The Ordway new era., 1915-11-26

felt like some" detective and could
not help slapping myself on the chest
for the Ingenuity with which had du-
plicated Craig.
In his bungalow. now that Smith
had gone back again to New York and
Washington, Del Mar was preparing
to keep the important engagement he
had told us about. another of his ne
farlous nocturnal expeditions.
He drew a cap on his head, we'll
over his ears and forehead. His eyes
and face he concealed as well as he
could with a mask to be put on later.
To his equipment he added n gun.
Then with n hasty word or two to
his valet, he went out.
BY back ways so that even in the
glare of automobile headlights he
would not be recognized he made his
way to Dodge Hall. AS he saw the
house looming up in the moonlight he
put on his mask and approached eau
tiously. Gaining the house, he opened
window noiselessly. turning the
catch as deftly us housebreakcr. and
climbed into the living room.
A moment he looked around. then
tiptoed over to the table. He looked
at It to be sure that it was the right
one and the right drawer. Then ho
bout down to force the drawer open.
'Pouf!" a binding flash came and a
little metallic click of the shutter. fol.
lowed by a cloud of smoke
AS quickly as it happened there
went through Del Mars head the ex-
PLANTATION. 1t was concealed cam
era. He sprang back, clapping his
hands over his face. Out of range
for a moment. he stood gazing about
the room. trying to locate the thing.
Suddenly he heard footsteps. He
diyed through the window that he had
opened, just as someone ran in and
switched on the lights.
Half asleep heard mufiled explo-
| sion, as II OF a fiashlight l started
up and listened. Surely someone was
| moving about downstairs. pulled
my gun from my pocket and ran out
| Of the room. Down the steps l flung
| myself. two at time.
In the living room switched on the
| lights In time to see someone disap-
| pear through an open window. l ran
to the window and looked out. There
was a man, half doubled UP. running
around the side OF the house and into
a clump of bushes, then apparently
| lost. l shot out of the window and
| called.
was not the only one who heard
| the noise. The shots quickly awak-
! ened Elaine. and she leaped out of bed
| and put on her kimono. Then she
| lighted the lights and came down
stairs.
| The intruder had disappeared by
this time and I had got up and was
pcering out OF the window as she came
breathlessly into the living room.
What's the matter, Walter?" she
asked.
| Someone broke into the house aft
er those plans" replied. HE e.
capped. but got his picture, think,
by this device of Kennedy's. Let's go
into u dark room and develop it."
There was no use trying to follow
tho man farther. To Elaine's in.
| quiry of what I meant, I replied by
merely going over to the spot where
had hidden the camera and discon.
Meeting it.
| We went upstairs where had
rigged up an improvised dark room
for my amateur Photographic work
some days before. Elaine watched me
closely. At last found that I had
developed something. As I drew the
film through the hypo tray and picked
it up I held it to the red light.
| Elaine leaned over and looked at
the film with me. There was a pic