The Arvada enterprise., 1917-07-26

ODStructed the floor. In stumbling lie
threw out hand which encountered
an electric light bracket. Steadying
himself by this he felt for and turned
the switch; the brilliance of single
bulb dazzlingly exercised darkness.
He stood in small, airless, window
less chamber, furnished simply with
square mahogany table and four chairs
on n rug. Otherwise 1t was featureless
but for huge Safe-dOOr built into the
wall close by the foot of the staircase.
This door stood ajar. black void
was beyond it. at PARIS feet lay the
his downfall: the body of Il little Japa-
nese clad in the uniform of tele-
graph messenger-in his dead hand an
automatic pistol.
Turning, Parr called to Martin to
come down to him.
The negros answers to his questions
enabled him rapidly to reconstruct the
prelude to n brutal crime.
1t seemed that shortly before Pat
ria's guardian had dismissed him for
the night, Martin had answered the
door-bell to admit telegraph mesSen-
ger boy with u telegram for Peter Rip
ley. Signing for the message, Martin
had tofd the boy to wait for Il possible
answer, and had taken the envelope to
his employer in the library. But when
Mr.. Ripley had opened it, he had found
nothing within the envelope; and
when he and Martin had gone back to
the hall to interrogate the messenger,
this last had vanished.
BY this ruse Parr reckoned) obtain
ing admittance to the house when Mar
tins back was turned, the pseudo-mes-
senger had secreted himself and waited
till, finishing his letter to Patria, Rip
ley had found reason to descend to the
treasure vault. Then, following, the
messenger had tried to shoot Ripley
down, but had met death himself in
the attempt. Meantime confederate
had entered the house-gaining admit
lance through the front door, left I'M
locked, as Parr and Patria had found
it, by the first Japanese. And when
Ripley, emerging from the secret pas
sage-nO doubt even then fatally
wOunded-had called Patria in New
port by long distance-the second
japanese had shot to kill and had sue
ceeded if at cost of his own life. t.
Asking Patria to turn aside while he
with Martins aid carried up the dead
Japanese and placed him with the 9TH
ers in the drawing-rOOm, Parr left Mar
tin on guard. and conducted the girl be-
low to the treasure vault.
If any traces of incredulity had thus
far colored his thoughts, they were
promptly dissipated.
The vault was not large-perhaps
twice the size of its northumberland
was SO well-tilled with boxes, bales and
bundles that it afforded scant space in
which to move about. Aside from the
entrance, three walls were hidden by
packing-cnses. The fourth, the farth-
est from the entrance, boosted racks
of pigeonholes in which were filed and
docketed packet upon packet of papers,
and in addition n richly framed oil por-
trait of a gentleman in continental uni
form, boasting brass late with this
legend:
JOHN CLAIMING Esq.
(B. l757-D. 1Sl6)
Patriot. Statesman, Soldier
Founder of the Claiming Secret Ia
Tense Fund.
Icpor;n, all .,s, +, ,h, ,.,u,, ,ho ,,,
potri, fingered for many minutes ha.
fire This nortrnit of tho ancestor whose
cI.or forasi,ht and lo,o ,f ,,u,,r, I'D
cre,t.d thar trust who's. ,.,rd.n had
nov fallen unon b.r slender nr.,ty
sbo,,d.rs
Rant hovond u,ter,,co sha s,o,,soa
her wish IN confirm her dscoos.L v,or.
dams r.nort nc m tho ,r.,s,,r.
porr s.,.c,od an, IRON, III, ,,,.
st,cL of wooJen hox.s and oss.r., b.
,r,nsf.r I, ;, IN. ,,,J. d., 4, -,
henyier than he lind onticinat.L md
slipped through fingers unprepared for
its weight. There was n crash: the
box lay shattered ut their feet, Its con-
tents spllled-stuck upon stuck of gold.
| en- double.cngles scattered unon IN.