Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-01
Copyright, 1907, Dy Thontas H. Mckee.

and were in the company of General and Mrs. Ed
ward Blasheld and chatting in the box after the
second act when usher came up behind Rand ana
said:
Mr. Lawrence Rand? There is gentleman in the
next box who wishes to see you for moment.
With apology Rand left u.s. and almost imme-
diaely l heard the sharp click of rubber band
against the palm of his hand, little innocent-ap-
pearing signal which we often used, and supposing
that he wanted me, too left the box and entered
the next one.
With his chair hitched UP close to the one in which
sat Rand was man of remarkable appearance. VI
medium height and slender, with dark olive skin,
flashing black eyes and wealth of straight black
hair splendid teeth and extremely fine features, he
was easily recognized as an Oriental OF n1gh CASTE
His forehead and certain facial lines indicated fine
mind and delicate romantic, sensitive nature. His
age was about thirty-eight.
Rand endeavoring to repress an excited out
pouring of some narrative, evidently until l could
hear it also.
Mr.. Duncan this is the honorable Khan Nadjan,
whom you will recall as the importer and expert in
Persian rugs. His place is just around from the
club He has a difficult problem for U.S. and as he
speaks Italian better than English, need you badly
Otherwise should not have called you away from our
friends"
So intent was the noble Persian relieving him
self of his burden of perpexity that he cut short his
acknowledgment of the introduction and plunged
into vertable torrent of Italian strongly favored
with the Neapolitan dialect He was so wrought UP
that he was nearly frantic Reducing his statement
to important facts in their proper proportion, the
story was as follows.
For ten years he had occupied the second and third
floors of house in East Sxtythrd street subletting
it from the owner a Mrs Terrence Malvern Her hus-
band was mining engineer absent in foreign lands
the greater portion of each year. AT present Mrs
Malvern had been gone from the house for period
of four months, visit to a married daughter
leaving the establishment in charge of her brother
a middle-aged person named John Coughlan. He
had been clerk in bank until he thirty, but
after siege of typhoid had become a helpless de-
pendent sort of individual, likely to do the most
childish and foolish things. Nothing criminal had
ever been observed in his makeup, and he had never
eyinced any unusual cunning curiosity.
The first floor of the, house was occupied by a
bachelor surgeon, Dr. Justin Huntley, a specialist in
gunshot wounds. The doctor had been in the house
five years when Nadjian took up his abode in it.
There an old colored maid-of-all-work who came
above the first floor each morning to for the
apartments of the two bachelors. She never left
the basement after ten o'clock each day. unless
moned, and Nadjian left the house until after
eleven. 4.ee a
For three months his apartments had been entered
in his absence by some unknown visitor regularly
he left the house, the unknown nearly always dis
library as il looking for papers among his private
documents Several times he had returned in fifteen
minutes with the purpose of catching the intruder,
only to find that the unknown had come and gone.
There but two means of entrance to the house,
the basement door opening on the areaway at the
street. and the door to thedoctors floor, approached
by the steps from the street. There was vacant
lot on the east side of the house. and an air shaft
feet wide the west side, between the house and
yvhic CHI offa
to the roof
The skylight door secured with a strong
Yale lock, the key to which lay among many others
in locked drawer of Nadjians desk The back of the
house barred at all apertures with an iron trels
work.
For a week trusted clerk from the rug store
had seen one coming going from either of the
front doors. Yet signs of visitation were apparent
when Nadjian returned each day. 1t was proof con-
elusive, therefore, that either Dr. Huntey or John
Coughlan were candestnely endeavoring to get pos
session of something valuable which they knew or
imagined, Nadjian to have among his effects There
were many tapestries. pieces of Damascened
plate. paintings ivory, antique jewels and other
articles both large and small of high virtu yet
nothing had ever been taken away.
"And now, you see, gentlemen 'sNadjian concluded
Il have told you everything. have absolutely moth
ing that either my dear friend, the DOCTOR or the
miserable Coughlan could want that they have not
had every opportunity for taking. but one or the
other persists in coming to my rooms secretly If
Coughlan-poof he is slow fool and do not care
If Dr. Huntley, am grieved; am hurt. am morti-
fed to the depths should not want to live, for he
is more to me than my brother. Such a friend as
the heart of could hope to find only in million
of these human wretches-so l will not give up my
comrade-Mon Deu but must know, or | shall go
mad l must know at once"
Rand and, exchanged glances Nadjian.s sincerity
and feeling were evident On the face of things the
case not important in the least as Nadan's
peace of mind depended it's solution, and as it
presented most aurng mystery TO us. Before
passing should add that Nadjian, having heard of
Rand had been on his track since five that after
noon and had only caught up with him at the opera