White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1927-10-14
The ReCluSe of Fifth Avenue

learned III amateur tneatrlcaIS, naU
disguised his face. Bradney had en-
ployed his leisure by doing some sur
reptitious carpentering work in the
tower room. Sneed had arranged to
give instant warning If Raxon re.
turned unexpectedly from the city
But as a chauffeur had been told tn
meet the train arriving at half-past
six, there seemed no reason to fear
interruption.
The bookcase was six feet in height
and contained five shelves. The low.
er, behind which Nita had hidden, was
given up to volumes whose average
height was eighteen inches. The
shelves were very deep, made to ac-
commodate books of more than aver
age width, many of which were deeper
than their height. They rested on &
board seven inches above the floor
Bradney had ingeniously. split this, SO
that while the books were not dis
turbed, the man hiding had an add
tional seven inches Of shelter. He had
the craft Of cabinet-maker, and the
oiled and hidden hinges moved noise
lessly.
1t was as dinner drew to a close that
the disguised Barnes crawled feet first
to his shelter. He had arranged things
so that he could see the safe without
moving There was nothing in his
garments to catch on any projection.
He found he could move his limbs
without attracting any noise. He tried
1t when Bradney, directly the dinner
was finished and his employer settled
to q game of auction, hurried to the
room. Bradney sat in Raxons chair
and looked hard at the lower shelf
but could detect nothing unusual. II
was not so difficult for Barnes to re-
main immobile and patient as for
some. He had the hunters instinct
highly developed. He was not the
man to forsake pool If the fish did
not Immediately rise to his fly. This
was a game after his own heart. He
thought of poor Fleming Bradney
overtaxed owing to the detection OF
'Enry, scurrying here and there with
his grave face and rather grand man
ner, and smiled. At ten he was tired
but sanguine. At midnight he began
to suffer from the hardness Of the
floor. But the longer he waited, he
told himself, the sooner would the
quarry come into view.
1t was nearly one when Paul Raxon
entered. He took seat at the center
table and put on 1t some small change
and bills. Bridge winnings, no doubt.
Then he lighted cigar and went to
the door leading to his bedroom, soon
to reappear with velvet smoking
jacket. 1t seemed to Barnes that he
paced up and down before the book
case for hours. Then suddenly he
went to the safe, turned the well
known combination swiftly and flung
it open He seemed to be searching
feverishly for some one thing in its
deep recesses.
Very quietly Barnes pushed open the
oaken side of his prison. 1t made NJ
sound. Then, as noiselessly, HI
emerged. His next move was to craw
to the shelter of the table. Here he
felt safe He could see that Raxon
was still searching. Stealthily the
man who had been 'Enry rose to his
knees. Then he rose to his feet and
came nearer, inch by inch, to the un
conscious man. He covered the las
few intervening feet in leap. Raxon'!
head, twisted sideways with the fear
full and agonizing force Of blow OF
the jaw, caught sight Of face who'll,
unknown to him. The disguise wa
papable, but sufficient. He wa
thrown forward on the heavily paddle
1 lounge 1t was while he was fightin
: for breath that his hands were tie
J. behind him. Then a loop of rope wa
forced into his mouth and somethin
:. pulled down over his head so that h
). could see nothing. Next he wa
c dropped to the floor and pushe
o through narrow door. After ths
d he was not molested. But he coul
l. hear someone at the safe. Paper
4 rustled, drawers were opened. The
l. the steel doors swung to. Later hi
locked door was opened and shu
n After that for hours there was blacl
k ness and cramp, rage and despair.
v (To BE CONTINUED.)s