The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-08

>>%@<
body who came and asked--in office
hours. I'm not doing anything that
Lawson would disapprove of. and
won't Here you are. Lot 81 star, one
magnum real old imperial Tokay. re-
puted eighty years In bottle Lot SS
star, ditto; lot SO star, ditto: and so
on to lot 81 star. ditto, the last of
EN-. There's prices and ali-87 star,
money paid down, no name; S8 star,
Smith-might as well be no name at
ALL SO star. Smith also-and Smiths
the name to the next two
These lots, in fact, had all been
bought by the same Smith-the wine
merchants traveller. But Crook knew
nothing Of this, and the clerk went on
'Ninety-two star is Allen, eight
shiIlings,
Allen was a passenger on the Raja-
par, Crook remembered, though again
he said nothing. This would give him
another advantage over Hahn.
-Ninety-three star, no NAME money
paid. BY the way, you KNOW the clerk
pursued, "all the money was paid down
for these lots, as can tell by the ticks.
but some people gave their names and
some didn't. Ninety four star-that
was Mr.. Norie's. He took it away with
him under his arm
An artist, you say??"
Yes; but if you're thinking of buy
ing of him-was that what you want
ed d?n
Well yes; that was it."
Well l don't suppose he'll SELL He
isn't poor. although he's an artist, and
he buys things for his own fancy. He
bought an old pair of candlesticks at
the sameSsale and took them away, too,
s mock Of
''very wen. He lives here, OF
course %
..Yes-rll show. you the way. if YOU
like. He has rooms in London, too, but
his studios here. Ninety five star is
Curtice, ten shillings; and the last two
have no names.
Very well-that'll do. And now
where is Mr.. Norie's studio?''
The clerk shut his desk and came.
into the street again, carefully locking
the door behind him.
Keep along past the bend in the
road he said. .'till the road forks. and
then keep to the right. The road will
lead you out OF the town past some
new villas with a row of old trees
elms-in front of them. In the middle
of the villas there is a short turning
lane-and the only house in that
turning is Mr.. Norie's studio, just be-
hind the Villas"
Thank you" said Harvey Crook, as
he turned to go. And now perhaps
you'll give me your private address. II
l have anything else for you-on the
same terms-I suppose you won't mind
my calling and saying so, eh?'
Not bit. My names Symons, and
IA Waterview terrace is my address, Is
that ali?"
I think so, at present. Will you be
at home all the evening""
home if you want me. Good night"
Crook returned to his fly and drove
to the Royal hotel for dinner. This
he took at once, and then made
the best of his way to Mr..
Norie's studio. 1t was now full night.
but not very dark. The next train from
London had been in some little time.
and it was reasonable to suppose that
Hahn was now in Southampton What
would he do? The auctioneer's Of
flee was shut; probably he would have
TO be content with his dinner for that
evenings work.
Harvey Crook walked smartly in the
direction of the villas with the row
OF elms before them and was not long
In getting clear of the town. He pass
ed market garden or two and a small
meadow. and so reached the elms and
the villas they shadowed. There way
no possibility of mistake in the matter
of Mr. Norie's studio-there it stood,
as the auctioneer's clerk had said.
alone in the little lane that divided the
villas into two rows.
1t looked as though it might be
good studio. There was long, sloping
roof on the north side, with a row Of
skylights, and roonay looking blocks on
the opposite side that seemed to be
comfortable living and sleeping rooms.
There was nothing but door in the
front wall of the studio, and that wall
extended left and right to make a
boundary for little garden. Harvey
Crook knocked at the door,
There was no answer. He repeated
the knock, louder, and after minute
or two more discovered a bell. and
knocked and rang furiously 1t grew
plain that Mr.. Norie was out
Now it would never do to go back
without another attempt. There was
a chance-ten to one against, certain
ly, but that is no bad chance as things
go-that the Eye of Goona itself Law
In that modest little brick building.
Hahn was in Southampton, and by aid
of judicious inquiry he might learn of
the situation of this particular mag
mum of .Tokay at any minute. He
might aeven eontrive to get hold OF
Norie himself in some club or billiard
room in the town Harvey Crook re-
solved to watch the building all nirht.
If necessary.
Beyond the villas the road rose on
a hill, which overlooked the studio and
the town beyond. Crook went on up
the hill, turning an occasional glance
back toward the studio as he went.
Dim in the moonlight lay the
outlines of the town and the water be-
yond, and lights twinkled in thick
clusters. Turning to look at the studio
once again, he clearly deserted some
dark object moving before the white
frame of the skyligtt. What was thisa
Burglary? Gould it be possible that
Hahn was taking this short cut to the
bottle of Tokay? He hurried down
the hill at top speed.
He turned the corner by the villas.
and approached the studio by springing