The Delta independent., 1911-10-20

| and put the horse to a gaNop AS he
sped away, he hastily changed the
whip to the hand that held the rib
| hons. and. whipping from his pocket
card that read, Detective L:euten-
ant Britt. Police Headquarters" he
| flung 1t at the PROSTATE coachmap
with the words: Call there tomor
row for your rig"
Then, with the horse straining at
| the traces in indignant surprise, Britt
drove at breakneck speed down the
avenue. turning sharply at the first
| convenient corner and heading east
toward the mysterious brown-stone
dwelling wherein he had held his in
/ teresting interview in regard to the
ways of the Orient with the Eastern
sage.
The galloping horse and the sway
ing carriage shook the echoes of the
silent streets, and at several avenue
crossings traffic policemen started to
halt the Central Office man But in
each instance the detective shouted
I'm Britt, OF Headquarters! and
that averted interruption as he dashed
on toward the Swami's house at top
speed. Arriving there, he hastily
handed the ribbons to a patrolman
who CHANGED to be at that end of the
beat, and. followed closely by Fitch,
he ran up the steps and pushed the
button of the elecric bell. Inside the
house, the burr-rr of the little gong
sounded piercingly. Britz and Fitch
listened impatiently at the outer door
OF the yestibule for responsive steps.
but none came. Then the detective
90 lnh ha htnlr ,ft - a
carpets in the house, and did not at
once conclude no one was within.
Until he had rung the bell several
times in vain he did not accept the
fact that the house either was unten-
anted. or was occupied by persons
who did not see fit to answer. A word
to the bluecoat on the sidewalk, ac-
companied by a flash of shield on
the detectives waistcoat, had told
him the visit was a matter of police
business. Then Britt ran down the
steps and tried the basement door
The detective was equally unsuccess-
full in his demands to obtain a re-
Spouse to his ring OF the lower bell.
/ He ran up the steps again and once
more pushed the button OF the cleo
| trio call No answer come Britt
/ turned the handle of the door. To his
/ establishment. 1t turned freely, and
at a gentle push the door swung in
ward The inner door of the vestibule
was ajar. Britt and Fitch entered
cautiously. Their feet fell silently on
the heavy Oriental rug. They found
themselves in complete darkness.
The glimmer from the street lamp did
not penetrate more than foot or two
beyond the inner door. Britt whisked
out his electric torch and turned it's
miniature headlight on the passage
and on the area leading to the upper
part OF the house.
Hello" he called rs anybody
in?"
Silence as heavy and oppressive as
the darkness beyond the radiance of
his little pocket lamp answered him
again. The two men. the detective
slightly in advance, walked quickly
along the hall to the door at the rear.
where Britt parted the portieres and
looked into the big room In which he
had interviewed the Eastern scholar.
Its appearance was much the same as
1t had been on his preceding visit.
save that as his practiced eye dwelt
more persistently upon it. he noted
the disappearance of many small arti-
Giles. particularly a porphyry Buddha
that had sat within a little shrine
upon the wall. The apartment had the
seeming of having been subjected to
surface stripping by persons about to
leave 1t in hurry. Few OF the SOL
emn books that had been scattered
about the room remained Among the
nrta ta1 oh f,,
the narghieh from which the sage
was fond of drawing a smokers con-
ISOLATION.
Gone. chr" said Fitch. In an un-
dertone.
Britt nodded
Think we had better look up
stairs?" asked the doctor
With another swift nod the detec-
tive turned on his heel and led the
way from floor to floor until they
reached the top of the house. They
glanced into every room and explored
the larger apartments thoroughly. All
were empty. Here and there they
found evidences OF hasty packing. In
various rooms were queer Jumbles of
the East and West-linen collars with
single hairline stripes of delicate tints
!, lay beside Oriental scraps OF mani
. fest fineness. On one rack hung a
Derby hat. on another turban like
that worn by the Swami. and like the
kerchief Britt had found on the fire
: escape Of the Hotel Renaissance, One
; of the most interesting finds was a
scimitar with a jeweled hilt and a
blade OF wonderful keenness. Britt
!. drew 1t from its scabbard and was
about to feel the edge when Fitch
| stanpnd him with n syxift Reatura