New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-06-07
"What's the matter7" asked Chris.

"What's the natter" asked Chris.
TOPPER.
"Tm not a particularly Observant
chap, but I suppose I would have no.
ticed II you'd come in without your
shirt studs. You didn't by any chance
forget to put them in, did your"
mo; l had them In. right enough"
said Race. Looking down he saw that
the white expanse Of his evening shirt
lacked the finish of the two pearl
studs he had worn when he came into
the room. His cuffs hung loose, empty
of his favOrite pair of links. Hastily
touching his watch-pocket, he found it
limp and fiat.
He was struck with horror by the
mystery, which had w impressed
itself so wildly upon him before.
He went to his room, locked the
door, and, having listened with his a
to the wainscoting, presently began as
nOlselessly as possible to saw out a
selected square from the oak panelling
behind his curtained fOur-pOster bed.
Removing the square of w~ainscOting
at last, Christopher turned on the light
of his lantern and peered into the OBJ
security on the other side.
There was a hollow space between
this wall and the next-a space rather
more than two feet wide. At the far
corner there was something low and
long, and blacker than the darkness.
1t might be a heavy beam, he thought,
against a wall, or it might be Il box.
1t was difficult to wiggle through the
square hole in the wainscoting, but
he did it, after Kidding himself of coat
and waistcOat. and in stockinged feet
began cautious explorations, the Ian
tern making a pathway of light. 1t
was a box-three boxes-flled with
the loot taken from the Wood House
guests.
"What a haul it has been," Chris
TOPPER said to himself. His valuables
did not appear to have been added to
the collection, but he shrewdly sus-
pected that they would be put into
place that night. He had only to wait
and see who came to put them there;
or should he go further in this adven-
ture first?
Behind the row Of wooden boxes was
a square hole, black as the heart of
Christopher's lantern showed
him that from the top of this opening
a narrow staircase, winding
round upon itself like a corkscrew.
He set his foot on the first step, and
It squeaked. Then he heard a distant
1t was faint, yet it made Christopher
pause. He withdrew his foot from the
-Op step Of the stairway, and, cover
ng the light, lay on his side behind the
)oxes. Someone was coming up. There
vas a wavering glimmer of light.
Now there was a long-drawn, tired
like a sigh, and in the advanc-
ing light cleaned something white
small. For a moment it hung in
he midst of shadow, then it descended
N the lid of the middle box. 1t was
wOman's hand.
Quick as thought Christopher seized
md held it tightly, at the same instant
Using up and flashing his lantern.
Christopher found himself face to
ace with Mrs. Morley Chester.
LET me go!" she painted. "Oh, l
your
I'll not let you Co." said Chris
Opher, in a voice as low as hers, but
1ercilessly determined. "This game
up. You shall tell me everything,
+ I swear I'll alarm the house, send
or the police, and have you arrested,
on and your husband?"
"Not my husband!" faltered the
little cousin"
IF you wish to ave him you know
hat to do" the young maj said.
"YOu won't send us to prison If l
ell you the whole story?"
"Ill do my best for you, if you make
clean breast of it; but the contents
{ these boxes must be restored to
leir owners, I promise to shut my eyes
} your escaping with your husband,
any public revelation is made,
rovided I'm satisfied that you tell
le the whole truth now" ,
Il will, oh, l will - You know Nor ,
y would have had this place If COM
ION justice had been done-if the en- s
ill hadn't been broken"
"Ah, he is the heir of whom Miss $
hester SpOke!" ,
"Of course, who else could be? He's
lie only n left In the male line. And
link what it was for him to find out ,
trough an expert, whose word he
'uldn't doubt, that there's coal enough |
lder the park to make him an i'm. t
ensely rich man, If only he hadn't I
zen robbed of his rights"
HE didn't tell Miss Chester Of this {
%scovery?" q
Naturally not. If she or her moth.
gave up living here the estate would r
to him after all. He hoped for b
at. And when he heard Of her ELAN y
open a kind of hotel he helped her q
get a license and offered to manage O
e business. That was because he
ID an idea, which he hoped he could
0rk. His father, who died when
orley was q boy, was a professor Of
emistry, and made some clever in n
ntions and discoveries, but they f
x,au I.1,,lA tn Tt.-- --