, 1917-10-25

way that / had found out something
of Importance and was eager to i'm
part it.
you followed Mrs. Nina" he
spoke first.
For an hour. She went"
ITO the home of the woman you
saw at the bank last night"
It was not exactly pleasant to be
anticipated, but / Immediately remind
ed myself that l was dealing with a
man who reasoned out a case at times
distinctly ahead of its actual progress,
SO l assented meekly.
1 had seen the woman Nina leave
the Sutherland place and found her
an easy shadow. She o a fellow
passenger for about a mile. When
she alighted l was after her at a dis
lance.
She walked along leisurely for about
two blocks and entered a quiet street
given over mainly to apartment
houses of the better class. Opposite
one of these she looked up at its Sec
ond story. A woman, the lady
of the diamonds and the curses, was
seated at the window. What seemed
to be a curly-headed child sat in a low
chair beside her. In the broad window
frame rested a doll, some toys and a
heap of wooden building blocks.
Some of these had been piled up as
If casually to amuse the child. The
letters and numbers they bore were
about two inches in length. Chespa's
wife had halted and was glancing fix
eddy at the blocks, while the m
at the window made nc conscious
movement of encouragement or recog-
milton.
The top of the pyramid of blocks
was 2, then IL, a 8, and then LIAM
G." and as Nina walked on I knew
she had received a message. AT 2
o'clock, ~ Fifth Ave-, Lang" And l
interpreted this to near that they
would meet at loon at IL Fifth ave-
nue., which l also knew to be a ladies'
hairdressing parlor conducted by one
Lang.
1 saw that Marvel thought so, too,
and soon he expressed himself to that
effect. He went over to a cabinet and
1 noted that he placed a small case
containing some metal utilities In his
pocket. Then he consulted his watch.
You are not going to the apparent
meeting place of the two women,
them" 1 Intercepted naturally. as
just about the noon hour we left the
tive association, but headed away
from the direction indicated.
Il am bound for a better quarry"
replied Marvel, and l did not question
his expert Judgment when we reached
the apartment house where l had seen
the woman of diamonds and curses
two hours before.
My friend entered the building, To-
Gated the apartment, and proceeded
to open a door with the swiftness
and dexterity of a professional house
breaker.
He pushed me across the threshold
and into a chair and then closed the
door after resetting the lock. sit
there he directed, land watch and
listen for outsiders"
My first glance was towards the
front window. The pyramid of build.
ing block construction lay in disor.
derby ruins on the rug. In the low
chair sat, not a child as / had thought
from a street view, but an immense
doll with golden ringlets which the
woman Of mystery had feigned to
amuse, and then / knew we had to
deal with a clever oma
The place was plainly but richly
furnished. The walls held but one
picture. This was a well executed oil
painting of a woman of middle age. l
could trace a resemblance to the wo-
man who had visited the bank. 1t
must be the portrait of her mother, l
mother was dead, for a heavy piece of
crepe was looped over one end Of the
picture. Marvel was busy all about
the apartment. That utility case of
his seemed to furnish devices which
gave him ready entrance to a locked
writing desk and chiffonier. 1 could
trace growing satisfaction and enlight.
eminent in his strong face as he peck.
eted a package of documents, as he
read and reread letters and cards,
and at the end of half an hour he sank
easily to a chair facing the door, and
glanced at his watch with the air of a
man ahead of time with his work, and
impatiently awaiting official release
from service.
A key clicked in the lock of the door.
Resilius Marvel stepped forward and
placed his hand on the inside knob.
He retreated as the door came open.
AS a figure stepped over the thresh.
hold he closed the door quickly. set his
back against 1t and faced the aston.
ished wOmap of mvaterv