The Washington herald., 1919-01-28

n
rounds of the walls, lifting pictures,
| portraits and little military oils by
French painters OF the Franco-Prus-
sian period He found nothing TO ex-
cite his suspicion!
| Entering a SIMPLE bedroom, with
its tiled flooring and its single white
bed, he spared this as he passed TO
the bath beyond, which had no OUT
let save a yentilating, shaft securely
barred by a bronze grating OF close,
fantastic-scrolled mesh.
| Delaney's heavy steps were heard
lin the reception hall as Drew finished.
| Striding out into the larger room he
frowned as the operative deposited
a blanket upon a Persian rug and
began to unite its corners.
"I got 'em here. chief" explained
the assistant with upturned face.
There's five or six prints-aII alike"
What? Repeat that" Drew drop
ped TO one knee
Sure, chief. There's only been one
guy at that junction box before the
freezing started He made plenty of
tracks. He came and went from the
fence to the box It's small foot.
There was plenty Of prints made
after the snow piled on top Of these
little prints"
The operatives"
Sure, and the central Office bunch,
But these prints got here are the
only ones under the snow. They stuck
up when l melted away the sur
face"
Delaney offered a plaster cast OF
the top of a foot print. II was rough
lily done. 1t had been made. like the
others in the blanks. by pouring
rot nj IN fTapr .
Of soap. The plaster had hardened
and brought out each detail Drew
traced his finger over the toe. Right
foot" he said. Now let's see the
others
Here's a left foot, Delaney added
1.-THE detective slowly. "Only one left
and four right That might happen.
You didn't take them all. Well.
bundle them up and plant them some
where Put them under that couch,
out Of sight. I've got an idea"
What is it. chief" asked the op-
erative as he drew on the knots un-
til he had gathered the corners to-
gether. What's new? can't SEQ
anything in sight, at-taIl, at-talL One
man-thats all I see"
| And that's all l see-the trouble
lhunter-Delaney!
|
looked like a German? The fellow
the troubIe-man saw getting over the
fence and beating it for Fifth ave
nue."
He didn't leave any tracks"
"Ah. chief. get out. That amt hu-
Drew paced the floor with his
hands clasped behind him. He wheel
ed with sudden energy. Go. you"
he exclaimed with a pointing finger
Hurry out of this house ana tClo-
7 phone Grsmercy HfIl exchange. Tell
the superintendent 10 send over that
trouble man. want TO compare
these prints with his shoes li"
Icouldn't have been lying There.~ no
object in that, But. polsne'. how
could a man tap in on that junction
box and never leave prints ln the
snow? That's my question
How could one shoot man m a
sealed room, chief: There amt much
difference"
Drew snatched out his watch.
Hurry" he said Get over 20
lGrameercy Hill exchauge-it's only
three blocks from here. Ask Jack
Nefe. or whoever is in charge. for
the troubIe-man who fixed the phone
last night. He'll be able 10 tell Us
what part OF the fence the tall fcI-
low. who looked like a German, got
over. Perhaps he wasn't at the
Junction box at ALL
Who. chief"
The tall fellow, Perhaps he WAS
skuIking about the windows at the
back"
Perhaps he was a ghost" said De
laney TO himself as he lunged through
1.-THE tapestries toward the staircase
which led down from the third floor
OF the mansion.
Drew crossed the room and raped
so'tly on a panel. by the porteres
which covered the opening to the
reading room and library. He heard
a muffIed word OF warning. Loris
Stockbridge Clided across the rugs
. and peered out. Her face was Sc,
and tear-stained She had been sob
bing upon an olive-drab shoulder.
Pardon" said Drew with a slight
sigh. q beg pardon. Miss Stock
bridge. want to look over the
sitting room and examine the win
dows. Where is the maid?''
Loris touched her eyes with a hand
kerchief drawn from her breast She
replaced this and nodded over her
shoulder. She parted the portieres
with her unjeweled right hand The
maid she said softly, lis in her