Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
CHAPTER Xxx.


Each creak sent a thrill of terror
through me The noise made in that
ascent seemed terrific in the dead silence
of the night.
At last we found ourselves in the hail.
with a thick Turkey carpet beneath our
feet On the LETT a door stood open. and
with fash from my lamp l saw it was
the dining room Behind was a small
alcove furnished in eastern style and used
as a smoking room, while behind us were
the stairs. rather narrow, but with
carpet SO thick that we had no necessity
for placing the socks over our shoes.
Ascending to the fire. floor. we FOUND
that the drawing room and the adjoining
room at the back had been turned INTO
spacious and well furnished lfbrary-with
all the appearance of the den OF
studious man. From floor To ceiling IL
was lined with books. and here and there
coy corner. with a seat for the reader,
secluded from draughts.
As flashed my light around. l saw that
in the center stood a large writing table,
upon which was big silver bowl iull OF
! Marechal Mel roses. ON the floor, lying
unfolded, was a large map of Europe.
Dare We switch on the light? asked
Cunlffe in a whisper, as he still stood
near the door.
l replied in the affirmative and few
seconds later the apartment was sudden
~ flooded with a soft mellow nght, cum
A fine and yet repoSeful retreat was
there revealed. just such room as would
appeal to the student, the standing des &
the red leather reading chair and the
typewriter. Rufford. the man whose pen
manship was unequaled i'll the kingdom
was a man of refined tastes. Unlike most
criminals, he could lead quiet, unob-
trusive life when necessary, and pose as
the learned studious man in round gold
trimmed SpectacleS-
Near the big fireplace, before which
stood an old-fashioned screen of embroid-
cred silk, was ladys chair, where the
pale green cushion crushed back showed
a recent occupant. His fair visitor-the
young woman who worked in the Soho
laundry-had sat there.
The odor of an excellent cogar
still chung to the place, and on a
side table was a haif-emptied bottle
of Evian water and a glass, for the &C.
cupier of that house was, l knew, tee
totaler.
The big mahogany writing table. how
ever. attracted me. 1t was spick and span.
with silver inkstand and unsullied blot
ting pad
tried the drawers. but all were locked
Let's prize them open,' suggested my
companion. and next moment he COM
menced operations with his iron bar.
1t was dangerous work, for the noise he
made seemed to my excited hearing ire
mendous. The drawers, however, did not
yield. or rather he grew frightened. such
cracking Of wood did he make. There
fore we went to work upon them with the
punches of our own keys. One of Cum
liffe's. fortunately. fitted, and in few
moments the whole seven were unlocked
They, however, proved disappointing. In
the center drawer were few rather fine
old miniatures. for Garshore was a man
OF antiquarian tastes and had a habit Of
picking up trifleS his erratic wander
ings. The next, turned over by my COM
panion. contained only embossed sta
tlonery. In the next were couple of
balls of string and some sealing wax, a
cheque book and a few other odds and
| ends. One drawer l opened was cramhed
full OF newspaper cuttings. | saw that
they related to the strange adventures of
Willoughby, alias Rufford. the story Of
which had, remember, appeared in the
papers two or three years before.
That drawer 1 closed quickly away from
the sharp eye of my companion.
In the others were only few unim-
portant letters, mostly in French and
German, from acquaintance abroad.
AID this quiet room filed with books
all SO transformations and yet so elegant,
so businesslike and yet 50 restful, the
home of one of the most remarka bile
scoundrels of modern times.
l gaZed around full of curiosity and at
| the same time full of disappointment. We
had taken all that trouble and run all
that risk-for nothing.
l made a tour of the bookcases and on
the opposite side of the room came upon
two nests of drawers. These we exam
ined, but found nothing of suspicious
nature. While we were thus engaged
however, a noise caused US to halt sud-
denly and hold our breaths.
Some one was moving in the room
above, Had we disturbed the owner of
the place?
The room above was no doubt the best
bedroom, and there Garshore slept, with
out a doubt Voices sounded there
n tn ha nj
switched off the light silently, leaving us
in total darkness. save for a faint gray
glimmer through the blinds. The person
above seemed TO be stumbling about, while
at the same time a very curious odor
greeted our nostris-a smell that l had
never before experienced.
That's curious" remarked Cuniffe,
shifting quickly. Il hope the place isn't on
fire.
took a long breath, and it certainly
did seem like something burning I'M
pleasantly. Suddenly both our hear
s~ve a great bound. for we heard the
faint sound of an electric bell ringing
somewhere in an upper floor.
He was giving the alarm.
What shall we do" asked my friend
in quick alarm
Stay here" I said, firmly, land face
the music. What a pity haven't a
weapon with u.s.
But Cunliffe grasped his iron bolt and
expressed his intention of Telling W thout
a word the first person who entered the
place. So we waited. and presently heard
the sound of slippered feet followed by
the humble of voices above. Then there
was loud knocking, as though a fire
was being stirred
At last all became quiet again, the
silence unbroken save for the ticking of
our watches. until presently we ventured
to move again.
l had flashed on my hand-lamp as we
moved into the adjoining room. also a
library when of sudden the ray of light
shone upon a small table in the corner
and l saw upon it large silver frame
In IT was photograph
Involuntarily l uttered low cry, for
he photograph standing there was that
of Elfrida Maynard-the pale faced girl
who lived within that mans thralidom.
You know herr whispered the jour
nalist. as l crossed quickly to the table
and took up the pic, ure to examine II
more closely by the light of my lamp.
who is she?'
IA friend of mine" | stammered
Il had no idea that l should see her pc
ture In this house. 1t was a beautiful
portrait. showing her in evening bodice.
with roses in her hair. and smile upon
those sweet lips that I SO longed 10 k SIS
And he. heartless. scheming Scoundrel
that he was, kept there enShrined the pic
ture of the girl he had so shamefuliy de-
ceived
l had replaced it upon the table with a
sigh, and was sweeping the room with
my tiny lamp. which shed long streak
of white briliance. when there became
paneling of the archway between the two
rOomsA Folding doors had once existed
there, no doubt. These had been removed
and oak paneling placed upon the dividing