Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-08-04


and were chatting in
the box after the second act, when
an usher came up behind Rand and
said:
"Mr. Lawrence Rand? There is
gentleman in the next box who wishes
to see you for moment"
With an apology Rand left us, and
almost Immediately l heard the sharp
click of a rubber band against the
palm of his hand, little innocent-ap-
bearing signal which we often used,
and supposing that he wanted me, l
too left the box and entered the next
one
With his chair hitched up close to
the one in which sat Rand was man
of remarkable appearance. Of medi-
um height and slender, with a dark
olive skin, flashing black eyes and a
wealth of straight, black hair, splendid
teeth and extremely fine features, he
was easily recognized as an Oriental
of high caste. His forehead and GER
tain facial lines indicated fine mind
and a delicate, romantic, sensitive ma
Rand was endeavoring to repress an
excited out-pouring of some narrative,
evidently until | could hear it also.
MIR. Duncan, this is the honorable
Khan Nadjian, whom you will recall
as the importer and expert in Persian
rugs His place is just around from
the club. He has a difficult problem
for US, and as he speaks Italian bet
ter than English I need you badly.
Otherwise, I should not have called
you away from our friends.
Reducing the statement of the noble
Persian to important facts in their
proper proportion, the story was as
follows:
For ten years he had occupied the
second and third FLOORS of house IN
East Sixtythird street, sub-letting 1t
from the owner, a Mrs. Torrance NAL
vern. At present, Mrs. Malvern had
been gone from the house for a Pc
riod of four months on visit to a
married daughter, leaving the estab-
lishment in charge of her brother, a
middle-aged person named John
of individual, likely to do the most
childish and foolish things.
The first floor of the house was &C.
cupied by a bachelor surgeon, DR.. JUS
tin Huntley, a specialist in gun-shot
wounds. There was an old colored
maid-of- all-work who came above the
first floor each morning to care for the
apartments of the two bachelors. She
never left the basement after ten
o'clock each day, unless summoned
and Nad1ian never left the house UNI
til after eleven.
For three months his apartments
had been entered in his absence by
some unknown visitor as regularly as
he left the house, the unknown nearly
always disturbing, very slightly, some
of the small objects in his library, as
IF looking for papers among his private
documents. Several times he had re-
turned in fifteen minutes with the
purpose of catching the intruder, only
to find that the unknown had come
and gone. There were but two means
of entrance to the house, the base
ment door opening on the areaWay
at the street, and the door to the doc
tors floor, approached by the steps
from the street There was vacant
lot on the east side of tho house, and
an air shaft ten feet wide on the west
side, between the house and tow
ering apartment structure, which smut
off access to the roof.
For week a trusted clerk from the
rug store had seen no one coming or
going from either of the front doors
Yet signs of visitation were apparent
when Nadjian returned each day. 1t
was proof conclusive, therefore, that
either DR.. Huntley or John Coughlan
was clandestinely endeavoring to get
possession of something valuable
which they knew, or imagined, Mad
iian to have among his effects. There
were many rare tapestries, pieces OF
Damascened plate, paintings on ivory
antique jewels and other articles, both
large and small, Of high vtrtu, yet
nothing had ever been taken away.
And now, you see, gentlemen,
Nadjian concluded, Il have told you
everything. I have absolutely nothing
that either my dear friend, the doctor,
or the miserable Coughlan could
want that they have not had every op,
portunity for taking, but one OF the
other persists in coming to my rooms
secretly If Coughlan-poof, he Is a
slow fool, and / do not care. IL DIR,
TIuntley, am grieved; am hurt, am
mortified to the depths. / should not
want to live, for he is more to me
than my brother. Such a friend as the
heart of man could hope to find once
out of million of these human wretches
so I'll not give up my comrade-
Mon Dieu, but must know, or shall
go mad. I must know at once!"
Rand and I exchanged glances. Mad
fans sincerity and feeling were eYi.