The Washington herald., 1915-05-09
tCopyright, lal5.l


Hoche, from her sleep. She
pulled the cord, muttering:
81 thought they were all in. It's
past three
Her husband growled:
"Perhaps it's for the DOCTOR
And voice did, in fact, ask:
Doctor Harel-which floor"
Third floor, on the left. But the
doctor won't be disturbed at night
He'll have to be this time.
The caller entered the hall, went
up one floor, two floors, and, without
even stopping on DR.. Harel's landing,
continued as far as the fifth. Here he
tried two keys; one opened the lock,
the other unfastened the safety catch.
Capital" he muttered. This Sim
plifics matters considerably. But be-
fore setting to work let's provide for
our retreat Let me see. Have | al
lowed a reasonable time for ringing
at the doctors and being dismissed
by him? Not yet must wait lit
tie longer"
He let ten minutes elapse, then went
downstairs again and tapped at the
pane OF the porter's box, raging and
Tuning against the doctor as he did
so. The front door was opened for
him, and he slammed it behind him.
But the door did not shut, for the man
had quickly applied piece Of iron to
the staple to prevent the bolt from
entering.
He returned without a sound. un-
observed by the concierge and her
husband. In case Of alarm, his retreat
was assured.
He calmly reascendcd the FIVE
flights Entering the hall of the fiat.
by the light OF a portable electric lamp
he put his hat and coat on one OF
the chairs. sat down on another, and
drew pair OF thick fclt slippers over
his boots.
so much Tor that" he said. And
an easy job too sometimes ask my
self why everybody doesn't choose
the comfortable profession OF bur-
glar. Given little skill and reflective
power, there's nothing more charm
ing. It's such restful trade, a regular
family mans trade. It's even too sim
pie 1t ceases to be amusing"
He unfolded a minute plan OF the
fat.
Let US begin by taking our bear
ings. All, here is the square hall in
which | am sitting. Looking out on
the street, we have the drawing-room, |,
the boudoir and the dining-room. No
use wasting time there; it appears that
the countess has very poor taste
there's not a knick-knack OF the small !!
est value. SO lets come to the point
AT once. All, here is a pasSage-thc j
passage that leads to the bedrooms. |
AT a distance OF three yards | ought /
to find the door OF the wardrobe I,
closet communicating with the coun-
tess bedroom"
He folded up his plan, put out his
lantern, and walked down the passage,
counting:
"One yard-two yards-threc yards.
Here is the door How we'll it all fits .
in, Bless my soul. A mere bolt, tiny
bolt, separates me from the bedroom,
and, moreover, | know that the bolt !
is three feet and half from the floor |
SO that. with the aid OF little in
cision which | propose to make .
around ii, we can easily get rid OF it."
He took the necessary implements |
from his pocket. But an idea stopped .
him.
"Supposing the bolt should happen
to be unfastened. | may as we'll try"
He turned the handle OF the lock.
To his great surprise the door opened.
"Arsenc Lupin. my fine fellow, for
no doubt of that, What do you want
next? \ on know the geography of
your field OF operations; you know
where the countess keeps the black
pearl hidden. Consequently. the black
pearl is yours. All that you have to
do is to be more silent than silence
itself. more invisible than the dark
ness"
Arsenc Lupin took quite half an
hour to open the second door-a glass
door leading to the bedroom. But he
opened it with sluch infinite precau-
tons that. even if the countess had
been awake, no suspicious sound could
have occurred to alarm her.
t.eesxdina 10 So Indications mark
cd on his plan. he had only to follow
the circuit of sofa. This would bring
him first to an easy chair, and then
to a little table beside the bed On
the table was a box OF stationery, and {
hidden quite simply inside this box
was the black pearl.
He crouched at full length on the
carpet, and followed the line of the
sofa. But on reaching the end of it
he stopped to check the beating of his