Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-03-18

watch ON that garage and junk shop
where they nearly got you that night
Something strange about that junk
shop. People 90 In there and don't
come out again. There's some kind
Of a tunnel and between you and me
and the gate post this tunnel leads 10
the marble home OF Nine. Du Val"
IL never heard anything about tnn-
mel" said Baird honestly.
cor you saw but one OF the facets
OF this clever diamond woman. In
that day you were using her; eonse-
quently she did not tell you any Of
her secrets. Now you watch the hut
and I'll watch the marble palace, and
then wen compare notes as TO whom
we see enter or leave the hut and the
palace"
But when they compared notes they
had nothing that was important.
About four weeks later, however,
they were rewarded. Baird saw
Bruce enter the hut and disappear, and
Detective Hunt saw Bruce come out
OF the villa without apparently having
entered II. Hunt proceeded to follow
his man back to town. Bruce had an
ONCE In one of the downtown sky;
scrapers. The door had no business
announcement, such as IL usually
found upon ONCE doors. There was
merely a number, and below that In
small letters the word private" Pr
vate, Hunt was sure this ONCE was.
He hung about in the shadow until
Bruce left when he set about calmly
30 pick the lock. He was rather curl
GUS to see what kind Of an ofiice this
was. He found many interesting
documents, but nothing discriminating.
The smuggler was n shrewd fox.
Suddenly Hunt heard footsteps. He
heard key in the lock. Bruce had
returnedI Hunt made quick scramble
out of the window. where he chung to
the iron shutter The effort was worth
his while. The man who accompanied
Bruce was none other than Howard,
the superintendent Of the Zudora dia-
mond mines. This conversation was
going to be interesting. Bruce had
put one over Evidently Howard's
boat had beat a day from the trip, as
he had been scheduled to arrive the
following morning.
"You have the gems?" asked Bruce.
~ have"
"You pulled them through the GUS
toms?"
81 did. But that does not mean that
I intended to keep their arrival a
secret from the United States govern
ment."
"Ohw was the noncommital utter
ance of Bruce.
"Now, Mr.. Bruce" went on Howard
"there is another claimant to this
mine"
"And with not foot to stand on
said Bruce triumphantly.
"Well, that remains to be seem"
"What do you mean?'
"Why, that this muddle has got to bt
thrashed out. I'm honest, Mr.. Bruce
Detective Hunt grinned from behinC
his shutter.
Nobody accused you of not being
honest" said Bruce Indignantly. "WeI
20 right now and get the facts as oul
side know them, and you'll realize that
It will take long siege In court e
Dry this mine out Of our hands. Come
along. Are the gems In that valiseT
an a false bottom"
Detective Hunt did not like the sound
Of that ejaculation. He was mighty
glad that he had detailed Baird to
keep an eye on the garage. Bruce
meant to play some trick on Howard.
There was nothing for Hunt to do but
trust 30 Baird's watchfulness.
Sure enough, half an hour later
Baird saw Bruce and the stranger
enter the hut, and almost Immediately
two rough looking men and another
whom Baird recognized as Gyp the
gun man came into view. Baird re-
manned in his hiding place. 1t was
going to be long wait, and he want
ed the men to reappear before he left.
He wanted Gyp's status in this affair.
Meantime Bruce and Howard arriv-
ed at Nine. Du Val's through the tun-
mel. This tunnel did not particularly
reassure the superintendent OF the Zu-
dora diamond mine. Why all this
bother to enter his employers house?
Were they smuggling the gems. then,
and this tunnel was for madame's 60
betweens? He did not like the busi-
ness at all. He was more than ever
inclined to the opinion that he had
been long the dupe of these people.
But Nine. Du Val impressed him.
The beauty of her home and its luxu-
rious furnishing rather upset his pre-
conceived ideas. This woman was al