The Washington times., 1911-03-08

ming into the sill from each door. sir. "
the second man responded readily
| Neither of them was down"
But you are perfectly sure you put
them down the night before?"
| Perfectly sure, sir"
How are you sure?" Gray banged at
him suddenly.
| Willis smiled family.
| Because there was terrible squeak
! In each of them, sir, and 1 thought when
l shot them Monday night that I'd for
| gotten to oil them another day."
| Eh? Made a really loud noise?'
! Ihey certainly did, sir. oiled them
| Wednesday,"
ond mans head for a moment. Your
name is Willis, isn't it?"
| Yes, SIR
We'll, Willis, did MIR. Forbes summon
yCu to his room Monday night after ne
reiiredY'
4 took him a glass of hot milk, sir.
in it,
The second man sent a quick gaze to-
| ward Earker, as if to inquire whether
he was telling too much. The lawyer
! nodded reinsurance, and Willis breath
| ed sigh Of relief as Gray went on.
| The milk was there in the morning,
| eh? l thought 50. Willis, was Mr..
Forbes alone when you were in the
ROOM"
No, Mr.. Norman Deston was in the
| room, sir.
Was Mr.. Deston there when you
left?'
Yes, sir"
SO that the last you saw of Mr..
Forbes was with Mr.. Deston%'
Yes, sir
Got a good memory, Willis" Gray
perched on the edge of the table.
Very good, sir
While you were in the room, the gen.
| flpmpn in
What were they talking about?"
"Why-" Willis face screwed up in
thought. They were talking about
about Mr.. Gerald's ruby ring"
asked quickly.
In his little safe, sir
willis, do you remember exactly
what Mr.. Deston was saying about the
ring?'
Il believe he wanted to see it, sir
And do you remember exactly what
Mr.. Forbes was doing when you left
the ROOM
II think that he was jingling the
keys in his pocket"
You found the safe open in the
morning?"
Il did
And Immediately you made a mental
picture of one or the other of those
gentlemen Sneaking up to the safe on
hands and knees in the dead of night.
with a pocket light trained on the key
hole, Eh, Willis"
The second mans sudden flush grew
to purple. Willis said nothing-and Gray
laughed again.
Don't make mental pictures, Willis!
It's bad job for a deep student of the
modern sensational newspaper"
The detectives hands went into hfs
pockets, and he looked at the others al
most airily.
There's nothing more that ! wish to
know for the time he stated. You,
Burton?"
my own account" the specialized man
BarroWs' eyes turned away from his
minute inspection of Pell with puz-
zled smile.
II don't know that 1 have any fur
ther questions to ask he said.
Then let's get out into the sunshine
Gray seemed quite to have finished his
task at the Deston home. I'm going
down to the inn and start few things
in motion. Coming"'
His associates rose silently, and pos
sibly Barker permitted himself sigh
of relief as he accompanied them from
the room. Willis, at nod from the
and threw them open, and Gray, after
a glance at the thick bolts, stepped
through and stopped and beamed at the
brilliant morning.
Pell remained behind and Deston,
after a minute or two. looked up to find
him regarding his master with a wide
eyed, frightened stare and trembling vio-
lently. Deston Strengthened up and his
own eyes took on a rather startled
expression al the sudden, tremulous cry
of the butler:
"Oh, Mr.. wilkes. sir, what are they
going to find out?"
(Tbe Continuation of This Story VIII
Be Found in TOmorrOw's Issue
of The Times.)