Semi-weekly herald., 1911-11-27


sritz Frowned Slightly as He Read
the Message.
yue- It wns a call 20 queer little
old shop 10 Fourth Avenue You re-
member that row Of rookerles hlIed
up with secondhand furniture stores,
3rt dens. old curio shops. and so on.
on the wost side Of the avenue, some.
where in the Twcnties?" "A nod from
Britz was the. only reply Well" con
unued the doctor. This call was to
one Of those curiosity shops II was
Kept by O queer little old chap who
must have starved himself to death 10
carry out some object he had. He
sold culios for living and played
at alchemy for cracked
ycu know AT any rate. he wasn't an
there His neirhbors looked on him
as harmiesa lunatic, and in spite o.
his solitart habits. he was pretty unD-
ulor i was owing TO this popularity
That be didu't die in the back part oi
his own store with all the busy trat-
flee Of husy city Just a few rods out
eiue a neiEhhor heard noise Ike
an ezpil ioa and, running in, found
him ON hl back all covered with some
cheuicsl that was turning his clothes
into porous plasters. The neighbor
turned in an ambulance call, and ! was
tha onawer I found the old man half
suAgcated and wholly unconscious,
and as ! was pretty nervous nom in
experience Il was about all J could
do 10 bring him around. wanted to
take him back with me. but he would
M have it; Sid he was Just as well
oil where he was; didn't Ike the hos
pial anyhow and wouldn't go, so |
haed him up where he was. After
ward In the eyubcrance of my youth
ful zeal, 7 called on him outside of
working hours, and kind of looked
afier him Ee pulled through al
right hut be was pretty badly
chnrred old person for long time
after that AS soon as he was well
enough TO take care Of himself. ! left
off going there. and that is the last
/ have seen OF him"
What caused the explosion?' asked
Britt.
Il believe he was experimenting
with some hemlcnl--couldnt get him
TO ten me anything about Il; he got
mad as a hornet every the touched
upon It, learned. however, from
neishbors that he was interested in
reclous stOues. and in his later years
The idea became firmly fxed in his
mind that Fl he only tried long enough,
spent money enough. mortified the
1esh suf ciontIy, he would be able to
make diamonds"
What sort Of stuff did he succeed
in maline2" asked the detective.
you cam scnrch me-" said Fitch. 'I
never got a look at any OF It. His
cranllete would never make any sort
Of adHission to me about the stun he
was making All ] know IS that man
who told me about the experiments
was quite positive that was the crack
SO the old chaps brain-that he could
make diamonds. and could make them
Just as well In a few hours as nature
could in thousand years"
80 the explosion must have
boen-7"
Some fussing around with the in
gradients he was going to convert
into CLEAN and glitter. That's all
know about IT, There you have it.
Now. what do you make Of IT."
Well" said Prltz as he put his
heels to the floor with click what
Wen make Of It won't be made down
here. I'm slad that memory of yours
worked in tho long run; but It might
have saved me an extra hazardous
10y ride II It had worked sooner.
Come alongl" and he moved toward
the door.
Whore are you going7" asked the
hpysiclon.
ITO the Bleecker Street station"
replied Britt. land from there to
Fourth Avenue as fast as the local
can take us. Guess we won't walt for
a taxi"
Then you think" said Fitch eager
~, there may be clew in what rye
told your"
What's the use Of thinking" al
most snapped Britz. when we can
know? There's just one way 70 know,
and that's to 60 Come, let's go"
AS they walked brislIly down the
headquarters building. Britt paused
at Manning's Office, pushed button
and, when the door swung open. thrust
his head In long enough to say:
See you later. Chief; going up
town for a little while"
Still fighting it out on that line.
chr" was Manning's return.
Yes" said Britz calmly. and it
may not take all winter either"