The Washington herald., 1916-10-15

write this editorial ?"-yanking a COPY
Of the Examiner from his inner
pocket-"This editorial In today's
paper, slamming me again for in
competence in the Crimson Stain
mystery? Did your"
Il most surely did," assented Stan
ley. And, as warned you before,
the only way for you to avoid these
attacks Is to show progress in the
case. Now clear out, please. I'm
busy"
He turned to his desk with an air
Of flnality. Parrish stepped fiercely
toward him. Then, catching sight of
the mosaic photograph on the desk,
the detective halted in his tracks,
stared for an instant, stood irresolute
and presently went out as he had
come.
Stanley's eye fell on a scrap Of
paper lying in the rug midway be-
tween his desk and the hallway door.
Now, a scrap OF paper on the floor Of
a newspaper office is as common a
sight as a grain Of sand on q bathing
beach; and it attracts no more atten-
ton.
But, not half an hour earlier, Har-
old's private Office had been swept and
put to rights for the day. Since then,
besides himself, only Clayton and
Parrish and Vanya 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 contained five lines of typed let
tering. The first line was composed
of four words. The rest of the letter
ing looked like a novice's efforts to
Use typewriter. This is what Harold
Stanley read:
BALL CLAYTON HOME TO-
NIGHT DBXX FXBxNDB PDZJ
NDBRN ZPLN Nun FXBXNDB
LRNX NFDPLBBH HDXXBJ BJF-
VXBFJ FDZJ ND NPJ HUB RZZJH-
RBNJXx.
mp FJRZLDB LNBRB."
An hour later, after many failures
and new starts, he had translated the
message to his own satisfaction and
scribbled each word under its cipher
counterpart. This Is what he read:
BALL CLAYTON HOME TO-
NIGHT. MUST GET CLAYTON
FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR
NECKLACE. COME TO THE
DEN IMMEDIATELY.
THE CRIMSON STAIN.
In the big low-ceiled room at the
back Of Tanners apartment Pierre
La Rue awaited the followers he had
summoned
One by one the others entered One
by one they crept silently to seats
near the wall.
Those Of you who are to operate
at the Clayton ball at Riverdale to-
night already have your orders I
sent summons to the rest Of you to
report here In case Of emergency. The
$50, 1000 Clayton necklace Is worth the
trouble, and there'u be other divi-
dends besides. At II o'clock every
light in the Clayton house goes out.
At the same second Morrison snatches
the necklace. If he can make a geta-
way, he win. II he can't, he's to pass
the necklace to me or to Vanya. I
want to be able to dispose Of the jew
elry without too much silly inter-
ference from young Clayton or the
dear police. So when Mrs. Clayton
goes to her room afterward she is
going to find a box Of flowers on her
bed. She will open 1t. After that
we'll, for while after that her son
will have other things to think of be-
sides a few lost jewels. Tanner!"
The thief he addressed slouched
forward.
You bought the orchids?"
Tanner left the room, presently re-
turning with a 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.
Now, the-other," he commanded.
Tanner, with visible reluctance,
crossed the room to a cupboard and
cautiously drew therefrom a black
bag, which he carried at arms length
by a string. The others made way
for him with ludicrous haste. AS he
progressed toward the table the bag
writhed and twisted in his grasp.
impatiently. Don't be so slow. Are
you afraid Of a worm like that?"
Yes" said Tanner, unashamed, 'T
am"
Tanner hastily averted his gaze
from his masters and turned to the
snake as to less dreaded adversary.
Still holding the bag in gingerly fash
ion, he loosed its drawstrings and held
It above the box of orchids.
Out dropped wriggling gray snake
into the blossoms. Before the agile
little serpent could coil itself to strike
Tanner clapped, the cover on the box
and tied it fast.
see it Is in place at the right time
tonight" said La Rue curtIy. When
Mrs. Clayton opens the box she is due
to forget her lost necklace and
everything else"
Harold Stanley that evening spent
moro time in preparing for the Clay
ton mask ball than did any other
guest.
Propped on the dresser in front Of
him at the side Of his mirror was the
photograph of Pierre La Rue. In the
intervals Of his task at makeup
Stanley practiced initiating the pose
Of the photographed head, and he
sought to copy from memory the ges-
lures and the general bearing Of this
man Of whom he had caught such
brief glimpses in real life.
The Clayton house, like that OF DR..
MOntrose next door WAS set we'll