Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-06-28
Illustrations by
IRWIN MYERS . -
Copyright by Geo II Doron 20

pJI iSih " -
dow, unpercelted- in; the general ex-
element; and Hugh lodged rapidly
toward the car. 1t struck him that
the seance was over and he just had
time to see Lakington snatch some
thing which appeared to have been,
let down by q string from above, be-
fore turning into the bushes and rae
ing for the car. As II was he was
only second or two in front Of the
other, and the last vision he had.
through break In the trees, before.
they were spinning smoothly down the
deserted road, was ~ open window In
Laidley Towers from which dense
volumes Of vapor poured steadily out.
Or the house party behind, waiting for
{ the light to burn. low, in the brasler,
he could see no sign through the
Opaque wall Of. green fog. -.
1T took five minutes, so he gathered
afterward from member of the house
party, before the light had burned suf-
ficlcntly low for the duchess to con-
slider it safe to touch the pearls
In various stages of asphyNlation
the assembled guests had peered at
the box, while the cynical comments
Of the men were rightly treated by the
ladies with the contempt they de-
served. Was the necklace not Here,
wrapped in its gold and silver tissue,
where few minutes before there had
been nothing?
"Some trick Of that beastly light"
remarked the duke peevishly. "For
heavens sake. throw the dam thing
out Of the window"
'"DoE't be":a fool, John," retorted
his spouse. IF you could do this sort
of thing, the house of lords might
be some use to somebody"
When twt.minutes later they stared
horror-struck at row of ordinary
marbles laboriously unwrapped from
a piece Of gold and silver tissue, the
dukes pungcnt agreement with HIS
wifc's~ sentiment passed uncontra-
dlctcd. in fact, 1t is to be understood
that over the scene which followed it
|; was best to draw a decent veil.
THREE.
Drumr'' d, hunched low over the
wheel, In his endeavor to conceal his
identity from the man behind, knew
nothing Of that at the time. And LAX
ington was far too busy to bother
with the chauffeur.
One 'Snaring curse rs they had
started, for net having done us he had
been told. was the total of their con-
versatGn during the trip. During the
rest of the time tile transformation
to the normal kept Lakington busy, and
Hugh could see him reflected in the
winI-scrccn removing the makeup
from his face, and changing his
clothes.
Even now he was not quite clear
how the trick had been worked. That
there had been two cabinets, that WIS
clcar-one false, the other the real
one. That they had been changed at
the crucial moment by the girl lrma
WAS also Obvious. But how had the
psarlS disappeared in the first case,
and then apparently rcapptared again!
For ono thing he was quite certain.
Whatever WAS inside the parcel of
gold and silver tissue which, for all
he knew, they might bc still staring
ut, it was not the historic necklace.
And he was still puzzling it over In
his mind when the car swung into the
drive at The Films.
"Change the wheels as usual"
snapped Lakington as lie got out, and
Hugh bent forward to conceal his face.
"rhen report to me in the central
room."
And out Of the corner Of his eye
Hugh watched him enter the house
with the Chinese cabinet claSprd in
his hand. ..
"Toby," he remarked to that worthy,
whom he found mourDfu!'S eating
ham sandwich in the garage Lets
80 on the roof"
Silently they both climbed the lad
der which had been placed in readi-
ness, 10 find Peter Darrell and the
American detective already in posi-
lion. \ brilliant light streamed out
! through the glass dome, and the In
side Of the central room was clearly
visible. In the three chairs sat the
motionIess, bound figures so swathed
in rope that only the tops Of their
heads were visible. Just as darlington
had left him and Toby and Algy carli-
or in the evening. The only moving
thing in the room was the criminal
himself, and at the moment he was
seated ut the table with the Chinese
cirbinet in front Of him. With quick
, TURN Of his wrist he pried open two
flaps of wood and folded them back
against the side. Then he lifted out
IL parcel Of gold and silver tissue from
underneath.
My hat" muttered Hugh, what
fool | was not to think OF 1t! Just
Il false bottom actuated by closing
The lid."
)tut tho Amartnor ,vh;ctIipp trnntlv