Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-08-03
~ am not going to prosecute them"

Il am not going TO prosecute tncu,
said Sands.
"Oh, you're not, aren't yout Well,
think you WILL returned Britt. Any
way, II you don't feel like prosecuting
them, I'll do It myself. This case is
not In your hands now; 1t belongs to
the people Of the State Of New York,
and IL you don't choose to appear as
complainant, III call you as witness
for the State. So, Mr.. Sands, II you
are not hopelessly addicted to cigars
or cigarettes to the exclusion OF all
others forms OF the weed. permit mo
to suggest that when we have LETT
.ou alone, you retire to the remote
background Of your apartment. put
that In your pipe and smoke ~!
Sands became genuinely angry. II
took d good deal to disturb his equa-
nimity, but the detectives manner, as
he saw It, was offensive. Sands seri'
cusly meditated for an instant an at
tempt to grasp the Headquarters man
by the collar, rush him to the door,
and drop him down at least one night
of stairs The sleuth's GOODNESS and
courage avoided any unpleasantness
of that sort, and his unwilling host
quickly regalned his grip upon him
self
The tension Of the situation was re-
Taxed by the buzzing Of the electric
bell at the outer door OF the apart
ment. and the entrance Of Q somewhat
clustering belboy with an announce
ment that a patrol wagon was at the
door and two policemen were asking
for Detective Britz Of Headquarters,
who was visiting Mr.. Sands.
Bring them up" said Britt, vast
ing no further time on courtesy. Then
he turned to the millionaire and said:
81 wouldn't have brought the patrol
wagon here Mr. Sands. If you had
been little more considerate. A
couple Of plain-clothes men could have
taken these fellows to the police sta
ton easily enough; but, when man,
through a rush OF emotion to the
brain. or--for-sOme-othe reason
makes faces at the law as openly as
YOU have done. why, let the law take
its course, I say"
Sands maintained a dignified silence
as pair of bluecoats. stumbling over
bearskin rug in the library, came
into the suite. and at sign from
Britt, seized the shrinking Orientals.
One by one the prisoners were lifted,
neck and heels, and taken to the pa
troll wagon Britt, of course. could
have had the bandages about their
feet removed, for 1t would have been
perfectly safe to let those sturdy po-
Mcemen escort them to the sidewalk
in the ordinary way; but Britt was
only human. The memory of the grip
in which those very men had held him
in the ride along Riverside Drive, OF
the smothering solitude Of the desoate
apartment house, and the struggle
;, which had followed, came to him In
the moment when he was on the point
Of ordering the interfering Of the
captives With a grin that STRUCK
terror to their cringing Eastern souls
ne said to them:
You two artists are so fond OF Sill
that I guess I'll let you wear those
- ornaments a little while longer"
a When the Iindoos were gone. Brit;
a turned TO SdnuS, anu Sdlu Win ciu
d phasis:
O IF you experience change o
heart, Mr. Sands, ! shall be very glat
y. 70 hear from you in regard to wha
~ you found on your dark friend. o
II. course. since you are In your owl
rooms, and since the article was evi
IDENTITY stolen In this place by the fel
low, I cannot compel you. without
- great deal Of trouble, to let me Sc
-, It. II Is not at all certain II would b
worth my while to take that trouble
a but It may dawn upon you before yer
long that Il viii be well worth you
a. while, Mr. Sands, Tot only to let me Sc
. ;, the thing but 10 tell me everything 20
know about It Goodnight. Mr.. Sands.
- And there was something ominou
III the military olick Of the detective
D., heels as he walked across the echoin
as narquetry to the elevator.