The Delta independent., 1911-09-22

mond. After arriving here, l had The
opportunity to serve you in the way
of protecting your property And
wasted no time in meeting with you.
You see fit to ignore my efforts in tina,
direction. although l may say that If II
had not been for me these second.
story specialists would have been uu
or down the fire escape and many
blocks away long before you could
have caught them. l do not mind tell
ing you. Mr.. Sands. that even though
you were center rush at Harvard YOU
are not quick enough for Central Once
men. And now, when you md some
thing on one Of these men that may
or may not be of interest to me, In
stead of letting me see it. or telling
me its contents-Td take your word
for it-you stun 1t into your pocket
and tell me to go to blazes. Moreover.
when | ask you what disposition you
want made of these burglars. you al
most tell me it's none of my bust
ness"
Britt rocked on his heels and thrust
his hands into his pockets with force
that was eloquent of his displeasure
to anybody who knew him well.
Now, let me tell you, Mr.. Sands"
he went on. that 1t is my business
what becomes of these prisoners.
They are going to the Tenderloin Po-
lice Station. and charge of burglary
is going to be entered on the blotter
against them"
81 am not going to prosecute them"
said Sands.
"Oh. you're not aren't you? 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 II you don't choose to appear as
complainant, I'll call you as witness
for the State. So. Mr.. Sands. If you
are not hopelessly addicted to cigars
or cigarettes to the exclusion of all
others forms of the weed. permit me
to suggest that when We have left
you alone, you retire to the remote
background of your apartment. put
that in your pipe and smoke IT."
Sands became genuinely angry. It
took a good deal to disturb his equa-
nimity. but the detectives manner, as
he saw 1t, was offensive. Sands seri-
ously 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 flight
of stairs The sleuth's GOODNESS and
courage avoided any unpleasantness
of that sort. and his unwilling host
quickly regained 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 a somewhat
clustering bellboy with an announce
ment that a patrol wagon was at the
door and two policemen were asking
for Detective Britt 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:
II wouldn't have brought the patrol
wagon here. Mr.. Sands, If you had
been a little more considerate.
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-oth reason
makes faces at the law as openly as
you have done. why, let the law take
its course, l say"
Sands maintained a dignified silence
as pair of bluecoats, stumbling over
a bearskin rug in the library, came
to- Of CT frnT
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 It would have been
perfectly safe to let those sturdy po-
licemen 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 desolate
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.
he said to them:
You two artists are so fond of silk
that | guess III let you wear those
ornaments little while longer"
When the Hindoos were gone, Britt
turned to Sands, and said with en-
phasis:
"If you experience change OF
heart. Mr.. Sands. shall be very glad
to hear from you in regard to what
you found on your dark friend. or
course, since you are In your own
rooms, and since the article was evil
IDENTIFY stolen in this place by the fell
low, / cannot compel you. without a
| great deal Of trOnble. to let ma see