The Washington times., 1912-09-07
CHAPTER XXI.
A Quick Change Artist.

was an uncommon thief. The
younger son of a gentleman,
he had been turned out Of his fathers
house at the age of II with 100 pounds
IN his pockets and permission to provide
for himself in future.
He had provided for himself ever
since, and notwithstanding the. ups and
scope for varey sna
done himself very well. He had played
many parts in his time, and had never
set any great store by honesty, and one
uncommon was the fact that he saw no
necessity for honor among thieves.
In securing the diamonds in his own
own use Mr.. claye @ Conceived % that I he he
was doing quite the right thing. He
knew well enough that II Ninian Bax-
himself he would have done so without
any help from him; he also knew that
Isnsa Minian would keep the whole Of the
Claye had the indisputable right to
treat Ninian as Ninian would have
He did not take the trouble to reckon
up any accounts between them-he
merely put his friend and his fellow
conspirator completely out of mind as
soon as he found that he had no further
Until the exact moment where in Mr..
Claye discovered that the diamonds
were as good as his. he had meant to
share with his young friends-not in
equal shares, perhaps, for that would
have been unjust, seeing that he, Mr..
Claye, was responsible for most of
the work and trouble. but at any rate
in some way.
But when Ninian Baxendale, as a
unit of any value, dropped clean out
out the matter chat stage of the pro-
realized that the diamonds were to all
intents and purposes at his disposaD.
the senior partner took over the entire
concern in his own way and forgot
that his Junior existed.
He did not even give him any consid-
Grafton IN the matter Of settling his
hotel bill.
Mr. Clave had secured the diamonds
o'clock in the morning, by which time
he knew that Miss Driscoll would be
under the complete influence of the
powerful narcotic which he had
gown, he repaired to her door, turned
the key from without by the use of a
pair of steel tweezers, and forced the
bolt plate off by one gentle, steady
push inward
So absolutely certain was he of the
success of his plans that his first pro-
ceedng on entering the room was to
close and lock the door, turn on the
work to repair the bolt plate. He knew
quite we'll that Miss Driscoll would
have slept through a railway accident
or the worst sort of thunderstorm, for
he had tested that particular species
of narcotic before.
So he made the door safe before he
secured the diamonds, more from a
whimsical pleasure than from any
other reason, and as he fastened the
screws again he laughed to himself to
think how puzzled everybody would be
when the thing came to be looked into.
He secured the diamonds just as cas-
room, and when that was done there
was nothing to do but go out by the
window. And that, to Mr. Claye, a spe-
cial adept at anything he undertook.
easy thing indeed. He had examined
the exterior of the premises earlier in
the evening, and had made his prepa-
rations.
Outside the window was a ledge suf-
ficiently broad to allow safe foothold,
and it was no difficult task for Mr..
Claye to climb out of the easement, re-
close II to the exact inch at which Miss
Driscoll had left 1t open, and traverse
the slight space between her room and
his.
That accomplished, Mr. Claye had
mixed himself a tumbler of whisky and
gone to sleep. feeling that he had ac-
complished good nights work.
AS for the diamond necklace. 1t re-
posed beneath his pillow, in company
with MS WatCn ana Cndln ana purse,
for Mr. Claye believed in keeping his
property as close to him as possible
when he slept in strange houses.
He woke very early next morning.
took a cold bath, shaved. dressed, ate a
hearty breakfast, left a message for
his young friend, Mr.. Somerville, who
at that moment was also entirely under
the influence of Mr.. Clayes narcotic,
and left the hotel after paying his bill.
tipping everybody. and exchanging a
pleasant word or two with the man.
ageress
And like the great man he was Mr..
Claye proceeded straight to Kingsbridge
knowing quite we'll that If hue and
cry should be raised after him rather
earlier than he had expected. Kings
bridge would be the last place in which
they would look for him, simply be-
cause he had told the manageress he was
going there.
On the departure platform at Kings
bridge he engaged a dressing room and
had his baggage taken into it. And then
he exchanged his clerical suit and hat
for a tweed suit and soft cap, and
with this first change made in his ap-
pearance he left the station, baggage
and all, in car whose driver was in
structed to take him to Lower Abbey
street
1t was still early in the morning, and
Mr.. Claye held his head erect as he
drove along the quay sides and through
the streets-unlike his late junior part
ner he was no coward.
Mr.. Claye gave his Jarvey instruc-
tions to pull up at small establish
ment in Lower Abey street which was
manifestly given over to the sale OF
drink. The merit OF various tipples was
freely eXtolled in the window; on the
signboard over the door appeared the
name Phelim Hanrahan.
A red-headed boy. lazily welding a
broom, was sweeping the threshold OF
this establishment when Mr.. Claye
drove up, and he evinced no surprise
at seeing the arrival at such an early
hour of the morning. In answer to
Mr.. Claye's inquiries, he replied that
the master had just risen and was in
the shop. and at that Mr.. Claye bade
the jarvey bring the traps inside.
Then he himself walked in and. pass
ing through the outer shop in a fashion
which showed that he knew his where
abouts, pushed over door and entered
an inner sanctum, where he discovered
very tall, very stout man engaged In
pouring the contents of large bottle OF
soda water into a tumbler of ample pro-
portions which already contained a lib
eral allowance of brandy.
The large, tall man looked up and
stared at his visitor half angrily, ther
as he recognized him through the some
what gloomy atmosphere of the sane
tum his face relaxed into broad grin
and he set down his bottle of soda
IL L. "a a n