East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-11-27

Aal4tAs WAA1BtIe0 INV man. ~ . 81
Fisht 20 faF. Riel and Morrison have
coEuDAFed their watches Kiel is hid
ing - the cellar right now with his
hand On the houses electric light
switch. ANY ordersT'
Stanley shock hig head, motionsd
the Knan back into the Rhrubbery and
strode on.
Reaching the house Harold as
sunaed a timidity Of manner, walk
ing a. one who hopes 70 elude no
tics, keeping as much a. possible
out Of sight. Il was thus, he argued.
that the man be was impeFsonating
would probably compOrt himself.
From a point Of vantage, as he
descended from the dressing room, he
glanced over the crowded ballroom's
occupants.
A man and girl were greeting the
hostess as Stanley's glance fell upon
the ballroom. Despite their masks,
he easily recognized the two as Flor
enee MontTose and her father. He
wondered amusedly how Florence
had been able to coax the studious
and society hating old doctor to
come to q frivolous affair Of this
sort.
1t was at about this time that a
maid, going from the women's Dress
ing-room to Mrs. Clayton's bedroom,
saw q long white box lying across
the foot Of Mrs. Clayton's bed. The
maid glanced more closely at II and
saw 1t bore the label Of fashion
able florist.
Being inquisltive. she united the
string that bound the box shut She
was about to raise the lid, for a
peep at the contents when she re-
membered she had been sent in
search Of hairpins.
Stanley looked suFTeptitiously at
the watch he had remembered tonight
to put In the pocket Of his white
waistcoat. The hour was perilously
close to Il O'Clock. He left the alcove,
and with seeming caTelessness he be-
gan to move through the groups Of
guests toward Mrs. Clayton.
At the same time another masked
figure advanced with equal attempt
at carelessness from the far end of
the ballroom to the spot where Mrs.
Clayton stood chatting with several
masked guests He too, took out a
watch and consulted II.
This second masked man CHANGED
to pass close to Robert Clayton as
he looked at his watch. The action
caught Roberts attention.
He remembered what Harold Stan
ley had said about a mask ball offer
ing splendid chance for thieves This
man was working his way toward
Mrs. Clayton. And Robert cautiously
followed him.
Now Pierre La Rue was a criminal
genius. Yet every criminal leaves
some defective stone on his structure
Of crime. And PierTe's mistake to-
night had been the choice Of his
= henchman, Morrison, TO steal the
necklace
Morrison was one Of the most dex-
trOus and most light-flngered thieves
in America. He could lift" any form
of jewelry, from q watch to a neck
lace, ninety-nine times out Of hun
dred, without awakening his victims
suspicious. Seemingly, he was there
fore the very man for this job.
Harold Stanley was scarcely twO
steps away from MIS- Clayton. Nor
rison, on the other side, was pausing.
within eighteen inches Of her, to
brush fieck Of powder off his cuff.
Robert Clayton. his eyes on Morrison,
was not six feet behind the man he
was following. A dance was in full
swing.
Then-eyery night IN the house was
all at once extinguished.
Morrison had gauged his distance
and his directions 10 hairs breadth.
Out shot his hand. His fingers fell
lightly on the clasp OF Mrs. Clayton's
necklace. Less than q second later
the $50, 900 treasure was nesting in his
pocket, and he was beginning to edge
sllently toward a long French window
that led out into the veranda.
Then, as suddenly as they bad gore
out, all the lights blazed up again.
A chatter Of talk and laughter
swept the room. But only for a mo-
ment Then it was hushed by an in
voluntary cry from Mrs Clayton:
My necklacei Ny beantiful neck
lace! It's gone!"
Instantly all was confusion. Robert
CLAYTON, stri6ing forward, called au-
thoritatively:
My mothers necklace has been
stolen. May 1 trouble you all to un-
mask-at once?"
AS he spoke his keen eyes were
securing the crowded room in search
Of Morrison. And almost at once he
discovered him standing near the
window. With an exclamation of
anger, Clayton rushed forward
through the impeding throng Of
guests to ssise the man he sought.
Morrison saw him coming and
guessed his intent. The thief cast an
agOnized glance around him. A few
feet away he saw Q Hnasler whom he
was sure he recognized as Pierre La
Rue
Slipping past the intervening peo-
pie, he brushed lightly against Stan
ley and at the samo time deftly thrust
into Harold's hand the diamond neck
lace Then ne continued his own
course toward ne open French win
dow.
Harold, with q start Of smaze-
ment, felt the necklace dropped into
his hand, which was half-closed. At
once he realised what had happened
He also realized that he woTld have
much trouble in explaining, publicly
the way Il had come into his posses
sion. and how he huiself chanced
to be thus disguised.
Clayton, meanwhile. had forced his
way through the astOnished guests
until he was almost within arms
reach Of tho man he wanted. Acrrt-
son, watching his approach. saw DAT
the time for blufting was past~
Wheeling, he boited through the