The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-11-26
B UR
CHAPTER xI-(continued).

and Snaken HIS trouble, wnateVer us
nature, plainly lay heavy on his mind.
evening, Rogers?'' / asked. kindly. but
he only shook his head.
I've old you everything know,
SIR" he answered in a low voice.
I'm not going to hurry you, Rog-
era" went on. but / want you to
TO help you, IL / can"
He looked up quickly, III caught
himself IN turned his eyes away.
Thank you, sir" was all he said.
I And now" I added, briskly, TIL
have to ask you to get up. Move
the cot away from the door. Parks
Parks obeyed with astonished face.
You're not going In there, sir?" he
! protested. as / turned the knob.
Yes, we are" / said Ind opened
the door. Isis"
mo, sir" broke in Parks, under
standing. The undertakers brought
the coffin and put him in 1t and moved
him over TO the drawing room this
afternoon, SIR"
I'm glad of that. I want all the
lights lit, Parks. Just as they were last
night"
Parks reached inside the door and
switched on the electrics. Then he
went away, came back in a moment
with a taper and proceeded to light
the gas lights. A momen later the
lights in the inner room were also
blazing.
There you are, sir" said Parks. and
retreated to the door. viii you need
me?"
mot now, but wait In the hall out
side. We may need you. I had a no.
ton to tell him to have an ak handy,
but / saw Godfrey smiling.
Very good, sir" said Parks, evil
IDENTIFY relieved, and went out and
closed the door.
/ led the way into the inner room.
well, there Il is" I said and nodded
toward the Boule cabinet, standing in
the full glare of the light, every inlay
and ~incrusation glittering like the
| eyes OF a basilisk. 1T isn't too late
to give II up, Godfrey"
"oh. yes. II is," he said. coolly, re-
moment you told me that story. Why,
Lester. IL I gave 1t up I should never
| sleep again"
And If you don't, you may never
wake again." I pointed out.
He laughed lightly.
What a dismal prophet you are.
| Draw up a chair and watch me-"
He pulled back his shirt sleeves and
placed his electric torch on the floor
beside the cabinet. Then he paused
with folded arms to contemplate this
masterpiece of M. Boule.
"Tt is a beauty he said at last, and
then drew out the little drawers one
after another, looked them over and
placed them carefully OF a chair.
Now" he addSd, let us see IL there
Is any space that isn't accounted for"
He took from his pocket a folding
rule OF ivory, opened 1t, n began
a series of measurements so search
ing and intricate that half an hour
passed without a word being spoken.
Then he pulled up another chair and
sat down beside me. . ........ -
II seem to be pretty much up
| against It," he said, N doubt just as
the designer OF the cabinet would wish
desk Is inclosed and those three little
drawers take up only a small part
Of the space. Then the back of the
cabinet seems to be d~ouble-at least
there's a space OF three Inches / can't
account for. So there's room for q
dozen secret drawers, IL the Monte
span required so many. And now to
find the combination"
He adjusted the steel gauntlet care
fully to his right hand and sat down
OF the floor before the cabinet.
TIL begin at the bottom" he said.
IT there is any spot / miss, tell me
OF IT." rs. .. .
He ran his fingers up and down
the graceful legs, carefully feeling
every inequality OF the elaborate
bronze ornamentation. Particularly
| did his fingers linger on every boss
and point, striving to push 1t In or
down; but they were all immovable.
Then he examined the bottom of the
table minutely. using his torch to IL
lumine every crevice, but again with
out result. ..
Another half hour passed so, and
when at last he came out from under
the table his face was dripping with
sweat. Z
TITS trying work. he said, sitting
down again and hopping his face. But
isn't II a beauty, Lester? The more I
look at 1t, the more wonderful 1t
seems"
II told Philip vantine I wasn't up
to It and I'm not" I said.
Nor ]. but ! can appreciate It to the
extent Of my capacity. It's the Louis XIV
ideal Of neutrality-suspicious. carried to the
ninth degree. Look at the arabesques
along the front-can you imagine any
| thing more graceful? And the engrav-
ing-nothing cut and dried about that.
It was done by a BURN in the hands Of
don't wonder Vantine was rather mad
about 1t. But we haven't found that
drawer yet" n he drew his chair
close to the cabinet.
I'D point out one thing to you. God
frey" I said, IF you go poking about
with the fingers of both hands, as you
have been doing, you are just as apt to
get struck on the left hand as or the
right"
That's true" he agreed, "stop me
IL / forget"
There were three little drawers In the
front of the table. and these Godfrey
had removed. He inserted his hand
into the space from which he had taE
ken them, and examined II carefully!
Then, inch by inch, he ran his fingers
over the bosses and arabesques with
which the sides and top OF the table
were incrusted. 1t seemed to me that.
IL the secret drawer were anywhere, it
must be somewhere in this part OF the
cabinet, and / watched him with
breathlcss interest. Once I thought he
had found the drawer, for a piece of
inlay at the side Of the table seemed to
give u little under the pressure OF his
fingers; but no hidden spring was
touched; nc drawer .sprang open; no
poisoned fangs descended.
Well" said Godfrey, sitting back in
his chair at last, and wiping his face
again, there's so much done. II there