Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-09-28

slammed in the distance. Then a con-
fused, dull murmur broke itself into
the measured thud Of heavy footsteps
rapidly approaching. They were in the
passage outside the room. They paused
at the door. The door opened. There
was a sharp Snick as the electric light
vas turned on. The door closed once
more, and the pungent reek of Il strong
cigar was borne to our noStrilS. Then
the footsteps continued backward and
forward, backward and forward, with
in a few yards of us. Finally there
was Il creak from Il chair, and the foot
steps ceased. Then a key clicked in a
lock, and l heard the rustic of papers.
So far l had not dared to look out
but now I gently parted the division
Of the curtains in front Of me and
peeped through. From the pressure OF
Holmes shoulder against mine l knew
that he was sharing my observations.
Right in front of us and almost within
our reach was the broad, rounded back
Of Milverton. 1t was evident that we
had entirely miscalculated his move
ments; that he had lever been to his
bedroom, but that he had been sitting
up i'll some smoking or billiard room
in the farther wing Of the house. the
windows Of which we had not seen.
His broad, griZzled head, with its shin
ing patch of badness, was in the i'm
mediate foreground Of our vision. He
was leaning far back in the red leather
chair, his legs oustretched, a long,
black cigar projecting at al angle from
his mouth. He Wore a semimilitary
smoking jacket, claret colored. with a
black velvet collar. In his hand he
held a long legal document, which he
blowing rings of tobacco smoke from
his lips as he did SO.
I felt Holmes hand steal into mine
and give me a reassuring shake, as if
to say that the situation was within his
powers and that he was easy in his
mind. I was not sure whether he had
seen what was only too obvious from
my position, that the door of the safe
was i%mperfectly closed and that Mil
verton might at any moment observe
it. In my own mind I had determined
that II l We're sure from the rigidity of
his gaze that it had caught his eye I
would at once spring out, throw my
g%reatcOat owe his head, pinion him
and leave the rest to Holmes. But Mil
guidly interested by the papers in his
hand, and page after page was turned
as he followed the argument Of the
lawyer. At least, l thought. when he
had finished the document and the
cigar he will go to his room, but before
he had reached the end Of either there
came a remarkable development which
channel.
Several times 1 had observed that
Milverton looked at his watch, and
once he had risen and sat down again,
with a gesture of Impotence. The idea,
however, that he might have an ap-
pointment at so strange an hour never
occurred to me until a faint sound
reached my ears from the veranda out
side. Milverton dropped his papers and
sat rigid in his chair. The sound was
repeated, and then there came a gen.
tie tap at the door. Milverton rose and
opened it.
"Well,' said he CURLY, you are near
~ half an hour late"
So this was the explanation Of the
unlocked door and of the nocturnal
vigil of Milverton. There was the gen.
tie rustic of a woman's dress. I had
closed the slit between the curtains as
Milverton's face had turned in our di-
rection, but ROW l ventured very care
fully to open it once more. He had re-
suned his seat. the cigar still project
ing at an insolent angle from the cor
ner Of his mouth. In front Of him. in
the full glare Of the electric light, there
stood q tall. slim, dark woman, a veil
over her face, a mantle drawn round
her chin. Her breath came quick and
fast, and every inch of the 1.-the figure
was quivering with strong emotion.
WELL said Milverton, you've
made me lose a good nights rest. my
dear. l hope you'll prove worth it.
You couldn't come any other time
eh:"
The woman shook her head.
We'll, if you couldn't you couldn't.
If the countess is a hard mistress you
have your chance to get level with her
now. Bless the girl. what are you
shivering about? That's right. Pull
yourself together. Now let us get
down to business" He took a note
book from the drawer Of his desk.
"You say that you have five letters
which compromise the Countess DIAL
bert. You want to sell them. I want
to buy them. So far SO good. 1t only
remains to fix a price. 1 should want
to inspect he letters, of course. If
they are really good specimens Great
heavens! Is it you|'
The woman. without a word, had
raised her veil and dropped the man
tie from her chin. 1t was Ii dark,
handsome. clear cut face which con-