The evening world., 1914-11-17

LECTION Of the closet floor
was MP. and now stood on
edge leaning asainlt Q wall;
- beneath II was . shallow,
a.. osmented hollow. with four
veslsn steps leading down 70 the
buetoms whore. obviously. one might
stasd 70 gst conveniently at the small
eafs thus disclosed.
Il was also manifest that somebody
had been doing that very thing. For
ne safe door stood open. ~ well
- the timer door: and q fash Of the
candle. . single brief glimpse. assured
- that-whatever Il might have held
~ was now a. empty ~ on the
~ Il LETT the makers hands.
But stay-there was something,
though not in the safe. 4 took the
candle from Burke and went down
Ne steps. On the cement floor. In the
ahadow Of he open safe door. was .
visiting card. yellowed by aga
thought It blank at nvt: but on
turning It over I saw some writing.
lAint eud faded but iegible. which had
BEEN penned by q feminine hand:
Y Il pray that you be showered with
~ the blessings Of the season. With
love from CLARA"
Ana In the lower left hand corner .
1Ass was wrttten--an old. old date:
~xmAs. 1887"
'1o-ws have . thief to deal with.
- we'll - an assassin" observed
1siiIot, his glance rowing casually
ever the secretary.
We rs.entersd the bedroom. OBJ
0srvsd . door In the wall dearest the
front Of the house and SEIZED with a
sudden fancy to ascertain upon what
it opened went and laid my hand
upoa the handle. Burke's steady prog
aimed At diverttng my purpose; real
istng that he had failed. he turned
and called aloud. staying my hand
while Il was In tho very act Of turn
ing the knob. . ,'.
"That's only a conservatory" his
voice rang out, Its empty-save for
Gust and cobwebs. there's nothing In
~
''Nsvsrthslsss I have . fancy to e.
llore II" returned I; and I opened
he door. ~.
4 narrow passage WAS disclosed.
ooross which vas another door. Both
swung Gpon notselessiy, circum-
oeAnce which struck me. In view Of
tho fact That the conservatory was
empty and, unused, a. being rather
odd: and - closed the second door
Dun1nd Nc I turned round as II to
make SURE the latch had caught
The hinges had been freshly oiled.
- bay Of glass. ssmi-opaque with
dlg& occupied the space Of the outer
vail and the glare from the dazzling
GBoW outside brought out the whole
interior with q sort Of brutal vivid
uoos. A number Of water-stained
shelves; O few shallow boxes disinte-
o3Ating and distributing their contents
g earth over the noor; one or two
crisp, brown. desiccated plant-stalks:
such was the interior Of this apart
lmsat set aside and dedicated to tiow-
EN- and bright growing things.
Ard II had been used infrequently
9 . passageway. too. In the dust on
H. door were footprints: some of
item old. where later dust had set
It'd, without quite obliterating them:
opme fresh. a. II made but an hour
A. I came up to the next door I
oooerved that its hinges had also been
0ouhly fabricated and wis not sur
Dglsed when II opened without q
oooAd. When I stepped through 1t I
Vas In the curtatned alcoye on the
library. Truly. there had been some
ef9ret. surreptitious fittings In this
"Nr. Burke" said I. quietly. will
yev please walt with Mr.. Stodger
while ! have . few words with Mr..
Aaillotf"
The Instant the doof closed on stod-
ger and Burke young Maillot sank
with . groan Into q chair by the ta-
bic.
"Im glad you got rid of that fol-
low" he muttered. HE wears on one
iiike the very deuce"
As I stood silently regarding him his
AGitation neasurably increased. At
>issls
swift. don't look at mo In that
way!" came in a sudden outburst
from his frightened lips. II know
! can sea-now that Two had time to
think II over-that the facts are
damning.. II I close my lips and re-
fuse to make any statement at all 1t
will be equivalent to a confession.
On the other hand
I waited. silent, motionless. with
out removing my eyes from his face.
Swift" he at last continued. more
calmly ";',c well aware what your
.-snc!usions must be; the responsi-
bility for that old mans death lies
hstween-between that secretary fell
low and me; any fool can see that.
It's downright devil!sh to he one of
two such alternatives: but II tell
you what brought me here last night
swift. I Jus, simply can't contem-
plate doing III"
Again he paused.
"Takc time. Malllot," ! admonlshed,
'fhut choose wisely"
He lifted his head with little Jerk.
s'(1ive me a moment to think. must
Decide, and decide irrcvocably, whether
- become as dumb as a craven I'M
ago. or else take YOU into my con-
fidence."
At this unfortunate instant there
came q loud rap on the door. which
Immediately opened to disclose the ro-
tund form o. 6todger. and behind him
TIVE sllght Figures In furs and wells.
Iooosing. into this dssolats ssd gloomy