Graham guardian., 1912-01-19

the need Of even greater haste than he
was making in pushing his pursuit OF
the Missioner diamond to close But
Burlen. conscience-stricken though he
was, was loath to send the information
to the Headquarters man until he could
have time to make further and more
exhaustive search Of his shop, as well
as of the courtyard In the rear of the
building on which its windows gave. It
was dark In the court, and the imper.
feet light OF his candle made his
search so slow that by the time he
was sure the note was gone beyond
possibility Of its recovery, II was too
late for him to find Detective Britz at
Police Headquarters. When his mes
senger returned with the report that
the Central ONCE man had left his
room, and that no one In the Mulberry
street building knew where to find him,
Burlen became so alarmed that he
hastened to Headquarters to try to
take up the hunt for Britx from that
point. He was as unsuccessful as his
emissary, and he spent many anxious
hours In the waiting room hoping for
the detectives return. The photo en-.
graver tried to console himself with
the thought that the negative had been
spared, and he therefore had been able
to send to Britz's office the hundred
facsimiles Of the Curtis dear" missive
his customer had ordered. But It was
poor consolation when he recalled the
earnestness with which the detective
had enjoined upon him not to let the
original leave his hands. Burlen was
an exceedingly uncomfortable young
man during all the time he awaited
the sleuth's return. His discomfort did
not decrease as the hours dragged by.
But 1t would have been well for
Britz to have that knowledge In re-
gard to the strange vanishment OF the
Griswold note. 1t would have been bet
ter for Curtis Griswold II Dorothy
March had not become conscience
stricken in respect Of him that same
evening. For little Miss March, being
Of Puritan stock. as soon as she per-
suaded herself that she might have
made trouble for Mrs. Missioner's ad-
mirer by talking too freely to the
bland man from Mulberry street In
the cozy corner Of the Forrest theater,
resolved to repair the mischief as rap.
Idly as possible. She, therefore. sent
a little note to the clubman, asking
that he make 1t point to see her in
the course Of the evening; and In the
note she gave him q list of the several
functions she intended to take in.
The ball Mrs. Missioner attended, and
at which Griswold scored what he re-
garded as q distinct gain In parading
the wealthy widow before many of
their acquaintances as a receptive re-
cipient of his attentions, was only one
of the affairs on Dorothy's list. Girls.
void received the note too late to
come up with Miss March before the
ball, SO he decided to meet her at a
later dance. That decision upset one
| Of his plans-the most important he
had formed in many months, although
he did not know its Importance at the
4 time. 1t had been his intention to 20
from the Fifth Avenue ballroom to the
Hotel Renaissance, and II he had not
]receiyed the note from Miss March, he
would have done SO even though he
might have escorted Mrs. Missioner to
her home and passed short time with
her in the interval.
/ Dorothy's request flattered the club
mans vanity SO greatly. however, that
he did not hesitate to defer his visit
to the Renaissance In order to keep
the interesting appointment the debu.
tante, with more conscience than dis
erection. made for him. The conse
quence was that by the time Girls
wold's Interview with little Dorothy
March was at an end. the hours had
passed beyond point to which even
his ingenuity could stretch conven
tionality far enough to make 1t practi
cable for him to see Mrs. Delaroche
that night.
Dorothy was dancing abstractedly
when Griswold found her. She was sc
impatient to adjust the harm she felt