The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-28


heid key to the ORATORS privat,
door, which opened upon the Creet
room, and also the key of a wall cas.
MorIs klaw had especially warned
him against making the sIigbtest
NOISE. In fact, he had US all agoe
with curiosity and expectation As
ne and Coram and I, having on.n.J
very carefully the landing wirdnuc
looked down through the sLrnJ;oI;
into the Egyptian room. Crimsbv sn'
peared beneath US. He was c,,rp
ing an electric pocket torch
Opening the wall case nsar.., -
IoWer end Of the room. he glanced nm
rapidly. then stepped within, reclosin1
the glass door. AS Klaw had pointed
out earlier in the evening, an Id.aI
hldlns place existed between the side
OF the wall.
hope he has refastened the catch -
said our eccentric companion. 'but NOT
with noisiness"
why do you fear his making
noise! asked COram curiously
outside. upon the landing" REPLIED
morris klaw. lis tall piece OF a ba,-
rehef; II leans back against the wall.
You know it?"
Certainly"
Tonight you did not look behind Z.
in the triangular space so formed -
There's no occasion. A man could
not get in there"
He could not, you say? MOI Tb,,
EXPLOITS to me. Mr.. Coran. that YOU
nave no eye for capacity, But II YOU
are wrong. what Them
ANY one hiding there vopr, bav. ..
remain in hiding until the morning He
could not gain access to any OF the
rooms; all are locked. and he could NOT
90 down stairs, because Of the night at
tendant in the hallway"
NO? Yes? You are two times vronrr
FIRST. some one is concealed there,''
MT. klaw" began Coram excitedlv.
Ssh" Morris Klaw raised hi, hard
NO excitement. It Is noisy and a4 no
upon the nervesi Second. You ar.
wrong. because presently that hidden
one will come into the Egyptian Room
How? How in heavens name II hs
going to get inr'
I'VE shall see''
Utterly mystined. Corarn and stared
at Morris Klaw. for We stood one on
either side Of him: but he merely wagred
his finger entoininig US to silence AMI
silent perforce We became.
The view was a cramped one, and,
standing there looking out at the clear
summer night. for one grew very
weary OF the business
Coram began to fidget, and I knew IN
tuitively that he was about to speak
SSH" whispered Morris Klaw
A beam of light shone out beneath Us,
across the Egyptian Room
concluded that soemthinr had Ar
tracted the attention Of Grimsby, Z
leaned forward in tense expectancy, and
Coram was keenIy excited
The beam OF light moved; II ehors
| upon the door Of the very case In the
corner Of which Grimsby was hiding. but
upon the nearer end. fully upon the face
| Of a mummy.
A small figure was dimIy disce-nibls
now. the figure OF the man who carried
| the Hight. Cautiously he crossed the
room. Evidently he held the key Of the
wall case. for in an instant he had
7 swung the door back and was hauling
the mummy on to the floor.
Then out upon the midnight visitor
leaped Grimsby. The light was extin-
guished-and Morris Rlaw, drawing back
from the window. seized coram by tho,
arm. crying: The key OF the door, Tho
KEY OF the door,"
We were down and into the Egyptian
Room In less than half a minute Coram
switched on all the lights, and there
with his back to the open door Of tbs
wall case. handcuffed and widowed.
was Mr.. Mark Pettigrew.
Coram's face was a study-for the IA
nous arrhaeologist whom we now saw
manacled before US was trustee OF tn,
Menzies Museum,
Mr.. Pettigrew!" he said hoarsely. Mr..
Pettigrew!-there must be some mis-
take"
There Is no mistake. my good sir"
rumbled Morris Klaw. Look. he has
with him a sharp knife TO cut OF the
head OF the priest.''
II was true. An open knife Law upon
the Moor beside the fallen mummy
Grimsby was breathing very heavily
and looking In rather startled way
at his captive. who seemed unable 10
realize what had happened. Coram
cleared his throat nervously. It was
one OF the strangest scenes in which
had ever participated
Mr.. Pettigrew." he began, 'it Is in
comprehensive to me"
Il will make you to comprehend" IT,
terrupted Morris Klaw. You ask no
| raised a long fnger-''why should Mr.
Pettigrew cut of the head Of his own
mummy? answer for the same reason
that he cut OF the head of the one a:
Sotheby's. ! answer for the same rea-
son that he cut OF the head Of the one
at my house. and for the same reason
! that he came to cut of the head of this
| one What j. lie looking for? He IS
looking for the Book of the Lamps :"
He paused. gazing round upon US Prob
| ably. excepting the prisoner, alone
among his listeners understood what he
meant.
Il have related TO Mr. Searles" hs
continued. some of the history OF tina
! book. II contained the ritual Of tho
ancient Egyptian ceremonial magic 1t
was priceless: II gave its possessors =
power above the power OF kings And
/ when the line of FankharE became ex-
| tinct it vanished. Where did it go? Ac-
cordinG to a very rare record-of which
there are only two copies in existence
one Of them in my possession and ona
| in Mr. PettiGrew's-it was hidden in tho
skull of the mummy of a priest or priest
ess of the temple"
Pettigrew was staring at him like y
man fascinated.
Mr.. Pettigrew had only recently ar-
CURED that valuable manuscript work IN
winch the fact is recorded. and bCiu-.
| an enthusiast. ne set to work upon th.,
hrst available mummy of a priest Of that
| temple. II was his own. The skull dsd
not contain the priceless papyruS, But
all these mummies are historic: there are
| only five in Europe"
Grimsby. with a rather wry face re-
moved the handouts 4 singular express
sion proclaimed itself upon PettiEr. W
shriveled countenance.
THE thing I'm most sorry for" he SAT-.
dryly. but with the true fervOr Of re-
| search burning in his eyes. eff you will
excuse me saying it. Coram. for I'm vow
deeply indebted to you, Is that 7 can't