The Washington herald., 1919-01-12

here when they were filled. / jus,
ordered so many feet OF books. Six
hundred feet. I think 1t was. I never
/ look at them. All that / ever read
| is the magazines and the financial
items in the newspapers"
The pictures-paintings," Drew
| said.
Pictures! Picturesr' repeated the
magpie.
shut up" snarled Stockbridge.
keep quiet. DOM"
The bird ruffled its feathers and
| leaped to top perch. 1t peered from
! there at Drew. with its head cooked
| sideways
| strong Wall Behind.
II had them hung by my orders, "
Stockbridge said. They're all right.
Nothing bat a strong wall behind.
No need to bother about them"
Everything Is important" Drew
suggested with a slight reproof in his
voice. "Trifies may make for the an
swer to the riddle"
| That Corot over there is no trifie.
1t cost me SIS 0oO in France"
Drew lifted the lower edge of the
| painting from the wall. Dust fell. He
! pressed his face against the paper and
| looked behind the canvas. Letting
| the frame back, he tried the same
| operation with the other paintings OF
size.
No secret panel. or anything queer"
he said finally. as he busted his
| hands. "All's well with the walls
Now the floor. How about trap
doers?"
'Impossiblew Stockbridge exclaimed
| I'm sure these rugs have been taken
out and cleaned every time l go TO my
country place. A trap door would be
noticed"
| I'm trying to find out" suggested
\ Drew. glancing from the bottle to the
purple face of the magnate. please
ancwer me If you want to get results.
! I've got to see that no one comes
into this library for the next twelve
hours. After that period Of time-we
can breathe easier"
Go on" said Stockbridge. feeling
| the thrust.
Locked II Himself.
This door" Drew said. The door
to the hall. Can 1t be locked Sc
| curely?"
| Yes, 1t can be locked and bolted
| from the inside. ! often lock myself
| in-in-"
Stockbridge stiffened in his chair,
| He glanced toward the portieres. He
| learned forward and attempted to
shield the view of the quarter-emptied
Bourbon bottle and the used glass. as
a girl in lavender and Irish lace swept
| into the room.
Drew recognized Loris Stockbridge
10 halI q
breath as she glided by him. unsee-
/ ingly. He touched his mustache and
waited. Her face. framed in close
! drawn hair the color OF midnight sky,
softened perceptibly as she swished
round the great table in the center OF
the library and laid an unjeweled
hand upon her fathers shoulder.
She turned with start as she re-
allied that Stockbridge was not alone.
Drew bowed with swift courtesy.
Mr.. Drew" said the magnate
! Mr.. Drew, my daughter Loris."
, Again the detective bowed. He met
| her level glance with a smile in his
| brown eyes. She answered il and
| leaned over her fathers shoulder.
! Drew wheeled and fell to studying
the titles on the books. He moved 10
the magpie's cage. He extended one
finger The bird fiuttered and sprang
| from perch to perch.
Could Overhear Them.
Drew thrust his hands into his
! pockets. He heard Loris speaking In
terse, throaty tones to her father. he
! could not well avoid catching the tenor
| of their conversation. 1t concerned
the letter from the cemetery and the
| threat of death within twelve hours.
which the magnate repeated to her
with a softness in his aged voice.
A gushing torrent of unbridled emo
, ton poured down upon his gray head.
The girl paced the floor between the
chair and the table. She fell to her
knees with swift grace.
BE careful, fatner," she sobbe1.
you must be so careful. Remember
you're all that have. now. That
letter and that telephone call means
that somebody is planning to destroy
you. Oh. father. be careful. What
| would happen if you were taken away
from me?'
You'd marry that Cad-NiChols"
| blurted StoCkbridge. I'm the one
! thing that stands in his way. You d
marry him-wOuldn't yOu?''
The girl rose proudly. Drew. from
| the shadow outside the rose-hght,
studied the slender figure crowned
with a close-drawn turban of blue
black hair. His eyes ranged down TO
her slipper heels. They lifted again.
He stroked his chin as he waited for
her answer. 1t came truthful enough
and with high spirit.
Yes. I'll marry hiT some day. I
want your permission. but with 1t or
without 1t. father. l am going to
marry him. He's a captain in the
army Doesn't that prove he is not
all the things you said he was?"
Good girl" said Drew in whispered
admiration.
1T proves nothing" exclaimed
StoCkbridge, stiffening in his chair
and half rising. He's a cad and an
ass under all his uniform. He's too
poor to be considered for one moment.
l want my daughter to marry
Whom she pleases," said Loris.
Harry may be poor but he's not
too proud to fght,"
Bah! They get those uniforms so
the girls will notice them. What does
he know about war;
Helping Red Cross.
Hes been at Plattsburg for three
months. He's in town on furlough.
He's helping US with Red Cross work.
Isn't that noble."
THAT parts all right" said the
magnate. Il want you to keep him
from me. that's all. l believe he's
half German"
He's not! Harry is all-American.
His mother was born of German
parents in this country. His father
was Canadian. You've heard of the
Nichols who built part of the GranG