The Delta independent., 1911-09-22
Britt of
Headquarter rs
By
MARGIN Barber
=
ILL U s RATIO BY
RAY WALTERS

"but anyway, you're a fine looking
body of men. What do you think OF
yourselves, anyhow? Think you'll cut
out this second story game? Or
will you content yourselves with the
safer occupation of dips? My private
advice to you is to try hencoops for a
while. Cut out the big circuit. and go
and get a reputation"
How much of his biting irony. If
any, the Orientals understood they
did not indicate. They only gazed at
him in dumb misery evidently in ex.
pectation of an ignoble end They fol-
lowed Britt with their joint gaze as
he paced up and down the room. both
pitifulIy watchful, and manifesuy
most wholesomely afraid.
You saw part of what these chaps
were doing. Mr.. Sands" seIt Britt.
but what you saw was only the las.
Of It. want to tell you the way they
went through this room was amazing.
hope you didn't lose many valu-
ables"
Sands, in his slow way. assured tho
detective that it was not likely the
searcbers had found anything he
would miss very greatly; but the
Headquarters man was not satisfied.
The mystery of the proceeding, he
was inclined to think. did not begin
and end with the Orientals. 1t was
possible, of course. they had searched
Sands room simply as a matter of
routine in the same way that at the
first opportunity they probably would
search the home OF everyone who
might be connected in any way with
the Missioner jewel robbery. Yet
something stirred uneasily in Britz's
mind as he reflected on the possibility
that the coming of the Orientals held
n deeper significance. What If they
had reason to believe they would sure
If Sands did not know there was JUS
tification for the search, why did he
take 1t SO calmly? 1t did not seem
natural for a man to keep his temper
whose apartments had been invaded
so thoroughly. II the millionaire had
expressed any indignation he. Britt.
would have felt better satisfied. Be-
sides, what was 1t the Hindoos had
taken from Sands desk? Sands had
not seen them take anything, as they
were ending their search when he got
the first glimpse of them. Britt
watched Sands closely to see If the
millionaire's eyes would turn anxi-
ously toward that part of his furni-
ture. He almost started when the first
move Sands made, after finishing his
task of binding the prisoners, was to
saunter with a careless air across the
room and, in passing, glance swiftly
and questioningly into the pigeon
holes whence the thieves had alb
stracted the mysterious articles that
so actively engaged Britz's always &C
tive curiosity.
Its about up to us to do a little
searching now, isn't it," asked Britt.
These bright young men have had
their innings, and | believe it's our
turn at bat What do you say, Mr..
Sands?"
Sands said nothing. He nodded his
head in assent, however, and Britt be-
gan a search of the Orientals fully as
exhaustive as that they had performed
on the room. Before he had gone Tar
in his quest, Sands volunteered as
sistance. and each explored the folds
of the Hindoos' raiment with the
clumsiness that might be expected OF
men not accustomed to that sort OF
work
Britt, working more swiftly than the
millionaire, made his first find 1t was
sheet of notepaper of fashionable
size and tint, on which had been writ
ten a few lines in feminine hand
Britt had not the slightest compunc
ton of conscience about reading 1t
Chivalry was all very well in its way
but 1t played no part in detective
work, especially when the lady mos
concerned was not present to make {
protest. He moved to the center o
the room, and in the light of cluster
of incandescent lamps read aloud t.
Sands the following enigmatical mis-
sive:
Curtis Dear: When are you com
ing up to the hotel? II you do no
come or send me a check quickly,
shall have to sell some of the jewels
"MILLICENT"
That was all Whether that "all
was much or little. Britt, offhand. wa
not prepared to say. The use of Girls
wold's given name at the beginnin
OF the note apparently meant goo
deal. But who was Millicent? In tn
course OF his probing of the Missione
diamond mystery, Britt had canvasse
the complete visiting list of everyon
who was In the opera box on the nigh
when the falsity OF the Maharane
diamond was discovered. He had ha
compiled a social register OF everyon
Interested In the case-evervone tina
Mrs. Missioner. Sands, Griswold, Mis-
Holcomb. Miss March. and the Swan
knew. In all that long roster Their
was no one named "Millicent." Neither
(nr that ma tar thara .MI