The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1906-10-25
CHAPTER III.

gained the landing he was already
standing at the door of the room. He
held up his hand with a warning ges-
ture- stepped up to him softly aud
pesped over his shoulder.
By the side Of an old sofa placed
against the wall Of a room. half bed
chamber. half study. Professor Marnae
crouched on his hands and knees. A
lamp stood on the floor at his elbow. He
was working with feverish haste. yet
with certain method. moving the lamp
onward as his examination Of the section
Lii BY its immediate rays was completed.
1t was an odd sight. this silver-haired
hgure that crept about. peepinx and
peering. like some species Of elderly ape. |
So absorbed was he that ii was nigh on
minute before. with a swift sideways /
turn of the head. he caught sight of our
faces in the doorway and rose to his
feet
Il can find no trace of it." said he.
smoothing back his hair with a sigh
1t Is excessively annoying"
Of what, may l ask. sirT' l queried-
~Of my signet ring. Mr.. Harland-
"A valued possession which l would not
lose for fifty pounds"
Pray let me assist you" said l, step
ping forward and raising the lamp.
which the professor had replaced on the
table.
mo. no. Mr.. Harland Enough has
been done; in the presence of death we
must forget such trivialities- Besides.
although it was on my finger when I
entered the house. il may have been !
dropped in the hall or on the stairs J
do not doubt that Hans viii find it,"
The professor spoke in so resolute
aE -. u =
that should press the matter My
cousin had already passed behind a great
screen of stamped leather that cut of .
the bed from the rest of the apartment
Marnac had stepped after him, and /.
though at slower pace followed them
To be honest. the events Of the evening
had disturbed me not a little. / had Il
grown suspicious. uneasy: and this an
noyed me in that / was without reason u
able cause for such a frame of mind o.
Granted that the professor had dis o.
played oddities Of demeanor. yet he was
VIGOROUSLY an eccentric. And if my "a
cousin hau become taciturn. If his POI "
likeness rang insincerely. the death Of his "a
old friend
STAND back. Herr professor. stand as
back. / sayr' kr
1t was Graden's voice. stern and de- We
cisive- | sprang to the corner of the no
screen and peered into the darkened do
Rlcove beyond &C
Upon his death-bed pillows the calm ST
md simple face of poor Won Stockmar pc
cleaned like mask carved in white ro'
marble But neither of the two men who in
confronted each other across the body do
ooked upon it. Graden. a grim and ma
esolute figure. stood holding a common far
-. 49,. -. D Il
lad opened il carelessly. for cheap sui SUE
hur matches were scattered on the sheet car
efore him. Narnae's face l could not cas-
ee. but in the pose Of his back and the
houlders there was something feline set
omething suggestive Of an animal about to
D spring. yea
For a second or two the three Of Us cen
TODD in silence y cousin was the first
!, break it sesl
Pray do not let Us detain you. Pro sho
sssor Marnac." said he. SHOULD we him
nance upon your ring, believe me, it will rics
E safe" oy
The professor Strengthened himself logi
18th a little gesture Of submission and emo
epped back into the lamplight His froi
and was on the latch. when he turned spri
pom ns-for we had followed him rem
18th face deformed with the most ma spri
snant fury. ..
'Au revoir. my friends" he cried 81 wat
ish you a pleasant evening" will
And then TT of laughter took him the
nothered, diaoolical merriment that witt
oke out in oily chuckles like water its
lrgling from a bottle The door closed som
,on it. We stood listening as it grew the
inter, fainter. until 1t died away in pap
ence on the lower stairs. clos
tsTurr the kew C0uziu Roho-f Ru< he
}; after him, lad, and bolt him out Of side
e house He'll be burning 1t down. the
,e" the
Graden was inexplicable: but 1 ran to turn
ey. As reached the hall, heard the tabl,
ing Of the street door and the squeak sor
Z Of the bolts as Hans shot them be- ton
nd the departing visitor. tor
When l re-entered the room / found leng
E screen pushed back against the wall fesse
d my cousin, in his shrt-sleeves, lean Hen
over the bed He barked at me over Il
shoulder to sit down and keep quiet. 81
d .humbly obeyed him. Once or twice beas
turned to the lamp which he had at is IL
elbow, and l caught glimpse of a Fc
gnifying glass Presently he rose. his p
d. carrying the lamp in his hand mate
nmenced a circuit Of the room. lin the
ing now and again to examine some 1t ha
ell- NJ Tue uleoslnB bdDle ne paused the
several minutes, using the magnify fluffy
glass repeatedly. But shortly after Sud-
rds he threw himself into a chair be- a SEQ
e me with the air Of a man whose and 4
rk is done. cater
It's no oisrespect to our little Her objec
nm that mean" said be, pulling scar,
big bTiaF, but smoke | must away
lie sat there putting for a minute or ID
; his head sunk forward, his eyes In
the floor. / watched him expsctantIy. to era
It's great gift, Is observation" be brush
an 1T makes just the difference II
veen mediocrity and success in game 1T is
tiers and novel-writers, In painters Of wit
ures and explorers OF the unknown pushe
u, where man mas never map and r
elp him. And this same trick of OBJ 9Th
alton has given me some very re- contin
kabls results this evening, and how suege,
srkabls you will realize when set pected
4 out In proper order. You've a fectiv,
=