The Washington herald., 1916-10-15


glaided forth from the shadows and
accosted him.
Chief" whispered the man, "it's all
right so far. Kiel and Morrison have
compared their watches. Kiel is hid
ing in the cellar right now with his
hand on the houses electric light
switch. Any orders?"
Stanley shook his head, motioned
the man back into the shrubbery and
strode on.
Reaching the house Harold as
sumed timidity of manner, walk
ing as one who hopes to elude no.
tice, keeping as much as possible
out Of sight. 1t was thus, he argued,
that the man he was impersonating
would probably comport himself.
From a point Of vantage, as he
descended from the dressing-room, he
glanced over the crowded bathrooms 8
occupants.
A man and girl were greeting the
hostess as Stanley's glance fell upon
the ballroom. Despite their masks,
he easily recognized the two as Flor
ence Montrose and her father. He
wondered amusedly how Florence
had been able to coax the studious
and society-hating old doctor to
come to a frivolous affair Of this
sort.
1t was at about this time that a
maid, going from the women's Dress
ing-room to Mrs. Clayton's bedroom,
saw a long white box lying across
the foot Of Mrs. Clayton's bed. The
maid glanced more closely at it and
saw it bore the label Of a fashion
able florist.
Being inquisitive, she united the
string that bound the box shut. She
was about to raise the lid, for a
peep at the contents when she re-
membered she had been. sent in
search Of hairpins.
Stanley looked surreptitiously at
the watch he had remembered tonight
to put in the pocket Of his white
waistcoat. The hour was perilously
close to II o'clock. He left the alcove,
and with seeming carelessness he be-
gan to move through the groups Of
guests toward Mrs. Clayton.
At the same time another masked
figure advanced with equal attempt
at carelessness from the far end of
the ballroom to the spot where Mrs.
Clayton stood chatting with several
masked guests. He, too, took out a
watch and consulted 1t.
This second masked man CHANGED
to pass close to Robert Clayton as
he looked at his watch. The action
caught Roberts attention.
He remembered what Harold Stan
ley had said about a mask ball offer
ing a splendid chance for thieves This
man was working his way toward
Mrs. Clayton. And Robert cautiously
followed him.
Now Pierre La Rue was a criminal
genius. Yet every criminal leaves
some defective stone on his structure
of crime. And Pierre's mistake to-
night had been the choice of his
henchman, Morrison, to steal the
necklace.
Morrison was one Of the most dex-
trous and most light-fngered thieves
in America He could lift" any form
of jewelry, from a watch to a neck
lace, ninety-nine times out of a hun
dred, without awakening his victims
suspicious. Seemingly, he was there
fore the very man for this job.
Harold Stanley was scarcely two
steps away from Mrs. Clayton. Nor
rison, on the other side, was pausing,
within eighteen inches Of her, to
brush a fleck Of powder of his cuff.
Robert Clayton, his eyes on Morrison,
was not six feet behind the man he
was following. A dance was in full
swing.
Then-every light in the house was
all at once extinguished.
Morrison had gauged his distance
and his directions to a hairs breadth.
Out shot his hand. His fingers fell
lightly on the clasp Of Mrs. Clayton's
necklace. Less than a second later
the $4,000 treasure was nesting in his
pocket, and he was beginning to edge
silently toward long French window
that led out into the veranda.
Then, as suddenly as they had gone
out, all the lights blazed up again.
A chatter Of talk and laughter
swept the room. But only for a mo-
ment. Then it was hushed by an in
voluntary cry from Mrs. Clayton:
my necklace! Ny beautiful neck
lace! It's gone!"
Instantly all was confusion. Robert
Clayton, striding forward, called au-
thoritatively:
my mothers necklace has been
stolen. May I trouble you all to un-
mask-at once?"
AS he spoke his keen eyes were
securing the crowded room in search
Of Morrison. And almost at once he
discovered him standing near the
window. With an exclamation Of
anger, Clayton rushed forward
through the impeding throng Of
guests to seize the man he sought.
Morrison saw him coming and
guessed his intent. The thief cast an
agonized glance around him. A few
feet away he saw a masker whom he
was sure he recognized as Pierre La
Rue.
Slipping past the intervening peo-
pie, he brushed lightly against Stan
ley and at the same time deftly thrust
into Harold's hand the diamond neck
lace. Then he continued his own
course toward the open French win
dow.
Harold, with start Of amaze
ment, felt the necklace dropped into
his hand, which was half-closed. At
once he realized what had happened.
He also realized that he would have
much trouble in explaining, publicly,
+ba vvav II had emma into his posses