The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-05-31

there Tor an intruder TO gaze at NO,
Mr.. Hume. not so big a fool as that.
BY the way. did you find your bibelot,
that rare bibelot in the Imperial IL
brary. Interestingly
II did not take the trouble to go
back for it," l lied carelessly. "A tel
egram from Miss Quintard recalled
me to Bellagio."
| startled him as l had intended to.
His face darkened. He looked at the
clock again.
He had heard the spring whirr me-
tallically. The bells began to strike.
watched the fourth door open slowly.
Again the figure on the platform had
been broken off. What the back
ground was I could not see. I dared
not show too great curiosity before
the duke.
The door closed. The duke and I
looked at each other.
1T Is interesting, all the same, my
droll old clock"
/ shrugged my shoulders.
II see that you have had IL re-
paired"
Il was wondering IL that fact would
dawn on you,' I said.
Am l TO understand that because
you have had the clock repaired my
right to IL is the less real:' he in
quired. an urly CLEAN in his blue eyes.
You are to understand precisely
that" I replied. And permit me to
remind you. first of all. that this clock
She has asked me to keep it for her.
I shall take whatever steps I may
think necessary for its safe keeping. I
am beginning t. think that 1t is valu-
able when people break into my rooms
to observe it,"
Break into your rooms?' He look
ed at me angrily.
II beg your pardon" I said suavely.
II was thinking. of course. of thieves"
He bowed. "A very natural mistake.
Felice noce.
Good night. duke" We pressed each
others hands warmly.
But at the door he turned.
MT. i1ui1e. TO YOU Hot tHluk ludt
when people. resort to the extreme
measures of binding one and shutting
one up in closets they must he decid-
edly anxious that one shall not see
things?'
Without a doubt 7 retorted airily.
AS. for instance, when they tear
leaves out of library books
Again we bowed. So we understood
each other.
1t was long past noon when | was
awakened by st. Hilary.
WELL I asked sIeepily, have you
had any luck:'
None whatever. The dukes belong
ings were packed. His rooms were
d%ismantled. But tell me of your own
adventures with the duke
ut appears" he said ruefully. when
| had finished THAT the duke has had
the advantage of us after all. But at
least we have the clock"
THE automatic are all more or less
broken" | grumbled. I'VE gained pre-
cious little by orr trips to Holland and
Russia. | think"
Il don't call my trip n failure"
"Rut your Dutch clOckmaker didn't
repair the automatic" I insisted.
Very true. But he was able to as
sure me what I had already guessed
and hoped might he true-that the an
tics of the automata. even when the
clock was in perfect order. could V
have amounted to much. Their various
movements. however droll and anus
nificance."
THE automatic have no signifi-
Cancel" ] repeated testify. why, l
thought the fact that the clock assam
automaton clock was precisely the sig
nificant point. If the automatic amount
to no more than a row of pins. how the
devil is the clock to tell its secret?'
my dear Hume" replied st. Hilary
quietly. they may amount in the end
TO n row of diamonds. I did not say
that the automatic have no significance
whatever. On the contrary. they are
perhaps the principal actors of each
scene. But the chorus of each scene is
to be found in the bas-reliefs that APP
pear on the bronze plates forming the
backgrounds. If we grant that. the Of
fee of the automaton figures is chiefly
TO identify the twelve scenes in bas-
relief. But it is three minutes to 1.
The clock is about to strike"
We watched the first of the doors
open, the circular platform pushed out.
A headless figure stood m~otionless, its
right hand resting on a lions head. At
the stroke of the hour the beast lifted
its paw and dropped it again. The
headless figure wiggled its left hand.
Then the platform solemnly retreated
and the door was noiselessly shut.
Doesn't that simply cap the climax
for exquisite inanity:" | cried.
But you observed the backgrounds
he queried.
1T was simply the ducal palace I
said indifferently.