The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-02-16

Dor In Mrs. MlsslOner'S library.
"Ill send for the copies. Burlen,"
Britt said, as he slipped from the
stool and started to the door, but
don't let the original leave your hands
until call for it myself"
The detective was so absorbed in
his thoughts as he walked down flight
after flight of the dark stairs that he
did not see a pair of eyes cleaning
from one of the lower halls. Those
eyes were as black as the darkness
that formed their background, and the
Headquarters man would have been
even more than ordinarily on the alert
if he had seen them glistening in the
remote recess. AS the detective passed
on toward the street, the eyes ad.
vanced along the dusk of the hall, and
in the faint glow of lowered gas.jet
at the foot of one Of the higher fights
Of stairs, there became visible behind
them a man who, in most respects,
was counterpart of the two Orientals
at that moment detained in the West
Thirtieth Street Station. The owner
of the eyes, while Britt walked down
stairs, as quickly and far more quietly
went up.
Britt turned his steps toward 300
) Mulberry Street. In his own office,
after a glance into Manning's room
| that showed him it was empty, he call
ed DR.. Fitch on the telephone and
made an appointment to meet him in
two hours in the bar OF the Holland
House.
"It's one Of the quietest places in
Manhattan" said the detective, "and
l want to talk to you very privately.
They are not likely to know me
there"
Britt pushed button, and when a
Headquarters attendant appeared,
sent him for the Central Office man,
whom, next to himself, he trusted
| most.
Send down to Burdens place in an
hour and half, Rawson," said Britz
to the other detective He'll have a
hundred facsimiles Of a letter signed
Millicent. Have as many men as pos.
sible get busy among the hotels.
want to trace the woman who wrote
that signature. They will have to look
through every register for year past.
It's got to be done thoroughly, and l
want 1t done quickly. Here, I'll give
you list" and he hastily scrubbed
the names Of half-hundred hostelries
OF class such as he thought the fair
Millicent might patronize.
What time will I see you?" asked
Rawson.
If I'm not back in three hours, I'll
call you up," said the detective.
Then, having arrived at pause in
the pursuit of the jewels, he fastened
to Turkish bath, where, being a lit
tie weary from much metropolitan
journeying and muscle-bound from loss
of sleep, he had himself baked, steam
ed, chilled, kneaded, and pounded into
shape.
The great detectives indulgence in
that luxury all unknowingly gave to
the other side an advantage in the
race for the Missioner jewels that we'll
might prove fatal to his success. Long
before Britt reached the hot-air room
of the bath, the man with the gllsten-
ing eyes who had passed him in the
hall Of the tumble-down loft building
was at the door Of Burdens workshop,
straining the angle Of his vision to fol.
low the photo.engraver at work. Those
! glittering eyes forcused their gaze
through the keyhole on a piece of pa.
per which Burlen had fastened with
thumbtacks to board, and which, in
the glare Of an arc lamp, confronted a
big camera with a powerful lens. AL
though the eyes followed Burlen as
we'll as they could about the room,
their owner was not so much interest.
ed in the artisans activity as he was
in the small white sheet of paper on
which he could discern lines traced in
woman's hand. Patiently waited the
owner of the eyes. He was Of race
that had cultivated patience through
the centuries. Soon or late, undoubt.
eddy, the man inside would go from
the bench beside that great white
light to another part of the room. A
few yards would suffice for the man
with the eyes, and even while Britz
still was talking to Rawson in Police
Headquarters. Burlen briskly covered
those dozen or so feet to get chem.
ical in the row of bottles In the rack
at the far end of the shop. The man
outside, crouching until he was little
higher than an upreared cobra Of his