Evening star., 1919-05-04

didn't push 1t back far. But 1t was
Iar enough to give me a one ed
ghmPse OF the room. And that glimpse
brought me my first ray of light since
l had stepped into the house and shut
the street door behind me. That light
saw, did not come from the bed
room directly in front of me. 1t FL
tered In through "A second door.
slightly ajar. which stood obliouely
across the room from me. And that
hghted room. ! knew from my floor
map was Eleakim Grossets gem
room
In there | knew. stood the rows of
cabinets in which reposed his col
lection of semi precious stones But
the more precious collection, l knew.
was carefully slowed away in the
huge wall safe imbedded in cement,
which stood on the far side of the
second room
AS L started through that uncertain
haf-llsht l was able to make out the
vague gray of ruft1ed counterpane.
which in stronger light, l told my
self. would be white. And between
that area Of vague gray and the black
mass OF the headboard | could dimly
discern another patch of gray, a
l knew. as l stood there, that l was
staring at the sleeping face of the
old millionaire himself.
1 took a deep breath and closed the
door behind me. Then l crept forward
through the hAlf-light, slowly and
cautiously. with my little round bottle
wrapped in a plain cambric handker-
chief in my hand. My hand was shak
ing again, l noticed. as l pulled the
cork from the little round bottle. The
smell of the chloroform took my mind
straight back TO the hospital. 1t made
me think of instruments and operat
ing rooms and white-topped tables.
But had wits enough left, as l soused
ina, square uI canluric, 10 KNOW ,nat
not thread of that handkerchief
must touch the sleepers face.
This was not easy. for my hands
were shaking more than ever, and the
chloroform fumes tended to make me
a little dizzy But | held my square
of cambric over that gray patch of the
sleepers face until my arm ached.
Then | emptied the last of my bottle
and let the wet handkerchief fall
softly over the face itself.
l stood there, without breathing,
just waiting and watching. But there
wassnot a sound nor a sign or a move
ment from the sleeper. And | knew
he was well under. So | lifted the
square OF cambric away and dropped
it beside the pillow on which that
motionless patch OF gray so quietly
rested Then ! remembered what had
brought me there, and | tossed the
bottle i'm between the two huge pill
lows. Then | turned and crept softly
toward the slightly opened door of
the gem room. The stronger light. as
l swung this door wider maze me
blink \ little, 1t wasn't until my eyes
ditions that | was able to make out
the orderly rows OF cabinets border
ing one entire side OF the room.
hurried on along the row Of cab
inets until came to the end OF the
room--the end where knew the
heavy safe stood under it's mask Of
wooden panels. with what looked like
two eighteenth-centu scrutoires
built in on either side OF 1t. presum-
ably to disguise Sie fact that the room
really ended in a false wall. But
gave small thought to these as l
swung back the double doors Of pol
ished hardwood covering the heavy
metal of the safe front itself. And
this safe front. l saw. stood almost as
high AS my head.
glanced down at the floor plan. for
on one corner OF it, | remembered In
spector Sloan had penciled the lock
combination. My hand was already
raised to the polished metal dial when
l made a sudden and somewhat dis
turbing discovery. That safe door was
standing an inch or two ajar as
faced it, l remember that l looked
back over my shoulder as | swung the
heavy door open. to make sure. sup
pose, that was alone in the room.
Then | turned back to the safe. As
did so | think I merely gursied with
a foolish sort OF sound.
For instead of seeing the Blue Pear
there saw man in black with a