Evening star., 1918-07-07
v v "
y Y Y

when. struck by new fact, he again
stopped short.
He had noticed how the heavy tap
estry shivered under Correy's clutch.
sides himself? II by chance nie psr-
son wandering about the court had
been looking up-but no, the few peo-
pie gathered there stood too far for.
ward to see what was going on in this
all further anxiety on this score. he
Joined Corey at the pedestal and at q
word from him succeeded in squeezing
himself around It into the small space
they had left for him between the
exclamation from the curator, who
had only waited for his coming to
take his first look, added zest to his
own scrutiny. 1t would take some-
thing more than the sight of a well
astonished discovery What? Even
he, with the accumulated surprises Of
years to give wings to his imagina-
tlon. did not succeed in guessing. But
wnen his eyes. once accustomed to the
which Corey had thus opened out be-
fore him, saw not the door. but what
lay within its recess, he acknowledged
10 himself that he should have
fore, he certainly would have done so.
" was q bow-not like the one
hanging high in the Apache exhibit,
'Out yet bow strong of make and
strung for use.
Here was discovery as important
Taylor at once from the case and rais-
first order. By dint Of !. long
custom. Mr.. Gryce succeeded in
niding his extreme satisfaction, but
not the perplexity into which he was
thrown BY this complete change Of
pase. The curator appeared to be
impressed In much the same way.
and shook his head in a doubtful
htasnion Ia when Corey asked him II
to the museum. 7' ~. -
II should have to see It nearer to
answer that question with any sort
Of confidence" he demurred.. "From
such gImpses as can get of 1t from
mere should say that 1t has not bsen
taken from any Of our exhibits"
Il am sure 1t has not" muttered
Mr.. Gryce. he added; "shali Slip
In behind and get tit"
The detective, thus appealed to hesi-
tated a moment; then. with an irrele-
sion, ne inquired where this door so
conveniently hidden from the general
view led to- 1t was. the curator who
answered. ~ -
TO a, twisting. breaknecls stair
case opening directly into my ONCE.
years See! Here is the key to At
on my own ring. There is no other.
lost the mate to 1t myself not long
arter my installation here"
The detective, working his way
back around the pedestal, cast an,
other glance up and down the gall
lery and over into the court. still
no spying eye. save that Of the officer
opposite.
I'VE will leave that bow where It
is for the present. he decided, "a
fall. he stood watching it settle into
place. till it hung, quite straight
again, with its one edge close to fhe
wall and the other sweeping the floor.
to push the bow back again into it's
former place close against the door?
Yes. No eye, however trained, would,
from any bulge In the heavy tap
estry, detect its presence there. He
could leave the spot without fear:
their secret would remain theirs until
such time as they chose to disclose It.
AS the three walked back the way
they had come the curator glanced
earnestly at the detective, who seemed
dream. Would 1t do to interrupt him
with questions? Would he obtain a
straight answer II he did? The old
man moved heavily. but the now fully
alert curator could not fail to see
that 1t was with the heaviness OF
absorbed thought. Dare he disturb
that thought? They had both reached
the broad corridor separating the
two galleries at the western end be-
fore he ventured to remark:
:. saThis discovery alters matters, does
1t not? May ask what you propose
TO do now? Anything in which we
can help you?.'
The. detective may have heard him
made no reply, though he continued
to advance with a mechanical step
until he stood again at the top Of
the marble steps leading down into
the court. Here some of the uncer-
tainty pervading his mind seemed to
leave him, though he still looked very
old and very troubled, or SO the
curator thought, as, pausing there, he
allowed his glance to wander from
the marble recesses below to the gal.
leries on either side of him, and from
these on to tho seemingly empty
spaces back of the high, carved rail-
ing guarding the great we'll Would
a younger man have served them
better? It, began to look so:. then,
without warning and in a flash~ as
1T were, the whole appearance of the
octogenarian detective changed, and.
80 anxiously watching him, he ex-
claimed with an abr Of quiet triumph:
. II have IT.. Fellow and see how
my plan works." !.
Amazed, for he looked and moved
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