Evening star., 1917-09-16
THE HAND OF A THIEF.

touched it" (The speakers voice was
raised ever SO slightly You will
note that there is a rail around the
case. to prevent visitors from touching
even the glass
"Ah.' said DR.. Nicholson. quizzically.
And has anything untoward happened
to our GraecoMoslem friend?"
Perhaps Inspector Bristol can tell
You" replied the curator.
- strpicht r'ilitery figure Of the
well known Scotland Yard man was
,,-- p.v.ous amongst the group OF dis
tinsuished-and mostly round-shoul-
Gered-scholars.
Sorry gentlemen. he said. smiling.
but Mr.. Acepulos has vanished from his
tobacco shop in Soho. l am not appre-
hensive that he has been kidnapped or
anything of that kind. / think rather
that the date of his disappearance tai
lies with that on which he cashed his
check for service rendered"
What precautions some one asked.
are being taken to guard the slip
Well" Mostyn answered. though we
have only the bare word of the late
Prof. Deeping that the slipper
was actually worn by Mohammed, 1t
has certainly an enormous value ac-
cording to Moslem ideas. There can be
no doubt that group of fanatics
known as hashishin are in London en-
gagged in an extraordinary endeaNor 10
recover it,"
Mostyn's voice sank to an impressive
whisper. My gaze sought again the
tall eastern visitor and was held fas-
cinated by the bafiied straining In those
velvet eyes But the lids were low
cred as l looked and the effect was that
OF fire suddenly extinsuished- ! de-
teruined to draw Bristors attention to
the man.
Accordingly" Mostyn continued. 1--WE
have placed it in this room. from which
] fancy il would puzzle the most ac-
complished thief to remove II"
The party, myself included. stared
about the place as he went on to ex
plain.
I've have four large windows here as
YOU see: the Burton room occupies the
end of wing: there Is only one door;
il communicates with the next room.
which In turn opens into the main
building by another door the land
ing We are on the first floor: these
two east windows afford a view OF
the lawn before the main entrance.
these two west ones face OrplnGton
Square: all are heavily barred as you
see. During the day there is a man
always on duty in these two rooms. AT
night that communicating door is lock-
ed Short of erecting ladder in full
view of either Of the square or OF
Great Orchard street, filing through
four iron bars and hrea king the win
dow and the case. fail to see haw
anybody can get at the slipper here"
$50 I venture to predict" finished the
celebrated orientalist that the slipper
of the prophet Will rest here undis-
turbed.
He linked his arm into that Of
brother scholar. and the little group
stra ggled away. Mostyn accompanying
them to the main entrance.
The real danger begins | suggest
ed to Inspector Bristol. when the gem
eral public is admitted-after today,
is II not?'
Yes All todays people are espe
cially invited. or are using special in
vitation cards" he replied. The peo-
pie who receive them often give their
tickets away to those who will be like
ly to appreciate the opportunity
l looked around for the tall oriental. He
seemed to have vanished. and for some
reason / hesitated to speak of him
to Bristol for my gaze fell upon an ex-
cessively thin. keen-faced man. whose
curiously wiGe-open eyes met mine
smilingly: whose gray suit bespoke the
y. s. A, whose felt hat was unmistak-
ably Boston. AT the height of the sea-
son such visitors are not rare. but this
one had an odd personality and more
over his keen gaze was raking the
place from ceiling to floor.
To tie best Of my recollection, I had
never set eyes upon the man prior to
that mernent, ard since ne was SO pal