The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-11-22
~JOlmA inSIeX
RTAMaSteK Thief
[SS coPyrSt 1874 NEA Ssnice Inc.
WlO CENNCIfH A NIHINIEIFs

tho valet da ghhmhre Who slept I'm
tutby hole 10 tFs end 90 the corridor
De luI aroused tH0 HiEHt clerks ana
DO these latter au8 f1 the pvrfrra who
accompanied them, 4 poured forth my
tale 80 nocturnal eHWr
II vas awakened hy fGo sound -
footsteps, SAW a hgEr cure by the
side - my byd. 4 attacked him. We
fought Behold. mts-Ieuru tha con
dtfioH ~ my room rrslIculatrd
wildly indicating the damage which
Z had ist committed
fuJ % la oulrsEeouz. u.1uslcur,H
er.eI one % me clerks THAT such
Ia thing should happen in the Hotel
ae Paris d almost Incredible. Was
ANYTHING taken from Monsieur"
a doubt it" I replied. but I wlll
rccr' ! fcig lu the pocket % my am.
urr hckrt Ny purse I cried.
with nltsra mile notes, a thousand
franc plaque. and an express check
fUr a thousand dollars
could Monsieur identity tho
thief"
= looked AZ the clerk who put the
question I opened my hand. Upon
my palm lBy tuft ~ black whlH,
krFs. n tore these from bis face iu
QUE struggle" declared
"Abr they cried Ia unison.
4 glanced down upon tho floor
S7mtthIng caught my eyg,
"Laokr cried
A porter picked up the golden Oh.
sect. 10 was a pencil. richly chased
I bent over and from the floor picked
up a visiting card. torn and crushed,
Dramatically smooihsd Il. and read
The name. Prince Mtcrkoyst.'
"rhc thlefs maine. I exclaimed.
Prince Merkoystr' cried one o. tho
clerks Tho others echoed his name.
Tho second clerk assumed On air Of
great shrrwdness.
That Is why. a thief himself. 10
vas "a lsulent 20 the Engllahmau."
BE- said ''Ah. The canaillrl We shall
80 20 himr'
We did. opening up his door with
a paE1-kcy. lie at up IN bed. amaE.
sd az the Intrusion. and al fret die
dainful % our charges. Hut whom I
found underneath HIS pillow. where I
bad planted 10 n quarter OF an hour
earlier. my pure, hts Ec1ruful dtsdnIu
gave way 10 sudden fear. And when
the clerk bads him look In the mirror
and note the sap IN his bris,lIng
Iwhlskcrs. and also asked him 20 OBJ
serve the hirsuis trophy which was
supposed 10 have torn from his face.
/ fear began 10 give way 70 panic, Ana
the sold pencil with the broken links
which fitted 10 his watch chain, and
II his visiting card. were final proofs
calculated. DC was well aware. % con.
ty.nca ans court iu tho world.
/ For "a moment no must have b..
Il.svet that Dc had brrn walking in
Ih.H sleep. but suddenly bis hands
felt al his waist, where. had reason
20 know. he wore a money belt.
= am innocent" he cried Il am
! The victim of a plot. u Is I who have
been rabhsIs'
/ lie WIS standing besids his bed. pa
Jana clad shouldsrcd my way in
front OF tho others. and stared him
I In the eye.
Monsieur states that Il II bs who
has been robbed. said softly. May
I I ask Monsieur Of what7"
! Ills mouth opened. bUt words did
not come from Il Tor a moment, Tor
nearly half a minute. -mouthcd.
hr stared az me. And II he had look
cd yeuomously az BerrHford earlier
tonight, his regard OF tho young Eng
.llshuian had been friendly as compar-
"a with tho glance he gave me. Then
he replied "ot nothing. monsieur p
we shall take him ~ once 10 tho
jail. cried the clerk. Two robbsriss
lin the same night IN this hotel But
ithls thief shall not SO fresr'
wait I told them, raising my
hand IN protest. turned 70 the
prince.
"One forEiysa a rapsntant sinner. %
! told him. spoke In English. You
lnre thief caught practically 10 the
act Nothing can ave your name.
But you can save your skin. II you
will staco 20 these gentlemen the
truth about Monsieur Bcresford's en-.
trance into your room. 7. who have
recovered the property which you
stole from me. viii forget tho mat
ter"
He stared at me. "so7 Some day,
monsieur. we shall met again"
But not az Monte Carlo" ! told
him. / looked at my watch. 1T r.
now o'clock. At 40 the do luxe
from Rome stops hero en- route 70
Paris. II you take that train, after
having confessed your vile plot. the
matter is ended"
Monsieur Is a great detective" he
sneered set thief 70 catch q
thief"
Il am waiting for your answer"
interrupted him sternly.
| And there could only be one an.
=. l. u