Morris tribune., 1905-08-12

centrated energy, laying down one tool,
picking up another, handling each with
The strength and delicacy of the train
I'd mechanic. Finally I heard a click,
the broad green door swung open, and
inside had glimpse Of a number of
paper packets, each tied, sealed and
inscribed. Holmes picked one out, but
it was hard to read by the Pickering
fire, and he drew out his little dark
lantern, for it was too dangerous with
A1ilverton In the next room to switch
On the electric light. Suddenly 1 saw
him halt, listen intently, and then in
an instant he had swung the door Of
the safe to, picked up his coat, stuffed
his tools into the pockets and darted
behind the window curtain, motioning
me to do the same.
It was only when l had joined him
there that I heard what had alarmed /
his quicker senses. There was noise
somewhere within the house. A door
slammed in the distance Then con- |
fused, dull murmur broke itself into
the measured thud Of heavy footsteps
rapidly approaching. They We're in the
passage outside the room. They paused
at the door, The door opened. There
was sharp snick as the electric light
was turned on. The door closed once
more and the pungent reek of 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 creak from chair, and the foot
steps ceased Then a key clicked in a
lock, and heard the rustic of papers
So far l had not dared to look out,
but now l gently parted the division
Of the curtains in front of me and
peeped through. From the pressure of >
Holmes shoulder against mine knew
that he was sharing my observations.
Right in front of us and almost within
our reach was the broad, rounded back
Of Nilverton. 1t was evident that we
had entirely miscalculated his move
ments; that he had never been to his
bedroom, but that he had been sitting
up in 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 it's 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, long,
black cigar projecting at an angle from
his mouth He wore a semimilitary
smoking jacket claret cOlOred, with
IL Il; ho1, he
held a long legal document, which he
was reading in an INDECENT fashion,
blowing rings of tobacco smoke from
his lips as he did so.
| 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 imperfectly closed and that Mil
verton might at any moment observe
it. In my own mind I had determined
that if were sure from the rigidity Of
his gaze that it had caught his eye I
would at once spring out, throw my
greatcoat over his head, pinion him
and leave the rest to Holmes. But Mil
verton never looked up. He was Ian
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 remarka BILE development which
turned our thoughts into quite another
cro ;..;al
Several times l had observed that
Milverton looked at his watch, and
once he had risen and sat down again,
with gesture Of Impotence. The idea,
however, that he might have an ap-
pointment at so strange an hour never
occurred to me until faint sound
reached my ears from the veranda out
side. Milverton dropped his papers and
sat rigid in his chair. The sound was
and then there came a gen.
tie tap at the door. Milverton rose and
opened it.
"Well," said he CURLY, 'you are near
ly 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 woman's dress. [ had
closed the slit between the curtains as
face had turned in our di-
rection, but now ventured very care
fully to open it once more. He had re-
sumed 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 tall, slim, dark woman, veil
over her face, 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 good nights rest my
dear. l hope you'll prove worth it.
You couldn't come any other time
eh?"