The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-02-18
The Mystery of
the Bou1e Cabinet
BURTON E. STEVENSON
Copyright. 1918, by Burton E. Stevenson.

lN1 ny NtO LII L Iiou AShA q
vigorous toweling I felt immensely bet
ter. So / returned to my chair and sat
down to review the events Of the eve
ming; but I found hat somehow my
brain refused to work. and black
circles began to whirl before my eyes
again.
Il told Godfrey I couldn't stand any
more Of this" 1 muttered, and stumbled
into my bedroom. undressed with diff
ficulty, and turned out the light.
Then, as 1 lay there, staring up into
the darkness, a singing though brought
me upright.
Godfrey-where was Godfrey? Wa
he on the track or Crochard? Was he
daring a contest with him? Perhaps.
even at his
Scarcely knowing what / did, I
CROPPED my way to the telephone
asked for Godfrey's number-hoping
againt hope absurdly-and at last, to
my intense surprise and relief, 1 heard
his voice-not a very amiable voice.
"Hello!" he said.
Godfrey" l began, Its Lester. He
got away"
o course he got away. You didn't
call me out Of bed to tell me that, l
hope?"
Then you knew about it?"
Il knew he'd get away"
When the wagon got to the bank
there was nobody inside but Simmonds.
Simmonds went along, you know"
Was he hurt?"
He was unconscious. but he came
around all right" .
That's good-but Crochard wouldn't
hurt him. He got away with the jewels,
Of course?"
"Of course" 1 a%ssented, surprised that
Godfrey should take it SO cody. When
you rushed out that way" L added. II
thought maybe you were going after
him"
with him 20 minutes in the lead?
I'm no such fool! He got away from me
the other day with a start of about half
a second"
II tried to get YOU" 1 explained, "as
soon as Simmonds told me they were
the office. The city editor said he a
sent you out into Westchester."
Godfrey laughed shortly.
TT was a wild goose chase" he said,
cooked up by our friend C~rochard.
But even then, I'd nave got back, If we
hadn't punctured a tire when we were
five miles from anywhere. I knew what
was up-but there l was. Oh, he's made
fools Of us all. Lester. l told you he
would"
"Yes-they gave it to me when I
phoned In that the Westchester bust
ness was a fake. 1 rushed for the sta
ton. though 1 knew I'd be too late"
But Godfrey" l said. Il can't un-
derstand, even yet. how he did it.
Grady and Simmonds left the BOAT with
Pigot and were with him all evening,
showing him the sights. How did Gro
chard get into it What did he do with
Pigot? Where is Pigot?
He's on the Savoie. / rushed a wire
less down to her as soon as I left the
station. They made a search n found
Pigot bound and gagged under the
berth in his stateroom."
/ could My gasp.
And to think 1 didn't suspect" adj
ded Godfrey, bitterly. we stood there
and saw that yacht with the French
flag walk away from US; we saw her
put a man board the Savoie; we saw
that man talking to Pigot :"
Yes" I said. breathlessly; yes"
We'll. that man was C%rochard. He
got Pigot into his stateroom-gave him
a Whit Of the same stuff he used on
Simmonds. no doubt; put him out Of
clothes, made UP his face, put on a
wig-and all that While we were kick
ing our heels outside waiting for him.
But 1t was a tremendous risk" ]
on board who knew Pigot-it would
ave to be a perfect Disguise"
"Crochard wouldn't stop for that.
But 1t wasn't much OF a risk. None
of us had seen Pigot closely; all we
had seen of him was the back of his
head; and the passengers were all on
deck watching the quarantine men.
And yet, of course. the diguise was a
perfect one. Crochard is al artist In
that line. and he was. no doubt, thor
oughly familiar with Pigot's appear
ance. He deceived the p~urser-but the
purser wouldn't suspect anything"
$50 It was really Crochard :"
But we ought to have suspected.
We ought to have suspected every
thing. questioned everything; I ought
to have looked up that visitor and
found out what became of him. In
stead of which. Crochard put Pigots
papers in his pocket, set his bag out
side the state room door, and then
came out calmly to meet his dear
friends OF the press; n I stood there
talking to him like a little schoolboy-
no wonder he thinks I'm a fool!"
But nobody would have suspected
gasped. Why, that man isis
"A genius" said Godfrey. AN alb.
solute and unquestioned genius. But ]
knew that all the time. and I ought to
have been on guard. You remember
, he said he would come today?"
Yes"
"And you didn't believe it"
IT can't believe 1t yet
. There's n consolation-it will
break Grady"
"But. Godfrey I said, III you could
| have seen those diamonds-those beau
tiful diamonds-and to think he should
r be able to get away with them right
under our noses!"
~ ~ ~ PAelty pau. ISL 7 IL. Out lueTS
no use crying owe split milk. Lester
= he added, in another tone. II want yol
] to be In your office at noon tomorrow
el-or rather, today"
t All right" I promised: .Ill bt
there.
8 Don't fail me. There is one act Q.
the comedy still to be played"
I'll be there I said again. 'Bu,
I'm afraid the last act will be an anti
climax. Look here. Godfrey. :
Now go to bed he broke In
YOUR talking like a somnambulist
Get some slcep. lave you arrangeC
for that v~acation?"
? Godfrey, I said. tell me !"
II won't tell YOU anything. Only Tv,
q got n more bomb to explode, Lester
and It's a big one. It will make 20,
jumpI'
could hear him chuckling to him
i seif.
Good night. !. 4 he said. and hung up
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