Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-03-08
CHAPTER XIX.
rh. MxsterIous MIIIIcent.

fritz streaked from SANDS apart
rept to a dingy little den Of shop
A the top floor Of a downtown
hus,ness rookery-one Of the sky
scrapers Of a quarter-century before.
/, was much more tedious to climb
ne Eve fights of stairs to the sixth
story than to shoot in an express ele-
v.tor TO the summit of the Singer
puIlding. But Britt was too hot on
me scent to pay much attention to his
fatigue. He ran up the stairs lightly,
aung open crazy outer door that
ereaked an announcement Of his COM
ing. and pushed a bit Of paper toward
4 Young man Of modern physique and
sncient visage who was working at q
bench. The paper was the note be-
dining Curtis DEAR" and ending with
ne first name of the mysterious Mil
lIcent. The anachronistic young man
booked at It inuulringly through steel
trimmed spectacles.
Rush hundred copies Of this, Bur
Ian" said Britt. I'll send for them in
1 couple of hours"
The detective seated himself on
stool behind the bench, and for several
minutes watched the photo engraver
At his work. His mind was not behind
his eyes, however. He was busy with
ths possibilities unfolded by the little
scrap Of paper he had found In the
Hindoo burglars possession. The
Headquarters man never was in hur-
q 70 accept any clew at its face val
"; nevertheless, he felt he had at
last something which. II not direct
Ink between his knowledge and his
suppositions, would go far toward con-
Meeting them. That the note was adj
drsssed to Curtis Griswold he had
little doubt. It required small effort
q reasoning to conclude that the East
srners had gone to Sands apartment
soon after visiting Griswold. But this
time, Britt had learned enough to
convince him that the Brahmin scholar
was as eager to get possession Of the
Missioner necklace as he waste get
ns Maharanee diamond, anyway, II
not all the other gems belonging to
the famous string. BY patient,
patchwork process. Britt had pieced
together the tiniest details Of the
Evami's movements. He knew all
about the scholars presence In the
Metropolitan Opera House on the
night Of the disappearance Of the jew
els. and he had made himself ac-
euainted with the system Of espionage
maintained by the sage and his sub
erdinates ever since that time. That
system. be was aware, covered every.
one connected, however distantly
With the mystery. It was apparent to
Britt that ne was working against
men who, while not trained detectives
b the Occidental sense, were fully al
persistent In their quest as himself
There was no question the Swami had
directed all the energies Of the East
eruers which the detective had follow
% intsrestedly throughout their vari
Gus manifestations. Britz was con
unced that he had the Brahmin priest
. thank for his own kidnapping; and
ne was equally certain that the same
little band of brothers had searched
TIE homes of Bruxton Sands and Cur
us Griswold. He was not given to at
aching much weight to intuition. re
sarding that faculty as a pale and us
ually ineffective feminine reelection o
masculine logic.
But something told him he must be
sur himself even more vigorously thar
ns had done to date, II he was to trac'
me Missioner diamonds before thu
Iuate, sabtie men from tho East coul,
ma them and put them forever be
zond the reach of any Westerner
One thing was In his favor. Undoub,
eoy be had broken the Swami's lint
" communication by seizing the spie
neIore they could report the finding o
me Millicent note In Sands apartment
ae mad vague sense that the scral
u paper would be of immediate vaIu
. clue to the Brahmin-that If h
nad not intercepted 1t. the scholar b,
nov would have been close upon tn
discovery Of the diamonds. It remain
q icr Britt himself to ascertain tn
osnuty and whereabouts Of Millicen
.s'ore the Oriental prisoners coul
onmunicate with their chief. Thos
sonsrs were safe enough for tn