The Washington times., 1907-12-29
A Run and a Shock.

Al nearly ! o'clock in the morning.
with nobody. presumably. TO switch
them on or OF. the electric lights in
Graftons own office had gone out!
For a moment he was absolutely
certain OF the fact. Short as had been
his view OF the windows. he felt wholly
positive that they had been brilliantly
illuminated. and that. at the very in
slant OF his turning, the illumination
had vanished.
But as he stood and stared at the
black wall. five blocks behind. the I'm
probability of the affair confronted
him
Doubtless he had been mistaien-ths
lights had been in one of the other
offices. either on the floor above or the
floor below. Probably one OF the few
late tenants war lust leaving his place
Of business; that must have been Il.
And yet the rooms directly above
him we're occupied by French. the
architect. and French had been in New
York for more than a week And the
rooms below were rented by Drake,
the lawyer. who had passed the best
part OF a month IN bed with rheuma-
tism.
Grafton muttered In his perlexity.
and stared on. Whether ne cared To
admit It or not, II was very unlikely
that the iights had been either above
or below his rooms and the precious
contents
Well-it was his own office. then ana
Parker had turned on the Iarps for
final look around. That was like
Parker. for in his scrupulous care Of
All things pertaining to the big build
ing It had probably occurred to him to
glance about when his employer had
left In search OF possible stray
matches or cigar-stImps tnat might
have made trouble.
But there was just A little aau, O.,
that theory. as Grafton discovered
after moments consideration Par
ker began his tour at the ton ana
worked down. through all the offices
ana suites. At seventeen minutes mast
twelve. as Grafton recalled very vivid
~ now. he had pressed the watcbman's
button IN room on the tenth floor
me short walk with EIsford and
Ihelr parting had consumed perbans
ntteen minutes; Grafton's wait on the
corner and his own covering ~ ar
other five blocks might have been poo5
Tor another ten.
Ihat made twenty-five roInutes a.
least which must nave oIanso5 -.
their watching the clock ana porI,o-.-
TOUR rarely consumed more than baIf
aH "our- In short, he must now be
soiie"here about the third hoor-and
Cou'o not nave turned out those
hgnts. not two minutes back.
haVing made his quick calculation
cnlu ran through Grafton. The ou.or
siEht had not been his Imagination. 81
mac not been caused by Parker. AMI ~
not by Parker. then by whom?
hlsiord's gloomy forebodings swent
over him WITH the force Of a dire
prophecy Had his office been entered
and by some one Interested in obtain-
ing possession OF the CoIston notes7
was there man in the neighborbood
so expert and daring that he had un-
deitaken the fob of opening Grafton.s
impregnable safe?
And II 50, was the safe really i'm
pregnable; and n ii were not. 5,ad the
early morning visitor succeeded in
making Off with the contents?
"Some One Went Out"
The questions surged through Graf
tons mind with a speed almost stupe-
Tying. tie stepped out briskIy for the
Grafton building, and any sense OF
shame had vanished altogether.
block was behind. and his srs-
cions mad turned to certainties-bis
office had been entered. He glanced
up again at the building. half exoect-
ing 20 see the light once more. but
something in the very blackness OF the
big expanse seemed to hint that the
damage WAS already done
IL was an old notion. but II i'm
pressed Grafton powerfully at the mo-
ment. ne quickened mis- walk. and
quickened Il again. until. at the third
block he was running at top speed to-
ward his offices. now glancing ahead.
now glancing upward again. The wall
remained absolutely dark and blank
II seemed TO have no intention OF sun
plementing the bit OF odd Information
already given its owner
The last OF the Ave blocks he covered
Al "A literal gallo9; when ne pulled M
sharply before the big arched doorway
he was painting hard. as much from