Evening star., 1917-09-16
THE QUEST OF MOHAllNED,S SACRED SLIPPER
BY
SAX
ROHMER

the room with light 4 fear of what
it might hold possessed him and he
turned Instantly.
Hard by the fragments of broken
glass upon the floor and midway be-
tween the case and the first easterly
window lay the slipper. A bell prob
ably had aroused the attention of a
policeman. Some one was clamorinE
upon the door Of the museum. too.
Mostyn raced forward and raised the
blind-that toward which the slipper
had seemed to move.
The lower pane of the window was
smashed. Blood was trickling down
upon the floor from the jagged edges
of the glass.
"Hullo. there. Open the door. Open
the door
Bells we're going all over the place
now: sounds of running footsteps came
FROM below; but Mostyn stood staring
at the broken window and at the solid
iron bars which protected il without.
which were intact. substantial-which
showed him that nothing human could
possibly have entered.
That was the story as ] heard IL
half an hour later For Inspector Bris.
promptly on the scene. and. knowing
how keen was my interest in the mat
ter. he rang me UP Immediately. I ar.
rived soon after Bristol and found q
perpleXed group surrounding the un-
canny slipper of the prophet. No one
had dared to touch it; the dread
vengeance of HaSsan Of Aleppo would
visit any unbeliever who ventured to
lay hand upon the holy. bloody thing.
Well we knew ii, and as though il had
been a venomous scorpion. We. COM
pany of up-to-datc prosaic men of af-
fairs. stood around that dilapidated
r1arkoob and kept a respectful dis
tance.
Mostyn. an odd figure in pajamas and
dressing gown, turned his pale. INTEL
lectual face to me a $ | entered.
xxi a n ne
ly,'' he said
His voice was very unsteady. Bris-
tol nodded grimly and glanced at the
two constab bles. who. with plain
clothes man unknown to me. made up
that midnight company.
I'll do it. SIR said one Of the con-
stables suddenly.
"one moment" Mostyn raised his
hand
"Do you understand fully" the cura-
tor continued. the risk you run?"
II think so. sir" answered the con-
stable but I'm prepared to chance it,"
The hands, resumed Mostyn slowly
of those who hitherto have ventured
to touch it have been he hesitated
cut Off
An right. sir" said the man with a
sort of studied turbulence. I'll take
my chance
tried to stop him: Mostyn. too.
stepped forward. and Bristol swore
frankly But it was of 40 avail
A sort of chill seemed to claim my
very soul when I saw the constable
stoop, unconcernedly pick up the slip
per and replace 1t in the broken case.
"All YOU want is a new pane of glass,
sir" he said, "and the things done"
Constable Hughes has no further
place in these records. He was picked
UP outside the section house on the
following evening with his right hand
severed just above the wrist.
The day that followed was one Of
the hottest which We experienced dur
ing the heat wave. 1t was a day
crowded with happenings. The Burton
room was closed to the pubic. while
a glazier worked upon the broken east
window and new blind was fitted to
the west Behind the workman. guard
ed by watchful commissionafre.
vawned the shattered case containing
the slipper.
At about II o'clock. as i hurried along
the Strand, almost collided in the
the girl of the violet eyes! She turned
and ran like the wind down Arundel
street while / stood at the corner
staring after her in blank amusement.
as did other passers-by: for a man Can
not with dignity race headlong after
a pretty woman down a public thor.
oughfare.
ITS the most horrible and confusine
case" Bristol said to me when Joined
him at the museum. that the Yard has
ever had to handle. 1t bristles with
outraees and murders. God knows
where il will all end. I've had London
Continued on Fifth PaSeo