Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-01-06
CHAPTER NIN.
LA MORT."

That my legs. without conscious eff
fort OF my own. should carry me up the
avenue n around the corne after
the cab in which / had seen Godfrey
was Il %foregone conclusion. and vet it
was with Il certain %veXation of spirit,
that i found myself racing along. for |
realized that Godfrey had not been en-
tlrely frank with me. Certainly he had
dropped no hint of his intention to fol-
low Armand; but. I told myself. that
might very Well have been because he
deemed such a hint unnecessary. 1
might have guessed. in spite of his
seeming u%nconcern, the he would not
allow the cabinet to pass from his
sight; If he had been willing for me 20
turn it over to Armand. it was only
because he expected developments of
some sort to follow that transfer.
And ii suddenly dawned upon ME
that even | did o know the cabinets
destlnatlon! 1t had not occurred to me
to inquire where M. Armand proposed
to take it. and he had volunteered no
Information.
SO. after a m j took 40 the
chase more ~contentedly. telling myself
that Godfrey would not have waved to
me If he had not wanted me along. and
L reached the corner in time to see th.
van turn northward into Sixth avenue.
AS soon as it and the cabs which fol-
lowed 1t were out of sight. / sprinteG
along the sidewalk at top speed. and.
on arriving at the corner, had the sat-
lslactlon OF seeing them only a little
Way ahead. Here the congestion of
tfaff1c was such that the van could
proceed but slowly, and l had no diff
Guilty in keeping pace with it. without
the necessity of making myself %conspic-
uots by running. Indeed. / rather hung
back, burying myself in the crowds on
the sidewalk, for fear that Armand
might chance to glance around and see
me In pursuit.
4 saw that Godfrey and simmopds
the same fear. for the cab in which
they We're drew up at the curb and
waited there until the van had got
some distance ahead. At Sixteenth
street it turned westward again. and
tnen northward into Seventh avenue.
what could Armand De doing in this
part OF town, l asked myself? Did he
propose to leave that priceless cabinet
IN this dingy quarter? And Their ! paus-
ed abruptly and slipped into an area
way, for the a had stopped some dis
lance ahead n was backing up to the
curb.
Looking out discreetly, / saw the cab
Armand stop also. and h
gentleman alighted and paid the driver.
The other cab ratified on at a good pace
and disappeared up the avenue. Then
the two porters lifted out the cabinet.
ana. with Armand showing them the
way. carried 1T into the building before
which the van had stopped.
They We're gone perhaps five minutes.
from which l argued that they were
carrying 1T upstairs: then thew reap
peared, with Armand accompanying
them. He tipped them and went out
also to tip the driver of the var. Then
the porters climbed aboard n it rat
tied away out OF sight. Armand stood
for a on the step, looking up
and down the ven then disappeared
indoors.
An instant latter. l saw Godfrey and
another man whom l recognized as
Simmonds. come out OF a shop across
the street and dash over to the house
into which the cabinet had been taken
They were standing on the door-ster
when I-joined them:
It was a dingy building. entirely typ
icai Of the dingy neighborhood. The
ground floor was occupied by a laun-
dry which the sign on the front win
dow declared to be- French: and the
room which the window lighted extend
ed the whole width OF the building ex-
cept for a door which opened pre-.
sumably on the stairway leading to the
upper stories.
Godfrey's face was flaming with ex
door gently-gently. The door wa.
locked. He stopped and applied an eye
to the key hole.
The key is in the lock-" he wills.
pered.
Einamonds took from his pocket {
pair Of slender pliers and passed then
owe
Godfrey looked up and down tn,
street, saw that for the moment ther,
was no n near. inserted the pliers ii
the keyhole. grasped the end Of the key
turned It slowly.
"Now!" he said, softly opened tn,
d0pr ana slipped inside. I followed
ana Simmonds came after mi like ,