Evening star., 1919-05-04
BY ARTHUR STRlNGER

to know" he went on, that your olive
checked Angelo has managed to develop
into one of the niftiest gem thieves on
this side Of the Atlantic
"You think that Angelo Pareto and
may meet again." / demanded, trying
to read his face, But that face was a
blank.
When you do" remarked the in
spector, Angelo at least ought to let
you off easy. There's just one more
point" he hurried on as he glanced
at his watch. What did you do after
you left that hospital?' / looked at
him in wonder. -. e.
why, that's what brought me into
this sort of work" l tried to explain
to him, after couple of weeks of
Hull House work showed me l was
going to be a failure there. I'd talked
two or three times, you see, with
Commissioner Strevel about that
Pareto case, and he finally asked me
IL I'd care to swing in with this Of
fice, to go as a trained nurse-in fact
to take care of a diamond carrier
who'd been shot in hold-up. The
police thought that carrier had
framed his own hold-up, but after
I'd been with him a few weeks l was
able to show them they We're wrong.
And that first trained nurse work
took me to the Hoey case, and the
Hoey case brought me east and into
the Alliance Offices, as you know"
You had your nerve with you in
those days! regretfully remarked the
man at the desk.
Il am not conscious of having lost
1t. was my quick retort.
Then why does this Grosset coup-
give you cold feet?' was his equally
quick inquiry.
Il wasn't aware that it had" said,
hot from the heels up. l saw that l
was being both insulted and coerced.
AND ! promptly decided to save my
sell from both of these, and in the
only way that seemed to lie open to
me. don't know why, but ! sudden
~ thought of that old story of Owen
Meredith's about the court lady who
threw her glove into the lions cage
as test of her lover. That lover
rescued the glove, but he flung it fiat
into the naughty lady's face. And I'd
do the same. l suddenly decided, with
the Security Alliance. I'd get him
his Blue Pear, and I'd get it without
the help of either Wilkins or Doyle.
He could do what he liked with it.
But after that he couldn't do what
he liked with me.
! was still tingling with that fool
ish little burst of rage as l took up
the pass-key and the floor plan and
the bottle from kaurots Office.
You needn't worry" l announced
with dignity as 1 rose to my feet.
You'll get your Blue Pear all right"
Now you're talking" agreed the
calm-eyed man at the desk.
l walked slowly past the Eleakim
Grosset house for the second time
that night. | had a pass-key and a
floor plan and Sloan's remembered
assurance that both wilkins and
Doyle would be hidden somewhere in
the neighborhood to help me out in
case l needed help. But Id cooled
down by this time, and l knew that
a bullet always travelled much faster
than any two footed messenger. And
/ was nearly scared out of years
growth when l saw strange man
drift by, with a slouch hat pulled
down over his face. That stranger,
saw. was neither wilkins nor Doyle.
and l had to take my third turn up
and down the lonely side street be-
fore he was we'll out of sight.
Then decided to down the medicine
l got out my pass key and went up
those wide steps without looking to
the right or left told myself that /
was Balmy Rymal. special agent and
operative for the jewelers. Protective
Alliance. and that Inspector Sloan was
behind he. and behind Inspector Sloan
was the commissioner himself, and
behind him again all the blue-coated
cogs of that immense machine which
kept the Island of Manhattan CIV
ilized.
Yet my knees were knocking to-
gether as ! went up those wide white
steps and my hand was trembling as
l put out my pass key and tried to mt
1t to the lock- don't think even
breathed as turned that key and
swung back the heavy door just far
enough to let my body slide In
through the opening. I expected to
find a light there, but all found