The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-10-31
By SAX ROHMER,
Author Of THE YELLOW CLAW" ETC.

turned out all thf could be desired--
from Zeda's point Of view"
But how has he got away" said
halesowen In bewtlderment.
Motor waiting at the corner" re-
piled Lesty promptly. Heard il come
/ up. When the reading lamp was can
sized and whoever had crept from his
balcony to yours and In behind the screen
had returned the same way-with the
vase-Zeda overturned the table and
pushed you two men backward in your
chairs.
Then. before I could reach him h.
ooited out and locked the door after
him. For. having lulled my suspicious
by two practically uneventfuI seances,
he cunningly placed himself nearest TO
the door and me farthest away.
| He probably removed the key when
ne went out for the box and placed
IL outside in the lock when he re-
| turned. His accomplish had run
straight through Zeda's flat and out
TO the waiting car. and there he Joined
her They may be thirty miles away
by nowr'
Being unable to open the door. we
perforce returned to Halesoven's bal
cony by the same way that We had
| come, our friend bewailing his lost
potsherd and exclaiming: The cum
ming. cunning scamp"
Il knew he had some deep game IN
hand" said Lesty: but / hadn't bar
gained for this move. OF course. I haa
noticed the dodge of borrowing ali
our matches. but didn't grasp its i'm
portance until too late. II never oc-
CURED to me that he'd disconnected
the electric light (which he probably
did some time in the night. by the
way)
u was a fool not to realize it. too.
when he insisted on our only using
the oil-lamp. Then. again. I was slow
not TO go straight through the win
dow and into Zeds's flat that way. II
Is Just possible ] might have caught
the lady songster IL l had done that
in the first place
The possibility. however. had not
been overlooked. since she took the
precaution TO lock the door after her"
"A clever rogue I declared. But
wasn't the nrst sttempt-for 1 suppose
We must classify the mysterious arm I'M
der that head-more than a trife indis-
creet?"
NO doubt" agreed Lesty. But we
didn't know then that Zelda vas III Lon
don. and the fat was still unfurnished.
Also. they may have thought Halesowen
SO cleverly kept out Of sighD may have
exceeded her instructions in attempting
to touch the potsherd while any one re-
manned in the room"
But" said Halesowen slowly. we
don't know that there was any woman
"Eh?" queried Lesty-
Did you see her.
No"
II did. She was lovely. very lovely
for a woman
Lesty stared curiously. You surprise
me- he commented dryly
"Zeda was a strange man." pursued
the other. and there were certainly
things occurred as We sat around that
table that need a lot Of explaining"
Very ordinary three-and-six-a-head
phenomena was the reply. Merely a
blind
Then what was the reason Of his
burning desire to secure my potsherd. il
not to complete the vase
DO you mean 10 tell me-" asked Lesty.
that you are going to credit that story
about the priestess-now, after he has
shown his hand? Do you wish to suggest
that he was aided by spirit?'
Then. why was he so keen to get the
thing" persisted Halesowen-
Lesty looked at him. looked at me.
shrugged his shoulders and began TO load
his pipe. Having done so. he sat snok-
''Well?' inquired our host
Give 1t up" admitted Lesty.
One OF my visits TO the Mapping curio
shop OF Morris Klav was made in COM
pany with Mr.. Halesowen-
Somewhere amid the misty gloom OF
this place. where loot Of a hundred ages.
OF every spot from pole TO pole. wells
its identity in the darkness. sits large
gray parrot Faint perfumes and
cuffing sounds tell Of hidden animal
life near to the visitor: but the parrot
proclains itself stridently:
Morris Klaw: Morris K!sw: The devils
come for YOU
That signal brings Morris KIaw from
his hiding place. He shuHles into the
shop. a figure appropriate TO its sur
roundings.
Imagine a tall. STOPPING man. envelop-
ed in a very faded blue dressing gown.
His skin is but half a shade lighter
than that Of a Chinaman: his hair. his
shaggy brows. his scanty beard defy
one 10 name their color. He wears pinCe-
neg.
When upon this particular occasion
I introduced my companion. and Morris
Klaw acknowledged the introduction.
saw Halesowen stare.
Klaw produced scent spray from
and sprayed verbena upon his
high. yellow brow.
1T is very stu1y-in this shop he
explained. Isis, Isis, hiring for nv
some iced drinks"
He invoked a goddess. and a goddess
appeared: brilliantly beautiful brunette.
with delightfully."- curved scarlet lips and
flashing eyes whose hre the gloom could
not dim.
Good God cried Halesowen. and fen
back
MY daughter. Isis rurnbled Morris
Klaw This is Mr.. HaIesowen. from
whom We rescue the Egyptian potsherd.'
What Halesowen learned forward
across the counter.
You recognize my daughter" con-
.inued Morris Klaw. but not DR.. Zelda
IN? Or only his poor. old voice? You
gave US great trouble, Mr.. Halesowen.
Once YOU came in just as Isis. who had
climbed on to your balcony Is about to
AXE the potsherd."
There was no one in the room
yirl coOlly. 7 was draped in black from
read to foot. and I slipped behind the
window hangings unseen. while you
umbled with your lamp
1T was indiscreet." continued Morris
Ilaw. and made il harder for me: be-
ause afterward you look up the treasure
md my search is unavailing. Also. I am
Pah. I am clumsy, I waste
line. But remember. I offered to buy