The Washington herald., 1908-03-06

ln6 removal WIS HJl tlrttcu Wy pAVACS-
sional men. The way in which carpets
have been torn up and damaged, curtains
torn frora their rings. and crockery
smashed In moving shows them 10 have
been amateurs"
They had ascended to the front bed
room. wherein remained a large. heavy
old-fashioned mahogany chest of drawers,
and he had walked across TO them.
Indeed" he added. 1t almost looks
as though it were the work of thievesY'
Thieves! Why?"
''Well-look at this. They had no keys,
so they broke open the drawers and re-
moved the contents" he answered. And
look across there,
He pointed 10 small iron fireproof safe
let into the wall-a safe evidently intend
ed originally as a place for the lady Of
the house to keep her jewels.
The door stood ajar, and Max, as be
opened IT, saw that it was empty.
The curious part Of the affair was that
Max was convinced within himself that
when he had searched the house on the
previous night that safe was not there.
IL 1t was, then, the door must have been
closed and concealed.
He remembered most distinctly entering
that room and looking around. The chest
Nl uIdWtIS llhu DeSn moved since he was
last there. When he had seen them they
had been standing in their place con-
cealing the iron door of the slfe which,
when shut. closed flush with the wall.
Some one had been there since, And
whoever il was. had moved the heavy
piece OF furniture and found me safe.
He examined the door, and from It's
blackened condition, the twisted iron.
and the broken lock. no second glance
was needed to ascertain that IL had been
blown open by explosives.
Whatever valuables Or. Pe.rovitch had
KEEP. there had disappeared.
The theory Of theft was certainly sub
stantiated by these discoveries. Max
stood by the empty safe silent and won
dering
Il noticed downstairs IN the study that
a board had been pried up. as though
somebody had been searching for some
thing" the man from Harmer's remarked
Probably the doctor had something ir
ehis possession of which the thieves de-
sired to get possession.
Well, said Max. Il must say that this
safe being open looks as though the af.
fair has actually been the work Of thieves
II so, then where is the doctor; where is
his daughter, Maud, and where are tht
servants"
Yes agree. The whole affair is a
complete mystery. sir" the other replied
There have been thieves here without a
doubt. Perhaps the doctor knows al
about 1t, but for some reason dare not
utter word of complaint. Indeed. that's
my theory. He may be in fear Of them
you know. It's a gang that have done
il, without a doubt
And a pretty ingenious gang too. "
declared Max, with knit brOws.
They evidently made short work 81
all the furniture ! wonder why they
took il, and where IL Is at present"
If IL has gone 10 a sale room the DO
lice could trace it," Max suggested.
Certainly Bn. suppose 1t was trans
ferred from the vans it was taken away
in 10 the vans Of some depository. and
removed, say, 10 Portsmouth OF Plymouth
and there stored? II could be done quite
easily. and would never be traced
Yes. But It's a big job 20 have made
whole houseful of furniture disappear
in a couple Of hours
Not so big as IL first seems. sir. TC
guarantee TO clear house Of this siz,
in one hour. If necessary. And the way
they turned out the things didn't tax,
them very long. They were IN a des-
perate hurry. evidently"
DO you think that thieves did tbs
work."
I'm very strongly Of that opinion
Everything points TO II. If I were yoJ
I'd so back TO the police and tell then
about the safe. about that chest OF draw
ers. and the flooring in the study. Some,
bodys been prying about here, depend
upon it,
Max stood. stil undecided. Did it no
seem very much as though the thieve:
had visited there after Charles Rolfe haC
fed so hurriedly?
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.