Semi-weekly herald., 1911-12-18
CHAPTER XVII.
A Pair Of rhlexs..

ternoon, were fastening eagerly along
converging routes to the bachelor
homo Of Bruxton Sands. One was
Sands himself. The other was Lieu
tenant Britz OF Headquarters.
Every detail in the millionaire's
suite In the St Barnabas and of mis-
private room in the Bowling Green of
lice was known to Britt even more
minutely than 10 the owner That
had been among the early activities
OF the sleuth in connection with the
case. He was able to assure himself,
therefore. that no matter how much
Sands might admire the Maharanee
diamond, especially when it encircled
the white throat OF the wealthy widow.
1t would be nonsensical to suppose
this admiration could descend to Gov
etousness. Clearly, Brtz was in some
sort Of blind alley
As the two men left their offices al
most TO the minute Britt. many
blocks ahead of Sands. had arrived at
the St Barnabas before the million
aire turned the Grace church bend in
Broadway. Sands man. when the
detective announced he was there Tor
an important talk with the million
airs, admitted Britt readily TO Sands
suite.
Britt. sitting In great leather
armchair In an attitude of sybaritic
ease, chose psnatela from his pocket
case. and then, with his eyes fixed on
the ceiling and his hands clasped at
the back of his neck. he gave himself
up to as many moments of uninter-
rupted thought as the non-arrival of
the unconscious host would permit.
He had reached point in his medita-
uOns that for an instant seemed to
open way for an explanation. for
which he had come to see Sands,
when faint rustlng in the adjoining
room reached his acute ear.
A ribbon OF subdued light between
portieres of Moorish leather gave pas
sage to his glance He saw a shadow
futter at a far window and, In the
next instant, rapidly and noiselessly,
he had slid out of the armchair until
he was on his knees on the rug be-
hind the shelter of a library table
piled high with books. Inch by inch,
soundless, Britz lifted one knee until
his foot rested firmly on the floor;
inch by inch. still without sound, he
raised the other When he wesSffufeJ,
on his feet. but in crouching attitude,
. he half walked. half crawled, around
the table by the longer way, until he
WAS close to the portieres. Britt was
too good a sleuth to make the mistake
OF looking between the portieres to
get glimpse of the inner room. 1t
was no part Of his program to be seen
by Sands other visitor. or visitors.
He felt justified in giving way to his
curiosity because II might be as much
to the millionaire's interests as to his
own-to say nothing of Mrs. Mission
er's, and that Of the public. In fact,
the headquarters man did not waste
much time In such reflections. He
wanted to see and hear what was 60
ing on, and he took the readiest
means of doing so. Instead of risking
the danger of being seen between the
parting OF the portieres, he pierced
with his scarf pin tiny hole in the
leather curtain behind which he stood
and applying one eye closely, he could
see the whole inner room. 1t was the
millionaire's bedroom. and he COM
manded everything except the angle
In which was set the window where
he had glimpsed the shadow. A slight
ly more vigorous twist or two of the
pin enlarged the microscopical aper
ture. SO that he could see even that
detail Of the interior. Britt almost
grunted with satisfaction at what he
witnessed in the next few minutes.
The shadow man was still at the win
dow. fiuttering. fitting to and fro.
rising and falling. 1t crouched out
side the window In such way as
showed Britt 1t was on a fire escape
or balcony Of some sort. The rust
ling sound increased. and 1t was fol-
lowed by = faint "cheep." like spar
rows call. A second shadow fiuttered
from a point above the window and
melted into the outlines of the first
Then came slightly rasping sound,
and the lower sash. Britt noticed,
trembled. BY well-nigh imperceptible
degrees the sash was lifted. The next
instant two men noiselessly lowered
themselves to the floor and glanced
hastily about the room. Reassured by
the swift look. they tiptoed along the
walls from right to left: one of them
stopped at a chiffonIer. the other con-
tinued his little journey Of investiga-
ton until he arrived at the portieres.
Then 1t was that Britz held his
breath. He held 1t for seconds that
seemed as tedious as hours. while the
nearer OF the strange visitors. sepa-
rated from him only by the thickness
Of the leather. peered through the
parting between the curtains into the
library where the detective stood
Britz had not obtained good view
Of the intruder's face. for It WAS half
hidden by loose fold of the turban
upon his head that indicated the
strangers nationality Britz's eyes
still were nxed at the hole. and
BY that time the stranger was
cut Of his line of vision. Had
such net been the case, It IL
possible that even the imper-
turbable Bhtz would have moved
at least TO the extent OF swift reach
to a side pocket in his coat. For It