Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-04-06
Copyright. by Louis Joseph Vance.}


Kneeling, he gave the combination
knob a smart preliminary tWirl, then
rested a shoulder against the sheet OF
painted iron, his cheek to its smooth,
cold cheek, his ear close beside the
dial, and with the practiced fingers Of
master locksmith and an authority
on strong box construction, began to
manipulate the knob.
Gently, tirelessly, to and fro he twist
ed, turned, raced and checked the com
bination, caressing it, humoring it,
Wheedling 1t, inexorably questioning
1t In the dumb language his fingers
spoke SO deftly. And in his ear the
click and whfr and thump of shifting
wards and tumblers murmured articu-
late response in the terms Of their
cryptic code.
Now and again, releasing the knob
and sitting back on his heels, he would
bend grave scrutiny to the dial. note
the position OF the combination, and
with his pencil Jot memoranda on the
folded sheet of paper. This happened
perhaps dozen times. spaced by in
tervals OF Irregular duration
He worked diligently, in phase OF
concentration that apparently exclud-
ed from his consciousness the near
proximity OF the girl, who stood-or
rather stopped, half kneeling-less
than a pace from his shoulder. watch
ing the process with interest hardly
less keen than his own.
Yet when one faint, odd sound broke
the slumbrous silence of the salon, in
stsntly he swung around and stood
erect in a single movement, gaze to
the curtains.
But 1t had only been premonitory
rumble in the inwards of a tall old
clock, about to strike, in the reception
hall. And as It's sonorous chimes her
aided two deep-toned strokes Lanyard
laughed quietly, intimately, into the
girls startled eyes and sank back be-
fore the safe.
And now his task was nearly fin.
ished. Within another minute he sat
back with face aglow, uttered hushed
exclamation of satisfaction, studied his
memoranda for space, then swiftly
and with assured movements threw
the knob and dial into the several
varying positions of the combination,
grasped the lever handle, turned 1t
smartly and swung the door wide
open
Simple, eh?" he chuckled, with a
glance aside at the girls eager face,
bewitchingly flushed and Swallowed by
the lamps upthrown glow-"when one
knows the trick, of course! And now
If one were not an honest mana
fortunes ours for the takingi"
A wave of his hand indicated the
rack of pigeonholes with which the
cavity of the safe was fitted-wide
spaces and deep, stored tight with an
extraordinary array of leather jewel
cases, packets of stout paper bound
with tape and sealed, and boxes OF
wood and pasteboard Of every shape
and size.
''They were only her finest pieces,
her personal jewels, that Madam ON.
bor took with her to England" he ex.
p ained; SEES mad about them
never separated from them. Perhaps
the finest collection of priceless stones
s1e world for size and purity OF va,
ter. She had the heart to leave these
all this!"
Lifting / hand, he chose at random
dislodged two leather cases, placed
them en- the floor, and with a blade OF
his penknife forced their fastenings.
From the first the light smote radi.
ance in binding, coruscant welter;
here was nothing but diamond jewelry,
mostly in antique settings.
He took up piece and offered 1t to
the girl. She drew back her hand In.
voluntarily.
moi" she protested in a whisper
that sounded like one of fright
But just look!" he urged. There's
no danger-and you'll never see the
like of this again!"
Still she stubbornly withheld her
hand. mo. mol" she pleaded It'd
rather not touch it. Put it back. Let's
hurry I'm frightened"
He shrugged and, acquiescent, re,
placed the jewel; then yielded again to
impulse of curiosity ard lifted the lid
OF the second case.
It contained nothing but pieces sci
with colored stones of the first order
--emeralds, amethysts, sapphires, TIL
hies, topaz, garnets, lapis-lazuli,
tacinths, jades-fashioned by master
craftsmen into rings, bracelets, chains,
brooches, lockets, necklaces of ex-
quisite design-the whole thrown
heedlessly together, without care OF
arrangement
For moment the adventurer stared
down moodily at this priceless hoard,
his eyes narrowing, his breathing per
ceptibly quickened. Then, with slow
gesture, he reclosed the case, took
from his pocket that other case which
he had brought from London, opened
it, and held it aside. beneath the light,
fer the girls inspection.
He looked not once either at its con.
tents Or at her, fearing lest his coun-
tenance betray the truth, that he had
rot yet succeeded completely in exor.
Ching that mutinous spirit, the Lone
Wolf, from the tenement over which
1t had SO long held sway; and content
with the sound of her quick, startled
sigh of amaze. that what she now be.
held could Sc marvelously outshine
xHA :.