The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-03-05
THE GREEN DIAM ON ID


You can follow on foot. or course, the
place is watched from outside already
II saw to that at once"
Wickes and his companion walked
smartly off, and Crook and Merrick fol-
lowed The district was one which
seemed TO be in course of changing it's
character. Large manufacturing build
iDgs were taking the place OF small
cottage dwellings,; such as remained
being now squalid enough, though
plainly at one time semi-rural clean
and even sometimes picturesque. Here
and there among the cottages larger
detached house stood. now either de-
voted to some sort of manufacturing
purpose or standing blank and derelict.
Through two or three such streets as
these Wickes led the way, and stopped
at the farther end OF the last, where a
stout boarding enclosed a small piece
of ground, vacant, except for a house at
the extreme corner.
Much demolition was going on here
about, and the street was almost bare
of passengers. Wickes stepped back
into the road, and his companion turned
the corner; and at once, as in response
10 signal, two or three men-unmis-
takably police in plain clothes-ap-
peared from adjoining corners and col
lected at the door of the boarding.
The door was fastened with pad
lock. One OF the men lifted this pad
lock, peeped into II, and then looked
1nquiringly at Wickes, who nodded
This done, the man gave a gentle rap
at the door and straightway produced
something from his pocket, applied IL
to the lock and opened II instantly.
Not strictly regular, perhaps"
Wickes remarked to Crook. who was
now close behind him; but we mustn't
be oVerceremonious in case like this"
The ground was waste, and choked
with bricks and rubbish. The house
was fairly sound, though plainly 1t had
not been inhabited for many years.
The ground next the side street was
bounded, not by a boarding, but by a
fairly high wall, and a short covered
way led from the rear part of the house
to this wall-evidently to a door which
Wickes' companion had gone to guard.
Wickes assembled the half dozen steps
and raped smartly at the front door
of the house. There was no response.
Wickes beckoned and pointed. and the
man who had opened the paddock now
came forward and broke a pane in the
window OF small room close by the
door, inserted his arm, unfastened the
catch. and, with good deal of trouble,
Tor 1t was long since the window had
been opened, succeeded at last in fore
ing up the sash. This done, he climbed
IN, ana presently, with a deal Of creak-
ing and wrenching and pulling, and
much shuddering opposition from the
ola WOODWORK, the door stood open.
Look out there!" Wickes said, quiet
Iy, with glance at his assistants
waiting in the open. And at once fol-
lowed by Crook and Merrick, he en-
tered the house.
In the hall they paused a moment to
listen. There was not a sound of any
COVf
and listened again. Still not a sound
Wickes started UP the stairs, followed
by the others.
IF they've common sense" he OBJ
served. they'll be upstairs I'm the day
time for the sake of the lookout-if
they're here at all. of course"
1t grew plain either that the quarry
had no common sense or were not in
the house; for room after room was en-
for the eye but dust and CRIME Moth
ing for the ear but the sound of the
searchers' own footsteps.
somebody has been here" observed
Wickes-"and lately. You notice that
feet have disturbed the dust a little in
every room. But l fancy we're too
late. If they were below, they must
have made a bolt before this, and my
fellows would have had them. But
we'll see"
Down stairs they went, to the kitchen
floor; and here it grew plain that the
house had been tenanted recently. For
crumbs Uttered the floor, and sheets of
newspaper were spread, one at each
end of the room, and on one of these
lay broken part Of loaf, still quite
fresh.
See there" observed Wickes, some
body has been sitting on each of these
sheets of newspaper with his heels
drawn up in front of him-see the
marks? And the sheets are at opposite
ends of the room, tooi Now, Mr..