The Washington herald., 1912-06-02


any attempt TO gain an entrance into
the room by orthodox means would re-
suit in prompt discovery. There was
nothing 70 be done until the morrow.
He threw himself upon the bed and
tried to sleep. Waking with the frst
| CLEAN of daylight. he took of his
clothes, bathed. and made a leisurely
toilet. Then he rang for the valet de
ehambre. The man was a pleasant
faxed. loquaeious sort of fellow. Deane
talked to him for a while, and then
made his effort.
Wasn't it upon this floor" he asked.
that murder took place latelyE
The valet looked around him for a
moment before answering. Yes. sirF
he replied "In the very next room
We are not allowed to talk about 1t
more than we can help
Deane nodded. All the time he was
watching the man, wondering how far
he dared GO Look here" he said,
you seem an honest fellow. / sup
pose you'd have no objection to bet
tering yourself in lifel"
mo objection in the slightest. sir,"
the man answered.
Il am on the staff Of a newspaper" "
Deane said slowly, "and my people are
particularly anxious that should in
spect the interior of the room in which
/ that murder was committed. Your
people downstairs have absolutely re-
| fused to allow me to do anything of the
sort | have taken this room in the
hope of being able to get in there. Do
you think there is any chance for me :"
Il should say not, sir," the man an
| swered. The door is locked, and Mr..
Hartshorn himself, the manager, has
taken the key"
There isn't such a thing as a dupli-
cate, | suppose?" Deane asked.
Not that | know OF, sir" the man
answered
You couldn't suggest any means by
which / could enter that room, even If
il were an affair of say fifty pounds TO
yous" Deane asked calmly.
The man started. Fifty pounds was
a great deal of money. On the other
hand, the fifty pounds would take some
earning. Il am afraid can't, sir" he
said. There is. no duplicate key that
know OF, and in any case dare not
run the risk"
Fifty pounds is not enough, per-
haps," Deane said. Money is no par
ticular object to me If you said that
you thought you could provide me with
the key for a hundred pounds, / would
willingly pay il"
Il am afraid not, sir" the man an
swered, turning as though to leave the
room.
Two hundred poundsI" Deane said.
1T isn't a matter of money, sir" the
man declared. Il daren't do it. |
should be certain to be found out, and
should be sent away without a char
acter."
Il will take you into my service"
Deane said.
The man shook his head. Thank
you. SIR he said. My character IS
worth a good deal to me | think I'll
keep out OF this, if you don't mind"
Deane called him back imperatiyely.
Let US understand one another, he
said, drawing something from his pock-
ct Are you going down to the man.
ager to tell him what / have told you"
The man hesitated. Deane held out
a fve-pound note There is no reason
for you TO do so, you know" Deane
said, lust as there is no reason why
you should not accept this tip.
The valet hesitated, and finally ac-
cepted the ive-pound note which Deane
was holding out
Il am sure don't know why /
should take it, sir" he said, but there
is no reason, after all, why l should
say anything of what you have been
talking about, downstairs"
Deane sat in his chair. waiting. There
was a knock at the door and cham
bermaid entered, to retire at once in
confusion. Deane looked at her curl
ously. Something in her figure and her
start had seemed familiar to him. He
got up and rang the bell. In a moment
or two a waiter appeared. He was OBJ
viously a German, dark and sallow. He
spoke imperfect English, and there was
a glelm of cupidity in his eyes which to |
Deane seemed hopeful
Bring me some tea at once, he or
nothing to eat"
The man departed, and reappeared in
a few minutes.
Anything else, sir?" he asked, after
he had set down the tray.
Deane did not answer him directly |
"By the way" he said finally, wasn't |
there a murder committed in one of /
these rooms
1T was next door, sir" the man an
swered.
The room IS locked upE Deane
asked
yes. sir"
That is a pity" Deane remarked.
DO you know who has the key? l
should very much like just to have
look around"
The waiter shook his head. THE
key is downstairs in Mr.. Hartshorn's
Office, sir, and we have no duplicate
here. The police who came, they desir-
ed that no one should enter the room
until they had removed the effects to
Scotland Yard"
$50 / was told downstairs" Deane
remarked. DO You suppose" he con-
tinued, that it would be possible to
get hold Of a duplicate key1 / should
like very much to see the interior of
that room-if possible to take a photo
graph Of it for my newspaper. am
willing to pay"
The waiter shook his head reluctant
". 'I do not think that there is du-
plicate key" he said, with his eyes fixed
upon Deane's right hand
Perhaps you could make inquiries,
Deane suggested smoothly. Il want to
get a photograph of the inside of the
room for my people, if possible 1t
would be worth quite great deal OF
money"
The man was impressed. Il will go
away and see" he said slowly.
Keep this to yourself" Deane or
dered ct don't want il all over the