The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-05-23
- Times NOVEL "
/ Another By EneaW
x ss: s s: The Thousandth Woman" Author s,s:

He paused as IL waiting for
question. None was asked.
1t was a mad idea, but I had
gone mad" continued Cazalet.
II turned the key In the door. to
give myself few seconds grace
or start; II reminded me of the
keys In my hands. One of them
was one of those little round
bramah keys.
1t seemed familiar to me even
after so many years. looked up,
and there was my fathers secret
closet, with its little round
bramah keyhole. I opened 1t as
the outer door was knocked at
and then tried.
But my mad instinct OF alter
ing every possible appearance, to
mislead the police, stuck to me
to the last. And | took the mans
watch and chain into the closet
with me. as well as the cap and
truncheon that | had picked up
before.
Il don't know how long | was
above ground, SO to speak, but
one of my fathers objects had
been TO make his retreat sound
tight, and | could scarcely hear
what was going on In the room.
That encouraged me; and two
OF you don't need telling how
got out through the foundations,
because you know all about the
hole | made myself as a boy in
the floor under the oileloth.
THE big dog barked at me
like blazes-he did again the 9TH
err day-but nobody seemed to
hear him. | got to my boat, tip
ped fellow on the towing path
to take 1t back and pay for 1t
why haven't the police got hold
of him?-and ran down to the
bridge over the weir.
IL stopped a big car with a
smart shaver smoking his pipe at
the wheel. should have thought
he'd have come forward for the
reward that was put up; but
pretended | was late for dinner
had in town, and | let him drop
me at the Grand Hotel. He cost
me FLYER, but | had on a waist
coat lined with notes, and I'd
more than five minutes in hand
at Charing Cross.
IF you want to know, II was
| the time in hand that gave me
the whole idea of doubling back
to Genoa; | must have been
halfway up to town before
thought of it,"
He had told the whole thing
as he always could tell an actual
experience; that was one reason
why 1t rang so true to one lis
tener at every point. But the
sick mans sunken eyes had ad-
vanced from their sockets in
cumulative amazement. And
Hilton Toye laughed shortly
when the end was reached.
You figure some on our
eredulity,' was his first COM
ment.
81 don't figure on anything
from you, Toye. except a pair of
handouts as a first installment!
Toye rose in prompt accept
ance of the challenge. Seriously.
Cazalet, you ask us to believe
that you did all this to screen a
man you didn't have time to rec
ognize?"
I've told you the facts"
well, | guess you'd better
tell them to the police" Toye
took his hat and stick. Scruton
was struggling from his chair.
Blanche stood petrified, as Toye
made a sardonic bow from tie
landing door.
"You broke your side of the
contract, Miss Blanche; | guess
it's up to me to complete"
Watt"
It was Scruton's raven croak!
he had tottered to his feet.
Sure" said Toye, "if you've
anything you want to say as an
interested party"
"Only this = he's told the
| truth"
well, can he prove it," =
81 don't know" said Scruton.
But | cam"
YOU" Blanche chimed in.
Eyes, I'd like a drink first, II
you don't mind, Cazalet." It was
Blanche who got 1t for him, in
an instant. THANK you! I'd say
more if my blessing was worth
having - but here's somethihe
that is. Listen to this, you Amer
lean gentleman: l was the MAJ
who wrote to him in Naples
Leave it at that a minute; 1t was
my second letter to him; the first
was to Australia, in answer to