Evening star., 1917-10-07

the purpose and Inspector Bristol found
himself helpless and constrained In 6
very painful position. Dexter laid down
his revolver.
I'VE will now give you a free show
inspector" he said. genfally, "of oul
camera obscura"
He pulled down the black blinds, bu
through an opening in one of them 6
he had noticed from Fleet street-shont
upon that point in the ceiling where
the arrangement of mirrors was at
tached. Dexter made some alteration
apparently in the focus of the lens (fol
Bristol had OWNED that in some way
lens had been fixed in the reflector
above the bank window below) and the
disc Of light became concentrated. The
white-covered table was moved slightly
and in the darkness some further ma
nipulation was performed.
Observe" came the strident voice
I'VE now have upon the screen. here, g
minute moving picture. This little de.
vice is of my own invention, and proved
extremely useful in the Arkwrigh'
jewel case, which startled Chicago. II
has proved useful now. I know almost
as much concerning the arrangements
below as the manager himself. In con.
fidence, inspector. this is my last bic
for the slipper. Nine. Sforza, the distin-
guished Italian lady. who recently open
ed an account below, opened 1t for t5ot
cash. She has drawn q portion, but g
balance remains which / am resigned to
lose. Her motor car (hired), her ref
erences fforged), the case OF jewels
which she deposited this morning
(dudsD all represent considerable
outlay. It's a nerve-racking line OF
operation, too In short, am at the end
Of my tether."
Bristol, ignoring the increasing pain
in his arms and wrists, turned his eyes
upon the white-covered table and there
~
such as one sees in the focusing screen
Of O camera, of the interior of the man
ayers office of the London County and
Provincial Bank.
Certainly the fates were playing with
US, for at q time very nearly corre-
spending with that when Bristol found
himself bound and helpless In BANK
Chambers I awoke to find myself tied
hand and foot to my own bed.
Nothing but the haziest recoiiectlons
memories Of the awful being who had
lured me there; for 1 perceived now
that all the messages proceeded. not
from Bristol. but from Hassan OF Aiep-
po! Could / have known that almost
within pistol shot OF me the inspector
was trussed up as helpless as /. then.
indeed, my situation must have become
unbearable since upon him ! relied Tor
my speedy release.
Ny ankles were firmly lashed to the
rails at the foot of my bed; each OF my
wrists was tied back to bedpost l
ached in every limb and my head burn
ed feverishly, which latter symptom l
ascribed to the powerful drug which
had been expelled into my race py mas
san of Aleppo. / reflected bitterly now.
Astoria, I could not well hope for any
visitor to my chambers. A gag. OK tne
tyne which Dumas has described In
Twenty Years After" the poire dan
goisse, was wedged firmly into my
ntmost Duen composure GO mos rec could breathe. So I
lay, listening to the familiar sounds
without, and rejecting that II was
quite possible so to lie. undisturbed,
and to die alone. my presence there
I weighed the chances Of Bristors
seeking me there. and eager as was
to give them substance, ! FOUND tnem
but airy-and ultimately was forced TO
admit them TO be nil.
So I lay. while only few hundred
yards from, me q singular scene was be-
ing enacted. Bristol. a prisoner as help
less as myself, watched the concluding
business of the day being conducted n
the bank beneath him; watched the HIT
descend to the strong room-the spying
apparatus being slightly adjusted in
some way; he saw the clerks Fastening
to finish their work in the outer once.
and. as he watched. absorbed by the
nove!fy OF the SiSuatoh. nc auhose ~
got the pain and discomfort which he
suffered.
This little peep-show Of ours has
been very useful" Dexter confided out
Of the darkness 'T got an impression
Of the key OF the strong room door .
week ago, and Carneta got one OF tho
keys Of the safe only this morning.
when she lodged her box OF jeweiry
with the bank! was at work on that
key when you interrupted me. and. rs
by means of this useful apparatus
have learned the combination. you
ought to see some fun In the next few
hours"
by one until only q solitary clerk work.
ed on at back desk. His task COM
pleted. he. too. took his departure. and
the bank messenger commenced his
nightly duty Of sweeping the odlces. 1t