The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-31
6Continu.sdss

AC0D114Ele00 .T seem to be pretty much urt against lt,'s he said, sro doubt just as the de signer of the cabinet would wish me to be The whole bottom of the desk is inclosed, and those three little drawers take up only small part of the space Then the back or the cabinet seems to be double-at least, there's a space of three inches I can't account for So there's room for a dozen secret draw CTS, if the Montespan required so many. And now to find the combination
 He adjusted the steel gauntlet care fully to his right hand and sat down on the floor before the cabinet.
 sI'u begin at the bottom.' he said -~If there is any spot miss, tell me of it."
 He ran his fingers up and down the graceful legs, carefully feeling every inequality of the elaborate bronze or namenfation- Then he examined the bottom of the table minutely, using his torch to tllumine every crevice, but again without result
 Another half hour passed so, and when at last he came out from under the table his face was dripping with sweat-
 sIfs trying werk,'' he said, sitting down again and hopping his face "But isn't 1t a beauty, Lester2 The more look at it the more wonderful it seems"
 ssTd point out one thing to you, God frey,s I said. eff you go on poking about with the fingers of both hands, as you've been doing, you are just as apt to get struck on the left hand as on the right" sfa
 That's true" he agreed. Stop me If I forget
 There were three little drawers in the front of the table and these God hand into the space from which he had taken them and examined it care fully Then, inch by inch, he ran his fingers over the bosses and arabesques, with which the sides and top of the table were incrusted It seemed to me that if the secret drawer were any where it must be somewhere in this part of the cabinet, and watched him with breath1ess interest. But no hid den spring was touched; no drawer sprang open; no poisoned fangs de scended.
 ssWeII," said Godfrey, sitting back in. his chair at last and wiping his face again, Hnow we'll try the Mpper part. 7
 The upper part of the cabinet con sisted of series of drawers, rising one above the other and terminated by a triangular pediment, it's tympanum ornamented with some beautiful little bronzes. The drawers themselves were concealed by two doors, opening in the center and covered with most intri- cate design of arabesqued fncrusta- tions.
 'sIf there is a secret drawer here, said Godfrey, s-it is somewhere in the back. where there seems to be hollow space. But to discover the combina- Eion''-
 He ran his fingers over the inlay, and then, struck by a sudden thought, tested each of the little figures along. the tympanum, but they were all set solidly in place
 There's one thing sure,'' he said, s'the combination, whatever it is, is of such a nature that 1t could not be dis covered accidentally. 1t is probably question of releasing series of lev CTS, which must be worked in a cer- Eain order or the drawer won't open. I'm Afraid we are up against it-''
 'sI can't pretend I'm sorry.'' I said with a sigh of relief ssAs far as I am concerned, I'm perfectly willing that khe drawer should go undiscovered
 don't know what it was, for was conscious of no noise. but some myste- rfous attraction drew my eyes to the window at the farther side of the room Near the top of the wooden shutter, which Parks and I had put in place, was a small semicircular open Ing, to allow the passage of a little light. perhaps, and peering through this opening were two eyes-two burn ing eyes
 They were fixed upon Godfrey. who was now examining the back of the eabinet with such feverish intentness hat they did not see my glance, and lowered my head instantly.
 Godfrey I said in a shaking voice. Cont look up, don't move your head, put there is some one peerfng through he hole in the shutter opposite us.''
 Godfrey did not answer for quite a minute.
 Did he see you look at him 2'' he asked at last
 .-No; he was looking at you, with his syes almost starting out of his head. never saw such eyes!"
 Did you see anything of his facet"
 No: the hole is too smal1.''
 How high is the hoIeT'
 Near the top of the window.''
 Godfrey came back to his chair a zanaat later. sat down in 1t and pass