The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-04-12
CHAPTER xxvill.-tcontinued.

! sign vi Il DEHl Was litI', hOihihS pS
yond slit that came from the land
ing where parafiin lamp stood. SO
far as Burles could see he was IN
bedroom. There were two beds, ana
OH each OF them lay the figure OF a
man fast asleep. Neither man had re-
moved his clothes, and one OF them
was snoring soundly Greatly daring,
Burles crept across the bare floor and
opened the door little wider. SO that
he might get the full benefit OF the
lamp. Then he proceeded to examine
the faces Of the sleeping mn.
We'll, this is find. he told HIM
J self as he made his way into the pas
sage. Well just come and pick those
two up as soon as | have finished THIS
little business.
Tho lending was quite clear, 50 that
Burles had no difficulty In reaching
| The hall At the doors. which were
open. In one room four men were
playing bridge. Very softly Burles
opened the door leading To the yard.
: He wanted to have means OF ready
exit il possible. and II was just a
we'll If the worst came TO the worst,
to leave without being identified. He
signified TO the vigilant Sims what
| he had done. and the latter coughed
gently.
Burles was feeling cosier in his
mind now, as he returned 10 the
dingy hall BY standing al the bot
tom of the stairs he could see into
the room where Lady Altamont was
closeted with the man called O'Brien.
The latter had every appearance or
being a gentleman. he was neatly and
| plainly dressed In dark lounge suit,
his linen was spotless, he had no kind
of iewelry about him whatever. His
clean shayen, clever face was frank
| and ingenious; indeed, one OF the
| most potent weapons In y Brien 5
armour was his innocent appearance.
We'll. II can't be helped" he was
saying in his gentlemanly voice. 1T
| is our misfortune that Terry Is al
ways too clever 1f he has found him
! self in the hands of the Paris police,
as you declare, then they Will search
his rooms in their methodical way,
and not so much as false tooth Will
escape them Ii this has been done
already, then you can say goodbye 10
your share of the Wanless diamonds :
That is exactly what | am afraid
Of" Lady Atamont replied. Il sent
YOU letter tonight but after that
was despatched | decided TO come and
see you At the present moment |
am supposed TO be az home looking
aft my guests. came because i
felt that YOU would not care to run
any great risks for my sake.
II don't" said O'Brien, candidly
Your ladyship is not sufficiently
honest for my taste. You may laugh
al my remark, but YOU know perfectly
well what mean, Twice | have
pulled the chestnuts out OF the fire
for YOU and each time | have been
done out OF my share OF the booty. |
don't think much of Lancaster either
he has the Instincts OF a rogue with
out the pluck TO put desire into execu
ton.
J 1t pleases YOU TO be epigrammatic
tonight Lady Altamont sneered.
Quite so. O'Brien replied, imper-
turbably. 1T is a "Reminiscences OF my
oxford days. Seems funny TO think
that once | was a fellow Of my col
lege with every prize the university
had TO offer before me, Is crime a
disease. wonder? Am not more an
object of pity than contempt? Really
that Is a problem that is worth work
ing out
Meanwhile" Lady Altamont said
impatiently. we are wasting time !
am bound to be missed IL | stay here
any longer. And yet you are chatting
all the time as If the hours were moth
ing. VIII you be SO good as 10 get TO
business, please?'
O'Bren laughed as he lighted
4 h.n nd nf
one
softly. softly" he said THAT i'm
nerious manner OF yours does not i'm
press me In the least. And have not
vet promised that | would take a hand
in the business. Past transactions
with You have not tended to prejudice
me In your favour.
Lady Altamont choked down the
bitter words that rose TO her lips. She
could not afford to quarrel with the
man--at least Just for the moment.
II suppose you want 10 make me
feel my position she said. Well,
am ready TO offer you any apology
that you require. | will give you
$500 If you will put this matter
through for meat least. | will give
you the money when you recover the
gems
"Oh. indeed, that is very good Of
YOU. | am TO take all the risks for
an absurdly small share like that, IL
never seems 10 occur TO you that II
[ am successful | shall come back TO
England with the diamonds in my
pocket II the desirable takes place
shall be in a position to take every
thing and give you nothing You
could nor say so much as a single
word And. not to unduly trample on
your feelings, that is exactly the way
in which you would serve me"
Il am entirely in your hands, Lady
Altamont said bitterly. You may
laugh and jeer at me as much as you
please. | presume you would not do
so unless you had decided 10 take
the matter up in earnest If those
stones have not fallen into the hands
of the Paris police"
"Oh. but they have You may make
your mind up on that score. feel
quite sure that they have already been
found; they are practically advertised
by this time
Then that is all in orr favor.
Lady Altamont cried exultantly IF
they are advertised In that way, they
are not likely TO be claimed Perhaps
you had better have the full facts OF