The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-08-20


won't you have n brandy and ssltzer
or something before you goT'
Nothing whatever, thants," said l.
let me apologize again for having
disturbed you-and wish you Good
night"
She held out her hand to me. seem
inely much treasured; and as | began
TO descend the stairs, she re-entered
the drawing room for the purpose,
did not doubt. of getting the man on
the balcony. The substantial lackey
was then waiting In the hall to open
the door for me; but ] went down
very slowly, for in the trUFsh the whole
OF my plan appeared to have failed;
and at that moment l was without the
veriest rag OF an idea. Ny object In
coming TO the house had been to
trace, and If possible to lay hands
upon the woman's associates, taking
her. as / hoped somewhat by sur
prise: yet though ! had made my
chain more complete, vital links were
missing; and / stood no nearer to the
forging of them. That which | had 20
ask myself. and TO answer In the
space OF ten seconds, was the ques-
ton. "Now, or tomorrow '-whether
should leave the house without eff
fort. and wait until the gang betrayed
itself again: or make some bold
stroke which would end the matter
there and then. The latter course
was the one I chose. The morrow,
said I, may find these people In Paris
or In belgium; there never may be
such clue again as that of the ruby
perdaut-there never may be sim
liar opportunity OF taking at least
three of those for whom We
had so long hunted. And with this
thought a whole plan of action sud
denly leapcd up in my mind; and
acted upon it, silently and swiftly and
with readiness which to this day
wonder at.
now stood at the hall door, which
the lackey held open. One searching
| look at the man convinced me that
my design was Il sound one. He was
obtuse. patronizing-b probably hon
est. AS we faced each other / sudden
! ly took the door handle from him, and
! banged the door loudly, remaining in
| the hall Then 1 clapped my pistol to
| his head Though for this offense 1
! surmise that judge might have CIV
en- me a month";, and 1 whispered
! fiercely to him:-
"This house is surrounded by po-
| lice; If you say word I'll give you
! seven years as an accomplish of the
! woman upstairs, whom we are going
! TO arrest. When she calls out, answer
! that I'm gone, and then come back to
! me for instructions. If you do as
| tell you, you shall not he charged
/ otherwise, you go to jail"
At this speech the poor wretch
! paled before me, and shook so that I
could feel the tremor an down the
/ arm of his which l held.
II won't speak, sir" he gasped.
ct won't / do assure you-to think
as l should have served such folk"
"Then hide me, and be quick about
tin this room here, 1t seems dark
! Now run upstairs and say I'm gone"
| had stepped into little breakfast
room at the back of the dining room,
| and there had gone unhesitatingly un-
! der a round table. The place was alb,
! solutely dark, and was a vantage
! ground, since / could see therefrom
! the whole OF the staircase; but before
! the footman could mount the stairs,
the woman came halfway down them,
and, looking over the hall, she asked
him.
rs that gentleman gomez"
Just left, num-" he replied
Then so 20 bed, and never let me
see you admit a stranger like that
again"
She went up again at this, and he
turned to me, asking
what shall / do now, sir? I'll do
anything if you'll speak for me, sir;
I've got twenty years kerecter from
Lord valley; to think as she's bad
units hardly creditable."
II shall speak for you" said I, "if
you do exactly what I tell you. Are
any more men expected now?"
eyes, there's two more; the capting
and the clergyman, pretty clergymin
he must be, too"
Never mind that wait and let
them in. Then go upstairs and turn
the light out on the staircase as if
by accident. After that you can go to
bed"
did you say the police was 'ere?" he
asked in his hoarse whisper; and 1
said
yes, they're everywhere. on the
roof, and in the street, and on the
balcony. If there's the least resist.
ance, the house Will swarm with
them"
What he would have said to this I
cannot tell, for at that moment there
was another knock upon the front
door, and he opened It instantly. The
men, one in clerical dress. and one,
a very powerful man, in a Newmarket
coat, went quickly upstairs, and the
| butler followed them. A moment later
the gas went out on the stairs; and
there was no sound but the echo Of
the talk I'm the front drawing room.
! The critical moment I'm my nights
/ work had now come. Taltin off my
| boots, and putting my revolver at the
! half cock. crawled up the stairs with
/ the step Of cat, and entered the
/ back drawing room. One Of the fold.
| ing doors OF this was aiar. so that
/ false step would probably have cost
rae my life-and I could not possibly
I tell II the police were really i'm The
I street Or only uugu fhofy tvgv p,,t