The Washington times., 1920-06-27
CHAPTER II.
The Crime in the Card-Room.

= peered out into the fog. not
recognizing the features of the
man who stood on the doorstep;
then the voice located him.
"Sorry to disturb you, old man,
but it's urgent. think I've drop
ped small envelope somewhere.
] had Il in my cigarette case Do
You mind having a look? ! think
II must have slipped out when ]
took my last cigarette"
The young solicitor drew back
invitingly.
81 haven't noticed it," he said:
but. then, | haven't looked. You
know where you were sitting; come
in. You'll want another drink. too,
after this fog. Sorry ! can't put
you up-my mans away and I'm
all packed up. you know
Together the two men entered
the cheerful room. and Vivian
crossed at once to the place where
he had been sitting, and falling on
his hands and knees made as
though to search beneath the table.
Unobserved by his host. he deftly
placed a small. folded piece OF
paper under the chair which he had
pushed back. Then he rose TO his
feet.
Don't see it anywhere, Mr. Bax-
enter; perhaps i"
The ruse succeeded beyond the
mans widest hopes. AS Hubert
turned from mixing his visitor a
whiskey-and-soda his eye lit upon
the paper which Vivian had placed
beneath the chair. Putting the
tumblsr on the table he bent down.
Quick as thought, Vivian was
lpon him, chloroform-pad. part OF
the mans stock-in-trade, which he
had whipped from little tin case
in his pocket, held tightly over
the solicitors mouth and nose.
Hubert Baxenter was no weak
ling in spite of his slight stature,
and, had the fight been a fair one,
he would have given a good &C
count of himself. Taken unawares
as he was, his case was hopeless,
and in a few moments the drug
had done its work and the solicitor
was lying, an inert figure, upon the
white bearskin rug before the fire.
Vivian rose unsteadily to his feet
and reached out for the decanter,
Scoundrel as he was. he hesitated
to totch the glass which his victim
had prepared for him. He had no
animosity against the man lying
there on the rug-in fact, he re-
gretted that force had been neces-
sary.
But time was short: the money
he had risked so much for must be
found and escape made from the
house before daybreak. With few.
erish hands Vivian turned out the
bureau and the drawers OF ped
estal desk which stood in a recess
by the fireplace. His eye passed
many times over the envelope ad-
dressed to the hospital; a safer
hiding-place it would have been DIFF
ficult to find.
An hour passed and the searcher.
who had extended his attentions to
the bedroom. came back through
the folding doors. His face plainly
denoted his non-success. Then MS
eyes fell upon the figure upon the
rug. and. the Norfolk jacket with
its big pockets prompting him, he
fell upon his knees and slid hand
out cautiously toward
With cry of horror he leapt TO
his feet and tottered blindly to
chintz-covered Chesterfield. The
fear stood out in little beads OF
moisture on his forehead and the
gray eyes were fixed In staring
terror.
Dead" He breathed the word
hoarsely to himself, and called
weakly upon his Maker.
How long he sat there he could
not ihave told; he must have fallen
into a trance OF sorts, for, when he
came to himself Il was to see the
first gray of the dawn edging its
way between the Stats Of the Vene-
tian blinds, and in its light can
die which had outlasted It's fellows
burnt with cream-colored flame.
The face on the white rug stared
up gray and still.
From the clock on the mantle.
piece a single chime cut into the
silence OF the room and the man
on the couch Jumped up with
stiAed oath. He leant across the
body OF his victim and saw that
the hands on the steel face pointed
to half.past five. The fog outside
had lifted somewhat and he told
himself that he had put OF his es-
cape too long.
He shuddered at the calm horror
OF the room. The ticking OF the
clock seemed TO him so loud that
he felt II would be heard by people
outside. The sounds seemed TO
call ont mur-ier-tick-'ackx-
mur-der-tick-. He crossed
the room hnrriedlv and blow out