The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-08-06

her appreciation when suddenly the entrance of the maid interrupted.
 'Mr. Hadj Rulu is in tho library" she an nounced.
 Again Mrs. Wallace stiffened, and Mary saw her hands clench, as though in effort to control her nervousness Then, before, she rose abruptly from her chair, and left the room. Mary was following when the street door opened, and there stepped into the hall man, whose every movement cried out that he was a plainclothes detective.
 The reason for the detectives presence was explained by his first words
 "Mr. Wallace reports that he has been robbed, and that so far he knows person in this house knew of the combination of his safe, where the money placed, except himself. It looks like an inside job,' Mrs. Wallace. What do you think?"
 q am sure the servants are innocent!" said Mrs. Wallace quickly. II would stake my life on them"
 "That is generally the kind who will bear watching" said the detective cynically. 'Who is the girl who has charge of the cleaning and dust ing of this room?"
 That is Hattie, one of our younger maids, who has been with us all her life" answered Mrs. Wallace
 The detective surveyed the maid authorita- lively and literally parked his questions at her. as though pridng himself the fear and pulsion which the girl exhibited.
 What did you do with the combination of that safe?" he demanded. we know you took tive know you took it from the red book there the top shelf, where you watched Mir. Wallace hide it! Now, give the truth! No liesv
 The maid covered back, ready to burst into tears, and Mrs. Wallace laid a hand encouragingly her shoulder. The detective scowled at the gesture, and renewed his cross-examination.
 And then suddenly Mary saw hand steal out from the curtains of the opposite doorway, behind which she knew the Hindoo was concealed--a lean, brown hand, and in its fingers was the paper, bearing the fatal combination, the paper which Mrs. Wallace obediently had delivered to her master in the trance. The next instant the paper was dropped into apron pocket of the weeping Hattie, with the action unseen except by the watching girl in the hail.
 If the detective insisted a search what would be the result? Evidently the officer had been disappointed in the result of his fusil- Jade of questions, for suddenly he dismissed the girl, with attempt to search her. Mary had just time to dart to the stairs when Hattie ap- peared in the hal weeping, and followed to the upper floor behind her. While talking to her. she quickly extracted the paper from her pocket
 few minutes later she saw the detective depart, and hardly waiting until he was out of the yard, the Hndoo hurried down the hall, and to the street. The coast now clear and descend ing to the lower corridor, Mary nodded brightly to the butler, and followed serenely to the walk. The Hindoo had vanished but the girl was not concerned with her for the present.
 At the Royalton she received her answer. To explain the situation which greeted her on her turn, however it is necessary to go back to the morning, and trace the movements of Mona when the other left to keep her appointment with Mrs. Wallace.
 Mona had watched Hadj Rulu depart on his way to the Wallace home, although the girl of course did not know his destination at the time. She knew only that the Hindoo was gone. that his apartment apparently unguarded, and that the coast was clear for an intimate in- vestigation of the mysterious premises. Should she undertake it? Her question was answered by the appearance of Casper Carson, grinning broadly
 q passed that Hindoo chap downstairs," he announced, "and he stared at me as though he