Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-06-29

was deserted.
All that he had accomplished had
occupied hardly a moment. He could
hear the officers rapping against the
dressing-roem door.
Here was his opportunity held out
to him.
Birge Moreaux - he had not quite
finished the restoration process as
yet-was as familiar with the interior
of the Delorme mansion as with his
own studio apartment at the top of
the tall building an Blank Street.
He had been constant visitor
there, as a boy and man, ever since
1t was built. His father and Richard
Delorme had been partners in many
financial ventures and steadfast
friends.
The threshold at which he stepped
out upon the gallery was the third
one from the room in which the Off.
GERS and Mr.. Delorme had disappear.
ed
Perceiving his opportunity, Nor
eaux glided like a ghost to the door of
the next room beyond, which stood in
vitingly ajar, and he passed inside,
closing 1t gently after him.
This room, which he entered, was
the private, working library of the
steel magnate, and Moreaux knew per-
fectly well that there was another
way out of it by a narrow stairway
to the ground floor, where a narrow
door opened upon small entry,
which, in turn, gave upon the side
street and at the street level.
The artist switched on the lights.
Then calmly he stood before the mir
ror while he applied the necessary
finishing touches to his general ap-
pearance.
The shaggy, iron-gray eyebrows
were removed, giving place to his own
straight black ones. The riotous name
of half gray hair which Crewe always
wore pompadour, he now parted in
the middle and combed it down
smoothly toward, and parted over, his
temples, smoothing it into place with
his hands.
1t was amazing what a difference
these few changes made in the ap-
pearance of the man.
There was no longer even a sug-
gestion Of "Crewe" about him; for
after all, the badly blemished face
and the shaggy name of hair and the
bushy eyebrows were the chiefly no
ticeable individualities of the saloon
keeper-those, and the mouth filled
with gold.
The two personalities might have
sat in the same room together, If that
were possible, without exciting COM
ment concerning any likeness be-
tween them; and yet the actual
changes were slight indeed.
MoreauX snapped off the lights and
small entry. The side door, which
gave upon the street, he opened an
inch at a time and very gently. Two
uniformed policemen were standing
between him and the corner Of the
avenue, but their backs were toward
him at the moment.
He stepped outside and passed
swiftly across the walk to the curb;
then he cody struck match and ap-
piled the fame to a cigarette.
The officers both heard and saw the
flare of the lighted match and turned;
but Moreaux in the meantime was ap-
preaching them.
Hello! What's up, of1cer?" the
artist inquired of the one nearer to
him.
Burglars inside-or just scare,
maybe. Say, where did you come
from?"
"Burglars?" Moreaux exclaimed.
You don't say! Why. it's Delorme's
house! BY Jove! believe I'll go in"
He hurried around the corner to the
avenue entrance and rang the bell
The door was opened without delay
and he passed inside"
what is the matter here, Com
iske?" he demanded Of the butler who
admitted him. Every servant in the
house had been aroused by that time.
Comiske would have said murderers
in the same tone.
Burglars. eh? I say. Comiskie-
go into the libary to the telephone
and tell Central that Mr.. Moreaux
wants Mr.. Bunting at once. Do 1t
now. Central will do the rest. Two
gentlemen will arrive together. Ad-
NIT them, and tell them to go quietly
upstairs. Do not forget my instruc-
tions."
Then he ascended the stairs to the
gallery. arriving at the top just at the
moment when Baxter, Marline, two
policemen in uniform, Mr.. Delorme
(still wearing his hat), and Bobcat
Rickett. wearing handouts on his
wrists, issued from the door of that
room wherein Crewe had been trans
formed to the artist Moreaux-that
room where the small safe-deposit
u.,,lf hah laan hrnlra,. anan hut