The Washington times., 1922-11-18

had enough for one day"
"I1l say we've had enough for
one day." Hulk agreed most heart.
lily.
CHAPTER VII.
A MOVING HAND.
Meanwhile Detective Wren. who
had returned to the morgue. where
the besgar's body lay upon a mar.
BILE slab. with the drip, drip. drip
Of iced water falling upon the
quiet face, stood In the doorway
and struck match to light cigar
which he hoped might stimulate
him to an inspirational hunch.
This IL sure funny mixup,"
he muttered dejectedly. and then
az he would have touched match
and cigar end his eyes fell upon
the beggar. The match dropped
from between his stiffened fingers.
The white sheet that covered the
dead mans body was rising. hand
"a moving hand. showed be-
meath II,
When Orloff left Tatianas home
he walked slowly down town
through the fogsy night ponderins
over the task he had set himself.
He did not in any way minimize.
even to himself the difficulties and
dangers before him. He knew only
too we'll that chance would have
to favor him If he were to accom-.
plish what he intended.
In those days the morgue was
located In a small detached build
ing In an alley behind the City
Hall. The floor on the street level
was occupied by the coroner's Of
fices: above was the public inquest
room, and in the basement were
the autopsy room and the stone
death chamber where the unfor-
tunates whose lives had ended in
grim tragedy lay upon marble
slabs, needless of the drip Of the
ice water that fell upon their still,
silent faces.
Orloff studied the building war
lily. A short flight Of stairs. with
q locked door at the bottom. led
down from the street to the death
chamber. Stealthily he tried this
door and found that unless he
forcibly burst It open 1t was i'm.
pregnable. He circled the build.
ing again. noting particularly the
small windows, each protected by
light iron bars, which opened into
the death hall.
They are my best chance" he
decided. and began q search for
some sort Of weapon that would
enable him to twist the bars out
Of their sockets. He found a
piece Of scantlins in q rubbish
pile at the and Of the alley. 1t
was exactly what he required. He
hid It beneath his overcoat and
turned to the window. Peering
through. he saw 2 group Of news
paper men and detectives grouped
about the beggar's body.
"This man was neither a cripple
nor blind. He 10 perfect physical
specimen Of manhood. Look!'
the autopsy surgeon exclaimed to
the reporters and police.
This case grows more myster-
ious each minute" one Of the
writers cried gieefully. IT'S be.
coming q corking first-pags mys-
terry already. What do you make
of 1t, detectivef" he asked Of
Wren.
Nothing yet. but I can ten
you this. The chief thinks-in
fact. he knows--there's something
big back of this murder. I'm
sorry. but that's all ! can tell you
now. boys" the officer concluded.
orloff. crouching in the dark.
ness outside the window. heard the
excited comments Of the reporters.
the heavy-vofced responses Of the
detectives to their questions. AZ
last the newspaper men hurried
up the inner stairway that LED
from the death chamber to the
offices above and phonsd their
reports to their editors. The de-
tectives followed them. AZ last
the vault was deserted except>to
its unheeding dead. Oriofrs op-
poftunitys had come.
Pryins out two Of the iron bars.
he slipped through the window
and lowered himself to the floor.
He gave one quick. grisved glance
toward the begsar's oody.
Poor Michael. No, happy
Michael. It. was his privilege to
die for her cause" he murmured.
They must be here. but where"
he questioned himself and began
a search Tor the crutches. He
found them At last In the autopsy
room, one whole, the other--ths
one which had ended its owners