Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-02-04

What nance" asked the voice.
Lester. of Royce & Lester-and YOU
might tell your city editor tina Godfrey
Is a close friend of mine"
The city editor seemed to understand.
for was switched on to him a mo-
inent later, But he was scarcely more
satisfactory.
we sent Godfrey up into Westches-
ter TO see Il man" he said, ION a tip that
looked pretty good. He started lust as
soon as he got his Pigot story writ
ten, and he ought to be back almost any
Time, Is there a message l "a give
him.
"Ies-tel1 him Pigot is at the Twen-
ty-thlrd street station, and that he'd
better come up as soon as he can"
Very good. I'll give him the mes
sage the moment he comes in"
Thank YOU | said, but the disap-
pointment was a bitter one.
In the street again, | passed hest
tatlngly at the curb, my eyes on the
red light, of the police station. What
was about to happen there? What
was the sensation M. Pigot had up his
sleeve? Had | any excuse for being
present?
And then, remembering Grady's nod
and his wobbly legs-renembering. too
that. at the worst, he could only put
me out!-I turned toward the light,
pushed open the DOR and entered.
There was no one in sight except the
sergeant at my desk.
My name is Lester | said. You
have a cabinet here belonging to the
estate of the late Philip Vantine."
We've got Il cabinet. all right: but
l don't know who 1t belong s to-
1T belongs to Mr.. Nantine's estate"
We'll, what about it," he asked, look
ing at me to see if L was Trunk. You
haven't come in here at midnight to
tell me that. ! hope?"
NO; but I'd like to see the cabinet a
minute"
You can't see it tonight. Come
around tomorrow. Besides, I don't
know you"
Here's my card. Either Mr.. Sim
monds or Mr.. Grady would know me.
And tomorrow won't do"
The sergeant took the card, ook at
it, and looked at me.
"Wait a minute" he said, at last, and
disappeared through a o at the far
Their side of the room. He was gone
three or four minutes, and the station
clock struck IL as stood there. l
counted the sonorous, deliberate
strokes, and then, in the silence that
followed. my hands began to tremble
with the suspense. Suppose Grady
should refuse to see me? But at last
the sergeant came back.
Come along he said. opening the
gate in the railing and m%otioning me
through. Straight on through that
door," he added, and sat down again at
his desk.
With a desperate effort at careless
u%nconcern, I opened the door and
passed through. Then, involuntarily, l
stopped. For there, in the middle of
the floor, was the Boule cabinet, with
NJ. Pigot standing beside it, and Grady
and Simmonds sitting opposite, flung
carelessly back in their chairs, and puff
fling at black cigars.
They all looked at me as l entered,
Pigot with an evident contraction of
the brows which showed how strongly
his unbanity was strained; Simmonds
with an affection of surprise, and Grady
with a bland n somewhat vacant
smile. My heart rose when | saw the
smile.
well, Mr.. Lester he said, so you
want to see this cabinet?"
Yes" l Z answered: lit really belongs
to the Vantine estate, you know: I'm
if you are not willing to surrender it
without contest"
Did you just happen to think of
this in the middle of the night?" he
inquired quizzically.
NO" 1 said boldly, but / saw you
and Mr.. Simmonds n this gentle
man"-with a bow to NJ. Pigot-"turn
in here a moment ago. and it occurred
to me that the cabinet might have
something to do with your visit. OF
course. we don't wan the cabinet in
jured. 1t is very valuable"
Don't worry" said Grady, easily,
were not going to injure it. And ]
think we'll be ready to surrender it
to you at any time after tonight
Moosseer Piggott here wants to do a
few tricks with it first. 1 suppose you
have a certain right to be present-sc
If you like sleight-o Of hand, sit down
l hastily sought a chair, my heart
singing within me. Then l attempted
to assume a mask of Indifference, for
M. Pigot was obviously annoyed al
my presence, and / feared for a mo-
ment that his Gallo suavlty would
be strained to breaking. But Grady
IL he noticed his guests annoyance paid
no heed to 1t, and / began to suspect
that the F~renchman's courtesy and
good breeding had ended by rubbing
Grady the wrong way, they were in
such painful contrast to his own hob
nailed nne Whatever the cause
there was . certain malice in the smile
he turned upon the Frenchman.
And now, Moosseer Piggott." he
said, settling back in his chair a lit
tie farther, we're ready for the show
What 1 have to tell you, sir" be-
gan M. Pigot, In a voice as hard as
steel and as cold as ice. has, under
SldAlu we'll, 70 DS tOiO III commence. IL
must remain between ourselves unit.
the cr1minal is secured"
Grady's smile hardened a little. Per
haps he did not like the imperatives
AT any rate. he ignored the hint.
Understand, Mr.. Lester?" he asked
looking at me. and I nodded.
] saw Pigot's eyes Tame and his
face flush with anger, for Grady's tone
was almost insulting. For an instant
! thought that he would refuse to pro-
coed; but he controlled himself.
Standing there facing me, in the full
light 1t was possible for me to ex-
anime him much more closely thar
had been possible on board the boat
and l looked at him with interest. He
was typically French-smeoth shaven
with q face scanned with little wrinkles
and very white, eyes shadowed By
enormously bushy lashes, and close
cropped hair as white as his face. But
what attracted me most YVES the mouth
Ia mouth at nee delicate and hufnor-
GUS a little large and with the lips full
enoughgsto betOken vigor, yet not toe
fun for fineness. He was about sc
years of age, I guessed, and there was
about him the air of a man who had
passed through q hundred remarkable
experiences. without once losing his
aplomb. Certainly he was not going to