The Washington herald., 1914-03-01

with noiseless rspidity.
| my dear A. j." said In his very owl
tone. you're far too fond OF the uphill
game: you will eventually fall a victim
to the sporting spirit and nothing else
Take a lesson from our last escape, an
| fly lower as you value our skins. Stud.
/ the house as much as you like. but do
| not-go and shove your head in,o Mac
kenzie's MOUTH
My wealth OF metaphor brought him Il
standstiIl. with his cigarette betweeI
his fingers and 4 grin beneath his shining
| eyes.
You're quite right. Bunny. / won't.
really won't. Yet-you saw old Lad!
| Melrose's necklace? I've been wanting
| It for years. But I'm not going to PLAY
the fool: honor bright, I'm not; yet-by
Jove,-to get to windward of the pro
fessors and Mackenzie too! II would b'
great game. Bunny. IT would be a
great game"'
well, you mustn't play it this week. .
mo. no. / won't"
And with that assurance I went of &c
my own room. and so to bed with an in
credibly light heart. / possessed the gift
not intimately connected with the pass
ing moment entirely from my mind.
II Is true that there were other factors
in this pleasing disappointment. In the
first place, mirabile dictu. there were
one or two even greater buffers than on
the Abbey cricket field. Indeed, quite
early in the week. when it was of most
value to me. 1 gained considerable kudos
for a lucky catch; a ball. of which had
merely heard the hum. stuck fast in my
hand, which Lord Amersteth himself
grasped in public congratulation. This
happy accident was not to be undone
even by me. and, as nothing succeeds like
success. and the constant encouragement
of the one great cricketer on the field was
in itself an immense stimulus, I actually
made a run or two in my very next in
nings. Miss Melhuish said pretty things
TO me that night at the great ball in
honor of Viscount Crowley's majority:
she also told me that was the night on
which the robbers would assuredly make
their raid, and was full of arch tremors
when We sat out in the garden. though
the entire premises were Illuminated all
night long. Meanwhile the quiet Scotch
man took countless photographs by day,
which he developed by night in a dark
room admirably situated in the servants
part of the house: and IL is my firm belief
that only two of his fellow-guests knew
Mr.. Clephane. OF Dundee, for Inspector
Mackenzie. Of Scotland Yard.
The week was to end with a trumpery
match on the Saturday, which two or
three of us intended abandoning early in
order to return to town that night. The
match. however, was never played. In
the small hours of the Saturday MORN
Abbey.
Let me tell OF the thing as I saw and
heard IL Ny room opened upon the CEN
tral gallery, and was not even on the
same floor as that on which Raffies-and
think all the other men-were quar-
tered. I had been put. in fact, into the
dressing-room OF one of the grand suites.
and my too near neighbors were old Lady
Melrose and my host and hostess. Now
by the Friday evening the actual fes-
tivities were at an end. and, for the first
time that week, I must have been sound
asleep since midnight. when all at once
I found myself sitting up breathless. A
heavy thud had come against my door,
and now heard hard breathing and the
dull stamp OF muffied feet.
i've got ye." muttered a voice. IT'S
no use struggling"
II was the Scotch detective. and a new
fear turned me cold. There was no re-
ply, but the hard breathing grew harder
still, and the muffied feet beat the floor to
a quicker measure. In sudden panic
sprang out of bed and flung open my
door. 4 light burned low on the landing.
and by IT I could see Mackenzie swaying
and staggering in a silent tussle with
some powerful adversary.
Hold this man. he cried, as ! ap-
peared. Hold the rascal"
But stood like fool until the pair Of
them backed into me, when, with a deep
breath ! flung myself on the fellow.
one of the footmen who waited at table;
and no sooner had pinned him than the
detective loOsed his hold.
Hang on to him." he cried. There's
more OF 'em below
And he went leapinS down the stairs, as
other doors opened and Lord Amersteth
and his son appeared simultaneously in
their pajamas. At that my man ceased
struggling: but I was still holding him
when Crowley turned up the gas.
What the devils all this?' asked Lord
blinking. who was that ran
"Mac-Clephane"' said l hastily.
Aha said he. turning to the footman.
80 you're the scoundrel, are you? Well
done. Well done. Where was he caught
] had To idea.
Here's Lady Meirose's door open"
said Crowley. Lady Melrose. Lady
You forget she's deaf" said Lord
Amersteth. "Ah. thatn be her maid"
An inner door had opened: next instant
there was little shrek, and white fig
ure gesticulated on the threshold.
"ou done est Tecrin de Madame la Mar |
puise? La fenetre est ouverte. II dis
paru-'
window open and jewel case gone, by |
love-" exclaimed Lord Amersteth. "Mais |
comment est Madame Ia Marquise? Est |
ellie bien?''
''Oui. milor. Ellie dort.''
Sleeps through it ALL" said my lord. |
She's the only one. them
what made Mackenzie-Clephane-
bolt?' young Crowley asked me.
Said there were more of them below"
why the devil couldn't you tell us so
before?'' he cried, ard went leapins
downstairs in his turn.