Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-08-03
CHAPTER XVII.
A Fair Of Thieves.

tarroon, were Mastering eagerly along
converging routes TO the bachelor
nome Of Bruxton Sands. One was
sands himself Tho other was Lieu
tenant Britz OF Headquarters
Every detail in the millionalre's
suite in the St Barnabas and of his
private room in the Bowling Green Of
fee was known to Britt even more /
infinitely than to the owner. That |
had beer among tho carly activities
OF the seuth in connection with the /
case lie was able to assure himself, /
therefore, tnat no matter how much
Sands might admire the Msharanee
diamond. especially when 1t encirclcd
the white throat of the wealthy widow,
1t would be nonsensical to suppose
this admiration could descend TO Gov
etousness Clearly, Britt was in some
sort of blind alley.
AS the two men left their Offices al
most to the minute. Britt, many
blocks ahead of Sands, had arrived at
the St Barnabas before the million
are turned the Grace church bend in
Broadway. Sands man, when the
detective announced he was there for
an important talk with the million
aire, admitted Britt readily to Sands
suite.
Britt, sitting in a great leather
armchair in an attitude of sybaritic
ease, chose a panatela from his pocket
case. and then, with his eyes fixed on
the ceiling and his hands casped at
the back Of his neck. he gave himself
up to as many moments of uninter
rupted thought as the nonarrival OF
the unconscious host would permit.
He had reached a point in his media
tons that for an instant seemed to
open a way for an explanation, for
which he had come to see Sands,
when Il faint rustling in the adjoining
room reached his acute ear.
A ribbon OF subdued light between
porteres of Moorish leather gave pas
sage to his glance. He saw a shadow
fiutter at far window and. in the
next instant, rapidly and noiselessly,
he had slid out of the armchair until
he was on his knees on the rug be-
hind the shelter of a library table
soundless, Britt lifted one knee until
his foot rested firmly on the floor;
inch b. inch, still without 4 sound, he
RAISED the other. When he was fairly
on his feet, but in a crouching attitude,
he hait walked, half crawled. around
the table by the longer way. until he
was close TO the portieres. Britt was
toe good a sleuth TO make the mistake
OF looking betw cen the pOrtiercs TO
get a glimpse OF the inner room. 1t
was no part of his program to he seen
by Sands other visitor. or visitors.
lie felt justified in giving way 20 his
curiosity because it might be as much
20 the millonairos interests as to his
own--to say nothing of Mrs. Mission
ers. and that Of tho public. In fact,
the headquarters man did not waste
much time in such reflections. He
wanted TO see and hear what was go
Ing on. ard he took the readiest
means of doing so. Instead of risking
the danger OF being seen between the
parting of the pOrteres, he pierced
with his scarf pin Il tiny hole in the
Leather curtain behind which he stood,
an6 applying one eye closely, he could
see the whole inner room. 1t was the
milliOnaires bedroom. and he COM
mrndeG everything except the angle
IL which was set the window where
he had glmpsed the shadow. A slight
ly more vigorous twist or two of the
pin enlarged the microscopica: aper
tura, so that he could see even that
dot nf intnrtnr RrttZ almost
grurted with satisfaction al what he
with sssed IN the next few minutes
Til, shadow man was still at the win
dow. futtar,ng, fitting to and fro
rising and falling It croUched out
side the window in such a way SIS
shaved Fritz it was on a fire e.ca De
or q balcony OF some sort. The rust
Eng sound Increased, and It vas 10.
iowed by faint "chcep," Ike a sEE
row cali A second shadow futtsret
from q pS;rt above the window anC
melted iros the outlines of the frat
Ths. came a slightly ranping sound
and the lowe SSH. Britt NODDED
.renbi.d ~ weil-nish imperpsctisi'
degrees the sash was lifted. The nsx
instant two m.n noiseessly lcw-~~'
thGI,Sa'veS to the moor ana d Cil
hastily about the room. Rea-r t.
tho swift look. they tiptoed ali" ~
w.lls frCl right TO left; one 81 thor
stopped at chiNonicr, the other cor
timed his little journey of investiga
ton until ne arrived at the portierei
Then II wes that Britt held hi
breath He held It for seconds tina
se~n,ss as tedious as hours while tn
nearer of the strange visitors, sepi
rated from him only by the thickness
of the leather, pecred through tn
parting between the curtains into ID
library where the detective stood
Britt rad not obtained a good vic
Of the intruder's face for it was Ia
hidden by lorse fold of the turba
uron bis head that indicated IN
Etr9nger's Dationality, Eritz's eye
still were fixed at tho hole. an
by that time the stranger WI
out OF his line OF vision. Ha
such not been the case, It
pcssbls kat even the impe
rurbable Britt would have move
at least 20 tho extent Of a swift reat
to q side pocket in his coat, For
was about as evil a countenance {
one co1id expect 20 see anywher