Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-02-18
The Mystery Of
the Bou1e Cabinet
BURTON E. STEVENSON
Copyright, 1918, by Burton &. Stevenson.
pyright. 1913, by Burton 3. Stevenson.

1t. The shock did me a world OF good,
and by the time I had finished a
vigorous toweling I Eel. Immensely bet
ter. So / returned to my chair and sat
down to review the events Of the eve
ming; but l found that somehow my
brain refused to work, and black
circles began to whirI before my eyes
again.
more of this" l muttered, and stumbled
into my bedroom, undressed with diff
%ficulty, and turned out the light.
Then. as | lay there, staring up into
the darkness, a singing though brought
me upright.
he on the track or Crochard? Was he
daring a contest with him? Perhaps,
even at this moment.
Scarcely knowing what I did, 1
CROPPED my way to the telephone and
asked for Godfrey's number-hoping
againt hope absurdly-and at last, to
my intense surprise n relief, l heard
his voice-not a very amiable voice.
"Hello!" he said.
Godfrey" L began, its Lester. He
got away"
OF course he got away. You didn't
call me out Of bed to tell me that, 1
hope?"
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?"
Q course" l a%ssented, surprised that
Godfrey should take 1t SO cody. "When
you rushed out that way" / added. Il
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"
Il tried t get you." I explained, "as
soon as Simmonds told me they were
going to look at the cabinet. I 'phoned
sent you out into Westchester."
Godfrey laughed shortly.
TT was a wild goose chase" he said,
cooked up by our friend Crochard.
But wen then. I'd AVE got back, If we
hadn't punctured a tire when we were
five miles from anywhere. I knew what
was up-but there I was. oh. he's made
would"
Then you didn't get my MESSAGE"
"Yes-they gave 1t to me when /
'phoned in that the Westchester bust
ness was q fake. I rushed for the sta
ton, though 1 knew I'd be too late"
derstand. even yet, how he did it.
Grady and Simmonds left h boat with
Pigot and were with him all evening,
showing him the sights. How did Cro-
chard get into it? What-did he do with
Pigot? Where Is Pigot?
Hes on the Savoie. / rushed a wire
less down to her as soon as l left the
station. They made d search and found
Pigot bound and gagged under the
berth in his stateroom."
I could only gasp.
"And to think 1 didn't suspect" adj
ded Godfrey, bitterly. W stood there
and saw that yacht with the French
flag walk away from US; we saw her
put a man aboard the Savoie; we say
that man talking to Pigot /. ;"
Yes" I said. breathlessly; yes"
We'll. that man was Crochard. He
got Pigot into his stateroom-gaSe him
a Whit of the same stuff he used on
Simmonds. no doubt put him out OF
the way under the berth; got into his
clothes, made up his face. put on q
wig-and all that while we were kick
ing our heels outside waiting for him
but 1t was a tremendous risk ]
said. There were SO many people
on board who knew Pigot-it woulc
"Crochard wouldn't stop for that
> But 1t wasn't much OF q risk. None
of us had seen Pigot closely; all W.
head: and the passengers were all OF
! deck watching the quarantine men
, And yet, of course. the diguise was {
7 perfect one. Crochard is an artist il
that line. and he was no doubt, thor
!. oughly familiar with Pigot's appear
purser wouldn't suspect a%nything!"
$50 it was really >
But we ought to have suspected
r We ought to have suspected every
. thing. questioned everything; I ough
4 to have looked up that visitor an
stead Of which. Crochard put Pigot',
papers in his pocket. set his bag out
side the state room door, thel
9 came OF calmly to meet his dea,
t friends Of h press: n T stood ther,
8 talking to him like a little ~schoolboy-
no wonder he thinks I'm a fool!,'
but nobody would have suspected
gasped. why, that man Isl
"A genius" said Godfrey. can alb
e solute and unquesttoned genius. But
knew that all the time. and l ought t
p he said he would come today"
Yes
And you didn't believe. it"
.I can. believe It yet
There's one consolation-it will
break Grady"
But, Godfrey 1 said. 1T you coul
d have seen those diamonds-those beau
tiful diamonds-and to think he shout
be able to get away with them RICH
under our nosesi"
h TITS pretty bad. isn't It? But there
no use crying over split milk. Lester,
he added. in another tone, II want yo,
d to be In your office at noon tomorrow
el-Or rather, today
All right" l promised; I'll b
j. there"
Don't fail me. There is one act q
the comedy still to be played"
TN be there. / said again. "Bu
I'm afraid the last act will be an ant
climax. Look here. Godfrey. ].
t. Now go to bed" he broke In
you're talking like q somnambulis,
Get some sleep. Have you arrange
for that vacation ?,'
Godfrey" / said. tell me -
y won't tell you anything. Only Nv
got one more bomb to explode. Les
and Its = big one. 1t win make ID
u jump!"
i could hear him chucklinE to hin
Il self
i Good night. he said. and hung u,