The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-24
No. 7
The Iron Circlet.

turn, but this was quickly doomed to
disappointment, for two months after
the events related in the last story. as
] was walking down WeIbeck street. ]
noticed that the blinds in her house
were up, that there We're fresh curtains
In the windows and that the place bore
all the usual marks of habitatiOn. With
q sinking heart | was just commenting
on this fact when l saw the hall door
open and a slender, dark-eyed young
woman run down the steps. She
glanced at me, raised her brows very
slightly as if she recognized me. half
paused as if about to speak, then
changed her mind and walked rapidly
just a few PAGES in front of me down
the street. / had certainly never seen
her before. and plying her as in all
probability one of madame's victims,
went on my own way.
In the course of the same afternoon
visited Dufrayer at his Office. A glance
at his face showed me that he had
something to say. He drew me aside
with certain eagerness and began to
speak.
II really believe he cried. that the
tide has turned at last. Madame is so
emboldened by her success that she is
certain to do something foolish"
'She is back in town." I interrupted.
Il passed her house this morning,
and"
she returned about a fortnight ago"
interrupted Dufrayer. Now. listen,
Head, I have something TO tell you.
You know that for a long time Tyier's
agents have been following Mime. KO-
luchy? It was only yesterday morning
that Tyler drew my attention to a mat
ter which looked uncOmmOnly sus-
picious. But read this advertisement
for yourself"
As he spoke Dufrayer handed me the
Times Of a week back. Under the head
ing situations Vacant" he pointed to
the following words;
''Wanted-A frst-rate bacteriOlOgist
to advise on a matter of a very private
nature: handsome remuneration to any
one possessing the necessary knOwl-
edge. Apply, in strict privacy. by letter
only. to k X. $50 Times Office, Z. c."
| put the paper down.
What is there suspicious about
that?" I asked.
AT first sight one would think moth
ing" was the answer, but Tyler is so
alert that not a single thing escapes
him now. The X. X first aroused his
sense of inquiry.
Katherine Koluchyr' l cried. Sure
~ il this were an advertisement put in
by madame she would not, knowing
how she is wanted. use her own in
itials?''
Re seems scarcely likely" he an
swered, but I viii tell you exactly
what has happened. On seeing the ad-
vertisement Tyler a. once posted man
in the Times advertisement Office. eX-
planning his business to the clerks.
Tyler's man was Instructed how TO
proceed \ bout II o'clock on the morn
ing after the advertisement was first
published a person arrived received
two letters and went away. Tyler's
clerk Immediately followed this man.
who went straight to Nine. Koluchy's
house. L was a lucky shot of Tyler's.
and they are following up the scent
closely. He has further discovered
that they have engaged no less per-
son than the we'll known bacteriOlOgist,
James Lockhart. TO undertake this very
mysterious business. His private lab
oratOry is in Devonshire street. The
question now arises, What steps are
we to take?"
u see that you have an idea." I re-
piled.
well. I have; or, rather, it is Tyler's
he suggests a bold step. He thinks
that you and / ought to call on Lock
hart. There is no question with regard
to his position and knowledge. He has
cone more original work during the last
two years i'm bacteriology than anyone
else in the country. and if this terrible
Brotherhood should worm some secret
opt of him on a plausible pretext, they
may use it to deadly effect, making him
the unsuspecting agent of a terrible
crime. Knowing ali that we do. Head,
] think we are bound to see him.
/ thought over Dufrayer's suggestion.
Il am puzzled to know what TO say
was my reply. "Lockhart may not like
our interfering"
VERY possibly, but, nevertheless, the
duty OF warning him remains the
same"
IF you feel so, -Dufrayer, I have no
doubt you are right" I said. When
viii you so to see Lockhart? 1 shall, of
course. be willing to accompany you"
Il cannot look him up today, for 1
am unfortunately busy at the courts TO
the last moment. but I suggest that you
and 1 go to 1is house tomorrow morn
ing at 10 o'clock"
VERY WE'LL answered, Il will meet
you outside his door at that hour"
A few minutes later / left Dufrayer.
Absorbed in anxious thought, present.
~ found myself in Piccadilly and then
I'm Bond street I walked on slowly: my
thoughts were so anxious that they
seemed TO impede my movements.
Madame had returned. Once again
she was at work on some hideous
machinati0n. Once again Dufrayer and
I held our lives in our hands. Know
ing the woman as / did, could scarce
ly agree with Dufrayer that, embold-
ened by success, she was becoming less
cautious. Never yet was she known to
allow her vigilance 10 sleep, and not
even in the hour of victory would il
fail her. On the face of it, this very
open advertisement looked queer, but
surely there was more behind. Yes.
we must warn Lcckhart He would
resent our interfering. but what mat
ter? He was strong man in every
sense of The word, and I rather Won
dered at madame selecting him to do
her deadly work 1 had seen him more
than once during the last couple of
years His remarkable genius and the
briIliancy of some of his lectures before
the Royal society returned wildly to
my memory.
The hour was now before 4 and 5. L
suddenly remembered that had prom
ised TO meet a man in some tea rooms
which had lately been opened in Bond
street. I found the right place and
walked down a long. narrow passage.
which opened into a small courtyard.
surrounded by coffee and tea rooms of
different descriptions. The seclusion