The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-11-01

He had reached a point in his medita-
lions that for an instant seemed to
open a way for an explanation, for
which he had come to see Sands,
when faint rustling in the adjoining
room reached his acute ear.
A ribbon of subdued light between
portferes of Moorish leather gave pas
sage to his glance. He saw shadow
fiutter at a far window and In the
next instant, rapidly and noiselessly,
he had slid out of the armchair until
he was on his knees on the rug be-
hind the shelter of a library table
piled high with books. Inch by inch,
soundless, Britt lifted one knee until
his foot rested firmly on the floor;
inch by inch, still without a sound, he
raised the other. When he was fairly
on his feet, but In crouching attitude,
he half walked, half crawled, around
the table by the longer way, until he
was close to the portieres. Britt was
too good sleuth to make the mistake
Of looking between the portieres to
get a glimpse of the inner room. It
was no part of his program to be seen
by Sands other visitor, or visitors.
He felt justified in giving way to his
curiosity because 1t might be as much
to the millionaire's interests as to his
own-to say nothing Of Mrs. Mission
er's, and that of the public. In fact,
the headquarters man did not waste
much time in such reflections. He
wanted to see and hear what was go
ing on, and he took the readiest
means of doing so. Instead of rtsking
the danger of being seen between the
parting Of the portieres, he pierced
with his scarf pin tiny hole in the
leather curtain behind which he stood,
and applying one eye closely he could
see the whole inner room. 1t was the
millionaires bedroom, and he COM
manded everything except the angle
In which was set the window where
he had glimpsed the shadow. A slight
ly more vigorous twist or two of the
pin enlarged the microscopical aper-
ture, so that he could see even that
detail of the interior. Britt almost
grunted with satisfaction at what he
witnessed in the next few minutes.
The shadow man wSs still at the win
dow, fluttering, fitting to and fro,
rising and falling. 1t crouched out
side the window In such a way as
showed Britt it was on a fire escape
or a balcony of some sort The rust
ling sound increased, and II was fol-
lowed by faint "cheep," like spar
rows call. A second shadow fluttered
from point above the window and
melted into the outlines of the first.
Then came a slightly rasping sound,
and the lower sash, Britt noticed,
trembled. By well-nigh imperceptible
degrees the sash was lifted. The next
instant two men noiselessly lowered
themselves to the floor and glanced
hastily about the room. Reassured by
the swift look, they tiptoed along the
walls from right to left; one of them
stopped at a chiffonier, the other con-
tinued his little Journey Of investiga-
ton until he arrived at the portieres. |
Then 1t was that Britt held his |
breath. He held 1t for seconds that |
seemed as tedious as hours, while the |
nearer Of the strange visitors, sepa-
rated from him only by the thickness
Of the leather, peered through the |
parting between the curtains into the |
library where the detective stood.
Britt had not obtained q good view |
Of the intruder's face, for It was half |
hidden by loose fold of the turban |
AaA 4v,At - -
strangers nationality. Britz's eyes
still we're fixed at the hole, and |
by that time the stranger was
out Of his line Of vision. Had |
such not been the case, It Is
possible that even the imper- |
turbable Britt would have moved |
at least TO the extent of a swift reach |
to a side pocket in his coat For it |
was about as evil a countenance as
one could expect to see anywhere,
save under the shadow of the gallows. |
In its rapacity, ferocity, blood thirsti-
ness and cruelty of every degree |
spoke loudly. II that savage face had
advanced an inch or two nearer, those
snaky eyes would have seen the man
from Mulberry street who shrank into
himself behind the shelter of the pro-
tecting strip of leather But 1t did |
not; and, after leisurely survey of
the interior, the Oriental returned to
the other end of the inner room and
rejoined his companion.
Hardly had Britt begun to let the
air seep out of his lungs, and before
he had INDUCED In the luxury of an
intake of breath, when he became an
interested spectator In the gentleman
ly art of searching gentleman's
room. The Central Office man was no
vidocq II is doubtful If he had even
read Poe's story of The Missing Let
ter" and had he done so, 1t Is by no
means certain he would have adapted
the methods OF the French police to
metropolitan detective work. Never
theless, he had fattered himself that
he usually made a pretty thorough
search for anything he wanted; but
what he saw through that tiny pin
hole In the leather portiere showed
him that he was the veriest tyro in
that sort of thing. The two visitors
went through the millionaire's furni-
ture and other possessions with min