Omaha daily bee., 1916-10-23

ana as IL WllndreW into SnauoW tEe
unlocked door suddenly opened. Fran
ed in sAuare Of DIM light from the
corridor stood Nora Coilingwood, a
Pickering candle in her hand.
With a shrek of fear and surprise
she started back, then, recovering
herself, bravely rushed forward to
save her treasures. Out went the light
Of the dark lantern, and with one
spring the burglar made for the win
dow. swooping swiftly as he went to
pick up the bag at his feet.
A thousand thoughts seemed to flash
and light up Christopher's brain, like
/, the bursting Of fireworks.
The Nuremburg watch. The thief
had it, in pocket or bag. If Christopher
grappled with him in the struggle
they would both be killed perhaps the
girl too, for she was close to the WIN
dow, at the mans heels, and there
were voices and undermining foot
steps in the corridor outside the open
door. -t
There was half a second to decide
what to do, and then the lean figure
had dashed through the window into
Christophers arms. In the shock OF
surprise the escaping thief recoiled,
snatching out a revolver; and Chris
topher. selling him with a bulldog
grip by coat collar and leather belt.
caught him off his feet and cast him
away like a parcel. The revolver ex-
ploded in the air as the man fell: and
as he touched earth there followed n
terrific defamation. Instinct impelled
Christopher to throw himself flat on
his face, but he had no time to carry
;r,ta Tho fnrnn nf the
explosion, even at distance of twelve
or fourteen feet, whirled him like "a
leaf against the house, throwing him
backward into the open French win
dow.
Broken glass Tained about him;
there were cries and waving lights,
and faces bent above him as he lay
dazed and only half conscious. One
of the faces was Nora Collingwood's
or he dreamed it-and dimly he
heard himself murmuring, IT'S all
right-you're safe-Nuremburg watch
-explosive-I followed-to warn
send word-Sir Gordon"
Christopher suffered no serious IN
juries. but the effects of the explosion
and the heavy fall on the back of his
head took a form resembling concus-
sion of the brain. For twenty-fOur
hours he was unable to speak coher-
emily, and the family at Atherton
Manor might have suspected him to
be an accomplice of the dead burglar,
had it not been for the somewhat
confused evidence of his chauffeur,
and the knowledge Of the Colling-
woods that he was cousin of Sir Cor
don Race.
Christopher's part in the drama was
scarcely understood, and therefore the
newspaper correspondent who wrote
up the sensation in time for the morn
ing papers thought best to refer to
him but sketchily. The name of
Christopher Race became, by mis-
print. CHRISTOPHER Dace'; but c9en
had he retained the "R," which made
the difference between importance
and insignificance, it would have mat
tered little to London that day. There
was only one Race whose name was
worth speaking, and it rang through
England.
But the end OF the murder trial had
been reached in a way which no one
could have foreseen, not even those
hest acquainted with all the details Of
the affair.
Sir Gordon had obtained permission
to recall two witnesses--Miss Mendeil
and her secretary. Miss Mendell, the
half-sister OF the murdered man, had
been the principal witness against
Lady Mendell.
Miss Mendell had sought to destroy
! her sister-in-law's defender, lest the
woman she hated should be saved,
and the fortune she desired lost. The
secretary had helped her, not know
ing her true design, but, finding It out,
had weakened. The one mistake in
her calculations had been in trusting
him too fully. Terrible admissions
were wrung from the stricken man
and woman--admisslon bearing upon
the past as well as the present. On
the incident of the Nuremberg watch
Sir Gordon Race. with almost diabolic
| ingenuity, made the poisoning case
turn, and turn against Miss Mendell.
After the cross-questioning of the pair
by Lady Mendelps counsel, no jury on
earth would have convicted the young
er woman, unless the elder had first
been made to stand her trial for her
brothers murder, and been proved
innocent
Only one man in England could
have accomplished this change. the
world was saying, and perhaps GER
| tain American millionaire decided
that such a son-in-law might be al
most as acceptable as a. duke. At all
events, the engagement of Sir. Gordon
Race to Miss Nora Collingwood of
New York was announced before the
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