Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-06
CHAPTER xII-Continued.

The large double doors, from which the
paint had peeled in patches. were closed.
hut rang the bell for the concierge. and
after delay OF several minutes l heard
q slight click which meant that the doors
had opened for me. i passed into dim
lobby, to be challenged by sleepy voice
behind half-open window. The owner
Of tho voice kept himself invisible and was
no doubt in the bunk which he called his
bed. Only stern sense Of duty as con-
clcrSc woke him up enough to demand
mechanically. who II was that the strange
monsieur desired to visit at this late hour
! replied according to instructions.
wished TO see Monsieur Gestre
Monsieur Gestre is away" murmured
the voice behind the little window.
thought quickly. Gestre was probably
the pal" whom y. M. had been in such
q hurry to find. VERY WE'LL said l. I'm
see his friend. the EngIishman. who ar
rived this evening. have an appointment
with him.
not that monsieur has been here already?
He now returns. as he mentioned that he
might do"
Again my thoughts made haste to arrange
themselves The monsieur who had
Called had probably also arrived late, after
the concierge had gone to bed in his dim
box. and become too drowsy TO notice such
deta Is as the difference between voices,
especially II they Were those of foreigners.
Perhaps II L explained that ! was not the
person who had said he would come again.
but another. the man behind the window
would consider me a complication, and re
fuse 10 let me pass at such an hour with
out russ And of all things fuss was
what / least wanted-for Maxine's sake
And because of the treaty. l decided to
sieze upon the advantage that was Of
fer"d me.
quite right" l said shortly. Il know
The way" And so began to mount the
stairs. Flight after flight | went up. meet
1ng one. and on the fifth floor l found
that / had reached the top of the house,
Their were more stairs to go up.
On each OF the floors below there had
been a dim light-a Jet of gas turned low.
But the fifth floor was in darkness Some
one had put out the light, either in care
leSSneSS or for some special reason.
There were several doors on each side of
the passage but l could not be sure that
had reached the right one until L d lighted
a match. When l was sure, knocked. but
no answer came.
He can't be out" said to myself. cheer
fully. Hes got tired OF waiting and
dropped asleep. that's all
l knocked again. Silence. And then for
n third time. loudly, keeping on until I
was sure that. if there were any one in the
room no matter how sound asleep, l must
have walked him.
After all he had gone out. but perhaps
only for short time. Surely he would
Soon come back. lest he should miss the
keeper Of the diamonds.
] had very little hope that. even on the
chance Of my coming while he away.
he would have left the door open. Never
thci-ss / tried the handle, and to my sur
pr.Sg- il yielded.
THAT must be because the locks broken
and only bolt remains" l thought. so
he had 70 take the risk. All the better.
This looks as if he'd be back any minute.
H. " uldn't like giving the enemy chance
10 find his lair and step into 1t before him
II was dark in the room and l struck an
other wax match just inside the threshold.
But | had hardly time to get an impression
of hareness and meauness of furnishing be-
fore q draught o air from open window
blew out the struggling flame and at the
same instant banged the door shut behind
me.