Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-22

, He glanced ut her face, whose express
sion Harold could not see.
I'm call some other time when
you're less busy, Mr.. stanley" she
said Good. by"
She WAS gone before Harold could
protest. lie turned angrily on the de-
t,ctivc
Look here. Mr.. Parrish" he said.
vcXcd, when l gave you the privi-
iege OF coming into my Office at any
time by that rear door to consult with
me about the Crimson stain ca;c,
didn', mean that you should come in
wthou; Knocking. L"
There's enough Knocking done here
without my taking Il hand at it,"
snapped Parrish. And that's what
I'm here about now. Did you write
this notwithstanding :, copy of the
Examiner from his inner pockct--"this
editorial in to-day's paper. slamming
me again for Incompetence in the
Crimson stain mystery? Did YOU
Il mos surely did" asscntcd Stan
ley. AID. as / warned you before.
the only way for you to avoid these
attacks is to show progress in the
case Now clear out, please. Pm
busy"
He turned TO his desk with an air
of finality. Parrish stepped hercely
toward him. Then. catching sight Of
the mosaic photograph on the desk,
the detective halted in his tracks,
stared for an instant. stood irrcsolutc
and presently went out as he had come.
Stanlcy's eye fell on Il scrap Of paper
lying in the rug midway between his
desk and the hallway door. Now. n
scrap OF paper on the floor OF Il news
paper Office is as common a sight AS
a grain of sand on a bathing beach,
ana il attracts no more attention.
But not half an hour earlier Iiar-
old's private Office had been swept and
put to rights for the day. Since then,
besides himself. only Clayton and Par
IRISH ana Nany;l Tosca had been In the
room. Thus, this folded bit of paper
must have fallen from the pocket of
one OF those four. Harold stopped
idly and picked it up.
1t cutained five lines OF typed let
tcrinr. The first line was composed OF
four words. Tho rest of the lettering
looked like a novicc's efforts TO use
- typewriter. This il what Harold
Stanley read:
fxbXndb pdzi ndhrn zpln min fNhNndb
lrnx nfdplbbh hdXxbj bjfvXhfj fdzJ nd
npj hjb rZZjhrbujNX.
mp FJRZLDB LNRRH"
An hour later, after many failures
ana new starts. he had translated the
message TO his own satisfaction and
scrihhlcd each word under it's cipher
counterpart This is what he read
i}all clayton home Tonight. Must
| get clayton fty-thouSind- dollar
necklace. Come 10 the den m,uc-
diat"ly.
THE CRIMSON STRAIN.
hack of Tanners apartment Pierre
LA ;;ue awaited the followers he had
summoned.
one 10y ono the others entered one
by one they crcpt silently 10 seats near
the wall.
Those of you who are to opcrat.
at the clayton ball mt RivcrClalc to-
night already have your orders
sent summons to the rest OF YOU TO
report here in case OF emergency The
$4,000 Clayton necklace is worth the
trouble. and there'll be other divi-
dcnds besides. At II O'Clock every
light In the Clayton house zoe. out.
AT the same second Morrison snatChcs
The necklace. II he can make Il cnta-
way. he Will II he cant. he's to pass
TN, necklace TO me or TO Nauyu
want 10 be able to dispose Of the lew
clry without too much silly inter.
ference from young Clayton or Tho
lear police. SO when Mrs CLAYTON
goes 10 her room aftcrward she is
going to find box OF flowers on her
bed. She Will open IT, After that
we'll. for n while after that her son
VIII have other things 10 think of be-
sides few lost jewels Tanner,'
rho thief he addressed slouched
forward.
You bought the orchidS?''
Tanner left the ROOM presently re-
turning with IL long florist box, which
he opened and laid on the table Rank
upon rank of gloriously beautiful,
orchids were exposed to view. pierre
inspected the box critically; then
nodded approval
NOV, the-othcr," lie commanded.
TANNER. with visible reluctance,