was gone"
Excellent" Henson cried. Glow
dran'atic! There is only one thing re-
nuired to complete the story. The pic
lure was taken away by Hatherly Bell.
IF you don't bring that in as the denoue-
snent shall be utterly disappointed"
"You needn't be-" Littimer said cool
ly "That is exactly what did happen"
Henson chuckled again, quite paro-
fly of a chuckle this time. He could
Retect the quiet suggestion of triumph
en Lttimers voice.
did Van Sneck tell you all this?'
De asked.
mot the latter part of it," Litti-
aner replied, seeing that he was
In the hospital when it happened. But
4 know it is true because I saw Bell
and David Steele. the novelist. come
away from the house, and Bell had the
picture under his arm. And that's why
Nan Snacks agent couldn't find it the
Eecond time he went. Check to you, my
friend, at any rate. Bell will go to my
kather with Rembrandt number two
krd compare it with number one. And
4hen the fat will be in the fire."
Henson yawned affectedly. All the
same he was terribly disturbed and
khaken. All he wanted now was to be
elone and to think. So far as he conld
xell, nobody besides I.ittimer knew
hnything Of the matter. And no
<tarved, cowed, broken-hearted puppy
was ever closer under the heel of his
master than Littimer. He still held
all the cards; he still controlled the
fortunes of two ill-starred houses.
"You can leave me now" he said.
s'l.n tired. I have had a trying day,
nnd I need sleep; and the sooner you
iarc out of the house the better. For
yyour own sake, and for the sake Of
ALoye about you, you need not say one
word of this to Enid Henson.
Iittimer promised meekly enough.
with those eyes blazing upon him he
would have promised anything. We
khall see presently what stupendous
herror Henson had over the younger
man, and in what way all the sweet
tness and SAVIOUR of life was being
krushed out Of him.
He closed the door behind him and
lmmediat ely Henson sat up in bed. He
iwiped the big beads from his forehead.
$50 the danger has come at last" he
aruttered. II am face to face with 1T,
Iend I knew I should be. Hatherly
BELL is not the man to quietly lie down
nnder cloud like that. The man has
Ebrains, and patience. and indomitable
kcurage. Now, does he suspect that I
have any hand in the business? 1
xcust see him when my nerves are
stronger and try and get at the truth.
If he goes to Lord Littimer with that
picture he shakes my power and my
position perilously. What a fool / was
,nlt to get it away. But, then, I only
kscal,s-. from the Brighton police IN
those days by the skin of my teeth.
And they had followed me from Hud-
herstield like those cursed bloodhounds
here. / wonder"
he paused as the brilliant outline Of
come cunning scheme occurred to him.
IA thin, cruel smile crept over his lips.
Never had he been in tight place yet
,Wthout discovering a loophole Of es-
lx,po oil bafnra he had Sreu the