The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-07-28

died thing. so that the white face
stlll showing an eager crafty expires,
sion, looked mp at him, lie shuddered
and not knowing Just what 10 do, de-
oided TO wait till the boss came,
Mr. Dahn, the junior partner, came
along duly, rubbing his hands and
boaming IN pleasant anticipation Of
the visit Of a certain big customer
lie started somewhat as he saw the
expressions on the faces of his clerk
and stenographer lie also looked at
the body, and with admirable presence
OF mind telephoned for a detective,
The detective, had he been a sher.
lock Holmes, would have been able TO
ask for his fee Immediately, and eX-
plain the details fully to Mr. Dahn;
but as Il was. he could only identify
the burglar as a well.known expert
and dangerous cracksman, the news of
whose death would be exceedingly
welcome to the police, and then think
hard In his perpleXity as he looked
closely all over the store. He could
not think Of a motive, as Il is wont
Ia. be technically called; much less
could he account for the fact that
nothing was missing, even the burg
lars bag Of plunder lay as It had
fallen
That was the first adventure Of the
bronze Mahadeva. Then came Mr..
DahTs rich customer and bought Il
and carried It on. The r. Hon Josiah
Bundy was as rich as Croesus and
had as little taste as a FIJI islander;
ne was now furnishing up a big coun-
try place most gorgeously and elab-
oratcly And among the great load
Of things that left Knotter and Dahus
big store for the country place of Mr.
Bundy, was the beiewcled Mahadeva.
10 was to stand in the front hall, where
all visitors were to be blinded by its
mamiicence,
II sat there. glaring in It's ugliness,
Tor two or three weeks, and in the
meanwhile, Mr.. Bundy's household got
swiftly into running order, The sec
hAlNA |'."AllNA W lAlf bNNDAAN WI ava tAA
least for the Mahadeva kept its ugly
lrown and said nothing-more terrible
yet A great festival was in prepara.
tion at the Bundy place, and the world
was being turned upside down, it
seemed, 20 secure for the Bundy man
sion all possible stunning and stupefy-
ing glitter and splendor. On the third
morning before this stupendous occa-
sion, the parlor-maid descended the
steps into the front hall She had al
most reached their foot, when she sud
denly stopped, turned pale, and
clutched the banister She looked
down al the floor only once, and ran
back upstairs. She came back with
the butler and the janitor's assistant.
They found that it was the footman,
and the side of his head was smashed
in. Beside him lay half made-up
bundle of the Bundy plate and jewels;
a most wonderful haul it would have
been. His horse was tied to the front
curb.
HIM" said Mr. Bundy. But Mr.
Bundy hated to worry, so he hired a
detective to worry for him
Mrs. Bundy was a nervous soul. The
lgliness Of the bronze Mahadeva made
her shudder worse and worse every
line she beheld it, The affair Of the .
.ootman upset her worse than ever. .
Mrs. Bundy refused to let the idol,
ls she called it, stay in the house an
)ther day. So Mr. Bundy made suit
lble arrangements with Knotter &
Dahn, and it was returned to the store.
Mr.. Holt was naturally painstaking
n things, but even had it not been
lis nature, he would have been pains
aking in telling Miss Worth things
50 when Miss Worth wanted to know
bout Mahadeva and felt inclined to
ak about the Bundy tragedies, he felt
hrilled beyond measure.
DO you think it is a real idol?"
sked Miss Worth.
1T looks like one" said Mr.. Holt;
I've read the strangcst stories about
hose things-the wonderfully costly
lois in the temples of India where
hey are regarded with superstition
nd reverence; and all sorts of wild,
lystic things are told about them, nm
arthly powers and doings attributed
} them"
and isn't it a strange coincidence
lat. Mahadeva should be the Hindoo
I'd Of destruction" interrupted Miss
Iorth. "Do you think it really came
ON India2"
Good ideal" said Mr.. Holt eve g.,
ust find out where it came from"
Mr.. Dahn could tell nothing about +
Perhaps its coming to the store :
ltedated his connection with the !
I'M; at least it had been there sew
al years, and he knew nothing about ,
save its value. Mr.. Holt deter I
ined to see Mr.. Knotter. The senior =
lrtner seldom came to the store; he 4
as old, and somewhat of an invalid i
I'd spent a good deal Of his time in q
easy chair on his shady veranda. I
ere he received Mr.. Holt, and gladly y
Id him what he knew about the Hin.
10 image, g.
81 bought it in with lot Of other p
ndoo things" he said, mostly jew =
$. The rest of them are all gone
Nv, The rascal that had them a
lnted a ridiculous amount for the II