River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1916-03-09
perhaps q dozen times, spaced ~ tn-
foPva1c 0f irroO111oT duration


rumble in the inwards of 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 fln-
ished. Within another minute he sat
back with face aglow, uttered hushed
exclamation Of satisfaction, studied his
memoranda for a 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 it,
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 new
If one were not an honest mana
fortunes ours for the taking!"
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
Der took with her to England" he ex-
planned; she's mad about them.
never separated from them. Perhaps
the finest collection of priceless stones
in the world for size and purity Of wa
ter. She had the heart to leave these
all this!"
Lifting hand, he chose at random,
dislOdged two leather cases, placed
them on the floor, and with a blade of
his penknife forced their IastenIngA
From the first the light smote Radi.
ance In binding, coruscant weller;
here was nothing but diamond jewelry.
mostly in antique settings.
He took up a piece and offered it TO
the girl. She drew back her hand in.
voluntarily.
mol" she protested in a whisper
that sounded like one of fright.
'BHt just Iook!" he urged. There's
no danger-and you'll never see the
like Of this again!"
Still she stubbornly withheld her
hand. 'No, mol" she pleaded. I'D
rather not touch it. Put it back. Let's
hurry. LIN frightened"
He shrugged and, acquiescent, re.
placed the jewel; then yielded again to
impulse of curiosity and lifted the lid
of the second case
1t contained nothing but pieces set
with colored stones of the first order
-emeralds, amethysts, sapphires, flu
bies, topaz, garnets, lapis-lazull,
| jacinths, jades-fashioned by master
craftsmen into rings, bracelets, chains,
brooches, lockets, necklaces of eE-
quisite design-the whole thrown
heedlessly together, without care or
arrangement
For moment the adventurer stared
down modify at this priceless hoard.
his eyes narrowing, his breathing per
ceptibly quickened. Then, with a 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,
for the girls inspection.
He looked not once either ct it's CON
tents or at her, fearing lest his coun
tenance betray the truth, that he had
not yet succeeded completely in eXCr
Ching that mutinous spirit, the Lone
Wolf, from the tenement over which
it had SO long held sway; and content
with the sound of her quick, startled
sigh Of amaze, that what she now be
held could so marvelOusly Outshine
what had been disclosed In the other
boxes, he withdrew his hand, shut the
case, found place for it in the safe
and without pause closed the door
shot the bolts, and twirled the dial
until the tumblers fairly sang.
One final twist Of the lever handle
convincing him that the combination
was effectively dislocated, he rosa
picked up the lamp, replaced it on the
sign that it had been moved, and
looked round to the girl.
She was where he had left her, a
small, tense, vibrant figure among the
shadows, her eyes dark pools of woD'
der in face Of blazing pallor.
With high head and his shoulder
well back he made gesture signify.
ing more eloquently than any words:
Cali that is ended!"
AS though thereby released from
chains Of some strange enchantment,
she started and came swiftly toward
him.
"And now" she asked breathlessly.
"Now to make our getaway" he re-
piled with assumed lightness. Before
dawn we must be clear of Paris. Two
minutes, while 1 straighten this place
up and leave it as | found it."
He moved back to the safe, restored
the wing of the screen to the spot from
which he had moved it and, after an