Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-03-12


man. It came and went. as fash Of
lightning betrays the oncoming storm.
The chimney! His heart missed
beat. He had forgotten the chimney.
The reaction affected him like blow
A snarl twisted his mouth. What was
the chimney to any other mani Only
he Of all men knew. And yet here
was some Que stealthily at work. fore
stalling him, knocking the bottom out
of his great dream. There was moth.
Ing pleasant In the growing expression
In his face 1t was the tiger. waking
There could be only one way
Swiftly lie dashed to his trunk. knelt
and examined the lock. unscrewed II
and took out the documents more
precious to him than the treasures OF
O hundred Captain Kidds. Instantly
he returned to the window. Nothing
was missing. But here was something
he had never noticed before. On
the face Of the slip Of parchment-a
diagram. dim and faded-was an oily
thumb mark The oil from the lock.
nothing more. Doubtless he himself
had touched It, How many times had
he found an unknown touch among
his few belongings? How often had
he smiled? Still. to quel all rising
doubts, he rubbed his right thumb on
the lock and made n second impress
sion. The daylight was now insutii
cient. so he turned on the electricity
and compared them. Slowly the scars
deepened till they were the tint OF
cedar. Deaths hand itself could not
have fascinated him more than the
dissimilarity Of these two thumb prints
He said nothing. but q queer little
strangling sound came through his
lips.
Who? Where? His heart beat so
violently that the veins in bis throat
swelled aud threatened to burst. But
he was no weakling. He summoned
all his will He must act and act at
once, Immediately. Fitzgeraldl No
not that clever. idling fool. But who.
whol He replaced the papers and the
lock. A hidden menace. Question IL
he would there was never any answer
He practiced the pleasant deceit that
the first mark had been there when
the diagram had been given to him
It was not possible that any one had
discovered his hiding place. Had ne
not with his OWE hands contrived It.
alone and without aid. under that &C
cursed mansard roof? Not one Of bis
coadventurers knew. They had ad
yanced him funds on his word. His
other documents they had seen. These
had sufficed them. Still back 1t came
with deadly insistence. Some one was
digging at the bricks in the chimney
The drama was beginning to move
Had he waited too long?
Mechanically he proceeded to dress
for dinner Since he was to sit ut the
family table he must ft his dress and
manners to the hour. He did not re-
sist the sardonc snIle as he put on bis
fresh patcni feathers and his new din'
ncr coat He recalled Fltzgerald's half
concealed glances Of pity the last time
they had dincd together.
In the room across the corridor Fitz-
gerald was busy with similar occupa.
tion. The only real worry he had was
the doubt of his luggage arriving be-
fore he left. he had neither tennis
clothes nor riding habit. and these two
pastimes were here among the regular
events OF tho day. The admiral both
played aud rode with his daughter
She was altogether too charming Had
she been an ordinary society girl he
would have stayed his welcome thread
bare perhaps: but. he repeated. she was
not ordinary She had evidently been
brought up with few Illusions. These
she possessed would always be hers.
so much for suppositions aud aDtily-
sIsr painted Fitzgerald. reknottlng bis
silk tie. "As for me. go to the arc
tic, cold. but safe. have never fallen
In love. | have enjoyed the society OF
many women, and to some I've been
silly enough to write. but have never
been maudlln. I'm no fool This Is
the place where 1t would be most like
iy to happen. Let US beat an orderly
retreat. Now, my boy, you have given
yourself due notice Take care"
He slipped his coat over bis shoul'
ders-and passably sturdy ones they
were-and took q anal look into the
glass, not for vanity's sake. Sometimes
a mans tie will show above the collar
Of his coat.
"H'm! I'll wager the trout are rising
about this time" He initiated cast
which was supposed to land neatly In
the corner. "Hal Struck you. that
time, you beautyw All Of which proved
to himself conclusively that he was In
normal condition. Il should get wire
tomorrow about Breitmann. hate to
do anything that looks underhand. but
| he puzzles me. There was something
about the chimney today. don't know
what This IL no place for him, nor for
me elthe1." was the shrewd supple
II