The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-02-16
CHAPTER XIX.
The MYSTERIOUS MilIIcent.

The Mysterious MiIIicent.
Britt streaked from Sands apart
ment to a dingy little den Of shop
on the top floor Of q downtown
business rookery-one Of the sky
scrapers of Quarter-century before.
1t was much more tedious to climb
the FIVE flights Of stairs to the sixth
story than to shoot In an express ele'
vator to the summit Of the Singer
Building. But Britz was too hot on
the scent to pay much attention to his
fatigue. He ran up the stairs lightly,
flung open a crazy outer door that
creaked an announcement OF his com.
ing, and pushed bit of paper toward
q young man Of modern physique and
ancient visage who was working at q
bench. The paper was the note be.
ginning Curtis DEAR" and ending with
the first name of the mysterious Mil.
licent. The anachronistic young man
looked at 1t inquiringly through steel.
trimmed spectacles.
Rush hundred copies Of this, Bur-
len," said Britz. "I'll send for them in
q couple of hours"
The detective seated himself on a
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
the possibilities unfolded by the little
scrap Of paper he had found in the
Hindoo burglars possession. The
Headquarters man never was in hur-
~ to accept any clew at Its face val
ue; nevertheless, he felt he had at
last something which, If not direct
link between his knowledge and his
suppositions, would go far toward con-
Meeting them. That the note was ad-
dressed to Curtis .Griswold he had
little doubt. 1t required small effort
Of reasoning to conclude that the East
erners had gone to Sands apartment
soon after visiting Griswold. But this
time, Britt had learned enough to
convince him that the Brahnain scholar
was as eager to get possession OF the
Missioner necklace as he was-to get
the 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
Swami'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 &C.
quainted with the system of espionage
maintained by the sage and his sub
ordinates ever since that time. That
system, he was aware. covered every.
one connected, however distantly,
with the mystery. It was apparent to
Britt that he was working against
men who, while not trained detectives
In the Occidental sense, were fully as
persistent in their quest as himself.
There was no question the Swami had
directed all the energies of the East
erners which the detective had follow.
ed interestedly throughout their vari.
Gus manifestations. Britz was con.
vinced that he had the Brahmin priest
to thank for his own kidna ping: and
he was equally certain that the same
little band Of brothers had searched
the homes of Bruxton Sands and Cur
tbs Griswold. He was not given to at.
taching much weight to intuition, re-
garding that faculty as pale and US.
ually ineffective feminine reflection OF
masculine logic.
But something told him he must be-
stir himself even more vigorously than
he had done to date, II he was to trace
the Missione, diamonds before the
suars. Subtle men from the East could
find them and put them forever be-.
yond the reach Of any Westerner.
One thing was in his favor. Undoubt-
eddy he had broken the swami's line
of communication by selling the spies
before they could report the finding OF
the Millicent note in Sands apartment
He had a vague sense that the scrap
of paper would be of immediate value
as a clue to the Brahmin-that II he
had not intercepted it, the scholar b.
now would have been close upon the
discovery of the diamonds. It remain.
ed for Britz himself to ascertain the
identity and whereabouts Of Millicent
before the Oriental prisoners could
communicate with their chief. Those
pr4soneru were safe enough for the