The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-03-03

oLIlO
The solicitor smiled.
My client, Mr.. Potham, may not
er-start business-for ten years. he
said. In fact, until-well, until he
dies, Mr.. Potham."
CHAPTER II.
THE HOUSE IN TERRINGTON
SQUARE.
A man turned into Terrineton Square
from Seymour street and walked leis.
urely past the policeman on point duty.
bidding him a cur good night" The
officer subsequently described the pass
er. as a foreign-looking gentleman with
a short pointed beard. Under the light
dress, for the officer observed the shoes
with the plain black bow, and the
white silk muffer and the crush hat
supported that view. The ma crossed
the road, and disappeared round the
corner of the rallied garden that forms
the center of the square. A belated
early newspaper cart, taking a short
cut to Paddington. followed: then the
square was deserted save for the man
h policeman.
The grim, oppressive houses OF the
square were wrapped in sleep-drawn
AeAN AAPA WINDOWS 6I1O ST.
lence.
The man continued his stroll until
he came abreast of No. 40. Here he
topped for a second. gave one swift
glance up and down the thoroughfare-
ana the three steps of the
key, turned it, and entered. Inside he
stood for a moment, then taking a
small electric lamp from his pocket
ne switched on the current.
He did not trouble to survey the wide
entrance hall. but flashed the tiny beam
OF hight on the inside face Of the
door. Two thin wires and a small coil
comment. One of the wires had been
snapped by the opening of the door.
.Burglar-alarm. Of course" he muir
INJURED ~approvingly. "All the windows
what pitfalls waiting for the unwarv."
he hasfied the lamp round the hall.
A heavy Turkish rug at the foot of
the winding staircase secured his atten-
ton. He took from his pocket a tele-
scop1c stick. extended it, and fixed it
towards h rug With his stick he
lifted the corner. and what he saw
evidently satisfied him, for he returned
TO the door, where in a recess stood
a small marble statue. All his strength
was required to lift this, but he stag
Sc ea - Win H. ana Tolllng 1t on
us circular base. as railway porters roll
milk churns. he brought it to the edge
of the rug. With a quick push he
planted 1t square in the center of the
carpet. For a con only it stood,
oscillating, then like a flash it disap-
peared n where the carpet had lain
was a black. gaping hole. He waited.
somewhere from the depths came a
crash. and the carpet came slowly IN
again and filled h space. The unner-
turbed visitor n0dded his head. as
though again apPfdsing the household
II don't suppose he has learnt any
new ones" he murmured regretfully.
ne is getting e old. He took
stock of the walls. They were
covered with paintings and
He could not have fixed the cross fire
IN a modern house." he continued, and
taking q little run. leapt the rug and
rested for a moment on the bottom
stair: A suit of half armor on the first
landing held him in thoughtful atten-
tlon for a moment. "Elizabethan body.
with a Spanish hayonet,'' he said, re-
grnIfully; that doesn't look like a
lamp up and down the silent figure
that stood in menacing attitude with a
raised battle-ax. II dom like that AK,
he murmered. and measured the dis
lance.
Auen ne saw the line wire that
stepped across carefully, and ranged
himself alongside the steel knight.
Slipping Off his coat, he reached I'm and
caught the figure by the wrist. hen
With a quick jerk of his foot he snapped
the wire.
He had been prepared for the me-
chanical downfall Of the ak: but as the
wire broke the figure turned to the
right. n swish! came the AK in a
semicircular cut. He had thought to
hold the arm as it descended. but he
might as well have tried to hold the
pistoa-rod of an engine. His hand was
wrenched awLy. and the razor-iike
OF the ak missed his head by the
franction of a second. Then with a
whir the arm rose stiffy again to its
original position and remained rigid.
The visitor moistened his lips and
~
That's a new one, a yerv new one"
he said under his breath, and the ad-
miration in his tone was evident. He
picked up his ~overcoat, flung It over
his arm, and mounted half a dozen
steps to the next landing. The inspec-
ton of the Chinese cabinet was salts
factory.
The white beam of his lamp flashed
and crevices and showed
He shook the curtain of a
window and listened, holding his
Not here, he muttered decisively,
old man wouldn't try that game.
Snakes turned loose in a house in Lon
don,, s. w, take a deal OF collecting
in the morning."
He looked round. From the landing
was gained to three rooms. That
which from its position he surmised
faced the street, he did not attempt to
enter. The second. covered by a heavy
he looked at for a time in
thought. To the third he walked. and
carefully swathing the door handle
with his silk muff1er, he turned ii.
The door Welded HI hosifatod ~