The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-02-05

matt tue central OHice man. But In
each instance the detective shouted
I'm Britt, Of Headquarters and
that averted interruption as he dashed
on toward the Swamls house at top
speed Arriving there, he hastily
handed the ribbons TO q patrolman
who chanced to be at that end OF the
beat and, followed Closely by Fitch,
he ran up the steps and pushed she
button of the elecrlc bell. Inside the
house, the burr-rr Of the little gong
sounded pierclngy. Britz and Fitch
listened impatiently at the outer door
but none came. Then the detective
recalled the thickness of the rugs and
carpets in the house, and did not at
once conclude no one was within.
Until he had rung the bell several
times in vain he did not accept the
fact that the house either was unten-
| anted, or was occupied by persons
who did not see At to answer A word
10 the bluecoat on the sidewalk, ac-
companied by a fash OF a shield on
the detectives waistcoat, had told
him the visit was a matter of police
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 elec-
| trio call. No answer come. Britz
turned the handle of the door. To his
astonishment, 1t turned freely, and
at a gentle push the door swung in
ward. The inner door of the vestibule
was ajar. Britt and Fitch entered
cautiously. Their feet fell silently on
the heavy Oriental rug. They found
themselves in complete darkness.
The gllmmer from the street !@mp did
not penetrate more than foot or two
beyond the inner door. Britt 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. rs anybody
in?"
Silence as heavy and oppressive as
the darkness beyond the radiance OF
his little pocket lamp answered him
again. The two men, the detective
slightly in advance. walked quickly
along the hall TO the door at the rear,
where Brltz parted the portieres and
looked into the big room in which he
had interviewed the Eastern scholar
Its appearance was much the same as
It had been on his preceding visit
save that as his practiced eye dwelt
more perslstently upon it, he noted
the disappearance of many small arti
cles, particularly a porphyry Buddha
that had sat within a little shrine
upon the wall. The apartment had the
seeming OF having been subjected tc
a surface stripping by persons about tC
leave It 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, eh?" said Fitch, In an un
dertone.
Britz nodded.
Think we had better look up
stairs?" asked the doctor.
With another swift nod the dotec
tive turned on his heel and led thu
way from floor to floor until the.
reached the top OF the house. The!
J glanced into every room and explored
the larger apartments thoroughly. Al
were empty. Here and there the.
found evidences of hasty packing. II
various rooms We're queer jumbles o
the East and West-linen collars will
single hairline stripes OF delicate tint
lay beside Oriental scraps of mani
fest fineness. On one rack hung
Derby hat, on another a turban lik
that worn by the Swami, and like tn
kerchief BritZ had found on the fir
escape OF the Hotel Renaissance. On
of the most interesting finds was
scimitar with a jeweled hilt and
blade of wonderful keenness. Brit
drew it from its scabbard and wa
about to feel the edge when Fitc
, stopped him with swift gesture.
, Don't touch it, Lieutenant" said Ia
doctor "One never knows wha
criminal tricks these beggars pla
. with their weapons"
AS the detective looked at him II
quirinely, he added:
NJ "a sword or dagger is as likely I
!. be poisoned as not In fact, they pr'
fer poisons to straight flghting."
> Convinced there was no one in th
= upper part of the house, the two me
q descended to the main floor and r,
! entered the reception room at tn
. rear.
a This was their den" said Britt e.
planatory, as he began a closer scare
a of the room. I'VE may find a trace
: them in some of their papers. 1t
worth few minutes to make a hun
Get busy, doc!" And the detectiy
rummaged through drawer after dra,
= er, Fitch following his example. The
found many unusual articles, bl
nothing that gave an inkling Of the q
a. rection of the Hindoos' fiight-for.
at was certain the orientals had depaI
~ ed hastily, having gained their obie