The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-11-04
CHAPTER XVli.-(continued.)

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'sYou are not very clever" he said,
"but anyway. you're g fine-look1ng
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 20 you is to try hencoops for q
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 IN ignoble end. They fol
lowed Britt with their joint gaze as
he paced up and down the room, both
pitifully Watchful, and manifestly
most wholesonely afraid.
You saw part of what these chaps
were doing, Mr.. Sands" said Britt,
''but what you saw was only the last
of 1t. want to tell you the way they
went through this room was amazing.
] hope you didn't lose many yalu-
ables."
Sands. in his slow way, assured the
detective that 1t was not likely the
searchers 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 Orienta1s. It was
possible, of course, they had searched
Sands room simply as 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
a deeper significance What if they
had reason to believe they would sure
ay find what they sought in that room
II Sands did not know there was JUS
tif1cation for the search, why did he
take 1t so calmly? It did not seem
natural for man to keep his tempe,
whose apartments had been invaded
so thoroughly. II the millionaire hat
expressed any Indignation he, Britt
would have felt better satisfied. Be
sides. what was 1t the Hindoos hat
kaken from Sands desk? Sands hat
mot seen them take anything, as they
were ending their search when he go
the first glimpse of them. Brit,
watched Sands closely to see If the
imillionaire's eyes would turn anxi
ously toward that part of his furni
ture. He almost started when the frs
move Sands made, after finishing hi
task Of binding the prisoners, was t.
saunter with careless air across tn,
room and, in passing, glance swift.
and questioningly into the pigeon
holes whence the thieves had alb
GtraGted the mysterious articles tina
60 actively engaged Births always &C
tive curiosity.
"It's about up TO us to do littl,
searching now, isn't it?" asked Britz
''7'hese bright young men have hat
their innings. and l believe it's ou
turn at bat. What do you say, Mr.
Sands2"
Sands said nothing. He nodded hi
head in assent, however, and Britt be
gan a search of the Orientais fully al
exhaustive as thai they had performed
On the room Before he had gone fa
IN his quest, Sands volunteered as
sistance. and each explored the folds
of the Hindoos' raiment with thu
clumsiness that might be expected o
men not accustomed to that sort o
work.
Britt, working more swiftly than tn,
millionaire, made his first find. 1t wa
sheet of notepaper Of fashionabl.
size and tint, on which had been writ
ten q few lines In q feminine hand
Britt had not the slightest compunc
ton of conscience about reading IL
Chivalry was all very well in its way
but It played no part In detectiv,
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 cluste
of incandescent lamps read aloud tt
Sands the following enigmaucal mis-
sfve:
Curtis Dear: When are you com