New Britain herald., 1924-07-18
NOW GO oN WITH THE STORY

| 1 T
 NOW GO oA WITH THE STORY
 For 1 had no more desire 10 fac, a court, oven in the role of witness than. I suspected. the Prince had tt stand before a judge as complainant And if l offered testimony in suppor of young Bercsford. such . plot wal so fragrant, SO vicious, that not ever the Moncgasques, willing to winl their eyes at almost any offonse. | scandal could be thus ayertetd, coult ignore this. The French. for al that Is written about their morals have respect for wifohood. The, would Insist that the Prince b, brought to trial for conspiracy. and would have 10 testify in court.
 So, while l had no intention oi permitting Bcrcsford 10 be deported under circumstances that would for. ever stain his name. waited. There might be only one way of skinninl this particular polecat, but sus. pectcd that there might be another
 And so, two hours later, when all the hotel save probably, young Beres. ford slept, l entered the Princes rooms.
 Like the cat which walks alone. ] walked silently. Also my movements were quiet. l picked the lock with out difficulty and passed through the door. l found myself in living. room, at the far side of which was an open door, through which heard snores. l tiptoed to it, pccrcd through and entered the bedroom, A night-light was burning, and by its rays l could distinguish thef screen behind which, l had heard the Prince tell Beresford was a trunk. Now, that trunk had unquestionably con- tainod cash-box. But if it had contained anything else of value, would the Prince have rashly handed the Englishman his keys? If, for instance, the trunk had contained evidence which would indicate that its owner possessed unprincely habits would the Prince have given up the keys?
 This action of mine was based on t the theory, none too logically ac- fquired, that the Prince was d crimi- nal. Unless l should find proof in support of my theory, my nocturnal 1 visit would be not merely dangerous but useless. And it was silly to look for evidence in the trunk.
 If the Prince was what I thought him to be, proof in support of my be- lief would be found onlN upon his person. And it is a difficult thing to search a sleeping man without awak- enng him. Nevertheless I did it.. And having done so, I raggedly clipped from his great black beard a tutt Of his precious whshers. Then l returned to my room.
 Three minutes later I had broken two chairs, overturned dressing table, and smashed a pane of glass in the window. Also. had shouted at the top of my lungs, and had aroused the Valeet de chambre who slept in cubbyhole at the end of the cor rldor, He had aroused the night clerks, and to these latter and to the porters who accompanied them. I poured forth my tale of nocturnal crime:
 \ was awakened by the sound of footsteps. saw huge figure by the side of my bed. l attacked him. We fought. Behold, messieurs, the condition of my room" l gesticu- lated wildly, indicating the damage which l had just committed.
 But it is outrageous, monsieur" erred one of the clerks. That such thing should happen in the Hotel de Paris is almost incredible. Was anything taken from Monsieur?"
 T doubt it." l replied. but I will see.' felt in the pocket of my dinner Jacket. My purse," I cried. with fifteen mile notes, A thousand franc plaque, an dan express check for thousand dollars"
 Could Monsieur identify the thief?"
 l looked at the clerk who put the l opened my hand, Irpon my palm lay tuft of black wbjskers. Il tore these from his face in our strnggle,7' l declared.
 An they cried in unison.
 I glanced down upon the floor. Something caught my eye.
 Look" l cried.
 A porter picked up the golden ob- Ject It was pencil, richly chased. bent over and from the floor picked mp visiting card, torn and crushed. Dramatically I smoothed if, and read the name, Prince Meerkovst."
 The thief's name" l exclaimed.
 Prince MeerkoNst!" cried one of the clerks. The others echoed his name. The second clerk assumed an air of great shrewdness.
 That is why, a thief himself he was so lenient to the Englishmap." he said. "Ah, the canaile! We shall go to him!"
 We did, opening up his door with a pass-key., He sat up in bed. at the intrusion, and at first disdainful of our charges. But when found underneath his pillow, where had planted it a quarter of an hour earlier. my purse, his scornful dis 1ain gave way to sudden fear. And when the clerk bade him look in the mirror and note the gap in his brist- ling whiskers. and also asked him 10 observe the hirsute trophy which I was supposed to have torn from his face. fear began to give way to panic. | And inc gold pencil with the broken | inks which fitted to his watch cbain. |