Semi-weekly herald., 1912-01-22


business. Then Britz ran down the
steps and tried the basement door.
The detective was equally unsuccess-
full In his demands to obtain a re-
sponse 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. Britz
turned the handle of the door To his
astonishment. 1t turned freely. and
at gentle push the door swung in.
ward. The inner door Of the vestibule
was a1ar 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. Britz whisked
out his electric torch and turned its
miniature headlight on the passage
and on the area leading to the upper
part of the house.
'Hello!" he called. "Is anybody
in?"
Silence as heavy and oppressive as
the darkness beyond the radiance OF
NAS i4hs'' pOtrct idHp duSWe eIcu hin
again. The two men, the detective
slightly in advance, walked quickly
along the hall to the door at the rear.
where Britz 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 1t. he noted
the disappearance of many small arti.
cles, particularly porphyry Buddha
that had sat within 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
Oriental objects still In the room was
the narghileh from which the sage
was fond of drawing a smokers con-
ISOLATION.
Gone, eh7" said Fitch, in an un.
dertone.
Britt nodded.
Think we had better look up
stalrs? 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
We're 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 &
scimitar with a Jeweled hilt and
blade Of wonderful keenness Britz
drew It from its scabbard and was
about to feel tho edge when Fitch
stopped him with a swift gesture.
Don't touch 1t. Lieutenant" said the
doctor. "One never knows what
criminal tricks these beggars play
with their weapons"
AS the detective looked at him in.
quiringly. he added:
"A sword or dagger is as likely to
be poisoned as not. In fact, they pre-
fer poisons to straight fighting"
Convinced there was no one In the
upper part of the house, the two men
descended to the main floor and re-
entered the reception room at the
rear.
This was their den," said Britz ex.
planatory, as he began a closer search
of the room. I'VE may find trace of
them in some OF their papers. It's
worth few minutes to make a hunt,
Get busy, doc." And the detective
rummaged through drawer after draw.
ey. Fitch following his example. They
found many unusual articles, but
nothing that gave an inkling OF the di.
rection of the Hindoos' fight-for IL
was certain the Orientals had depart.
ed hastily. having gained their object
In getting possession of the Missioner
necklace. Britz had no smallest doubt
the Fasteners had anticipated MIN
In the burglary OF Mrs. Delarochs's
apartments He did not believe any
OF the low-caste Hindoos would have
been skilful enough to get into the
woman's rooms, so near the top of the
building In his opinion, the gems had
been filched from Millicent's pillow
by either the Swami or the Prince
II was typical OF the clever cunning
OF the high-caste Orientals to take
only the jewels and leave the casket
under the pillow, so that Mrs. Della
roche should not miss the stones un.
til the last moment possible. They
must have picked the lock.
Britt had ended his exploration Of
the last table drawer. and was turning
to lacquered desk, when Fitch, with
a cry of unmistakable alarm. gripped
his wrist and dragged him toward the
dvan, and with bound stood upon
its yielding surface.
Jump up, quick" said the doctor.
plucking at the detectives arm as hs
spoke
Britt had experienced too many
emergencies in his career TO waste
time In qunestions. When anyone Of
whose friendliness he felt sure told
him to jump. run. or duck, obedience
to the command was his first instinct
time enough for explanation after