Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1917-07-12

p9llOu, ana SHlu no IloIt.
The suite of Offices occupied by his
firm were in building which had
been remodeled from dwelling house.
Next to 1t stood q residence which the
march OF business up the avenue had
so far left undisturbed, and it was
now rented out for bachelor apart
ments.
One morning the papers had an item
on the front page telling how Spray,
Galland 4 Co, diamond importers, had
been robbed Of valuable gems by the
blowing open of safe. This WINS
Shaws firm, and that evening he told
Elva they were entirely mystitied as to
how the burglars had entered. There
was q Waterman on the outside who
could not have failed to see them from
the front, and the roof and back of the
building showed not the slightest trace
Of any forcible entrance.
About two days after this, Shaw, in
passing the house next his office, saw
young man hastily coming down the
front steps. Something about him
| caused Shaw to stare curiously at the
man. Instantly the man turned away
to avoid his scrutiny, and almost
stumbled down the remaining steps.
Shaw purposely stood in his way, and
as the young man lodged him. caught
at his arm.
"Elva Burt" ne exclaimed. "What
does this meanY"
Let me go!" she begged. 'Let uIs
go quicklyl"
"But-" he began.
Don't keep me herer she urged.
! And, freeing herself from his grasp,
she hurried on, hailed a taxi, and had
vanished before Cedric Shaw could
quite collect his scattered senses.
He went to his desk in n dazed state
of mind. No woman except laundress
or scrubwoman was ever seen coming
| out of this house. For the girl whose
! delicate womanliness had first of all
| appealed to him to be seen in such a
| gulse, and coming out of bachelor
| apartments, was u shock from which 1t
was not easy to recover. He had given
her the deepest devotion, the love OF
his life, and he had meant to tell her
| this. The blow staggered him. He
meant TO see her again, and at least
| try to wiring from her an explanation,
but he felt he could not go that day.
Late in the afternoon the telephone
rang, the senior partner took the mes
| sage, and when he had hung up the
| receiver he called the heads of the firm
| together and told them. 1t was from
police headquarters; they had made
an important arrcst-two men from
the house next door. Shaw felt his
heart stop beating, and things running
before his eyes. What if one of these
men was Elva Burt? What If he had
to face her in the prisoners dock2 A
detective was now on the way up, and
they wished someone to remain. and
20 with him to the cellar. Investiga-
ton revealed tunnel from the house
| next door, through which the thieves
had crawled, and which they must
have worked digging for some time.
The police had not yet discovered the
gems, but they believed they had got
the right men, the janitor and a young
fellow. A "young fellow" Shaw shud-
| dered at confronting him. They went
down to headquarters. The ''young fell
low" was short, stumpy, and red-haired,
| and both men protested their innp-
| cence.
well" announced the chief, this
was about the neatest bit Of detective
work you'd pull off in month of Sun
| days. The finding Of that hole in the
cellar was a Jim dandy. You see, the
detective pretends to go in there TO
| inquire about rooms, and all of sud
| den he shifts something, and he yeus
| out to the janitor he smells fire, and
| It's coming from the cellar. The MIN
ute the man unlocks that cellar door,
| he's down there ahead Of him, and nos
Ing around to beat the band. He lights
| a bit of paper SOS he can look better,
| puts 1t out, and shifts a burnt smell
| somewhere. But he's got what he came
| for, the sight Of hole, and bricks and
| dirt behind box, and he hasn't let on
| to the 1anitor he's seen thing out Of
| lilc IOllIuOut uIu lie y awful sorry Ue
gave him such a scare. He finds out
there's only n terribly hlgh-priced
apartment to rent, and IS awful sorry
again, it being too much for his purse,
and he gets out and down here
quicker'n lightning. And the two fel.
lows are Jailed in just about one hour
from that time"
Here one Of the partners asked IL he
might see the detective. The chief said
he supposed he mlght-that is, if hs
happened to be in.
He went to door, opened 1t, looked
In, and beCkoned to someone. A neat.
ly dressed young woman appeared IN
the doorway Shaw gasped.
Miss Burt" asked the chief, "do yo,
know where Sanderson isl"
She gave him an inqulring look, then
she suddenly saw Shaw's eyes upon
her Official caution vanished before
the questioning Of his gaze
The elder men, rushing up to her,
grasped her hand, expressing their
thanks and the desire to make ii SOME
thing more substantial than thanks.
Then ShoU. qofI ho +noI- No..