The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-09-13

to bring the goods so found ano also the body of the said Thoma. Grenofen before His Majesty's Jus. tice of the Peace.
 What an extraordinary thingi' said I. Whats it all about? It. hardly pleasant to have ones house under suspicion. I hope you'll be careful not to annoy my mother and to give the servants as little cause for gossip as possible. 9th erwise you're quite at liberty to look anywhere you like for anything"
 Liberty" said he. q don't want to annoy anybody. But you'll col lect all the inmates of the house lin one room, please. I His manner was unpleasant. T don't know that I'll do any, thing of the sort,' said I. "You can collect them yourself if they'll come. If you are police officer you ought to know how to behave in another mans house. You car get on with the job. But handle my pictures carefully. I'll go and tell my mother the house is being searched"
 You'll stay here" said he. "Ill be hanged if I dol Doe: l your warrant entitle you to order me about?"
 But the door opened and my mother came in.
 "Hullo, Tom," said she. Good gracious, another What are all these men doing about the place?'
 "Men!" I cried. Has he brought an army? Have they been annoy ing you?"
 "Oh, dear, no!-merely amusing me. I was going out to the garden when a man said couldn't go that way. He said he was a police off Ger. went out by the front door and there was another who said l couldn't go that way. So thought I'd come and see you. Whats it all about?"
 Heaven knows" said I. Some outrageous official folly. This. per- son has a search warrant. You, sir, will you kindly do your job as quick ly as possible and leave? Mother, you'd better stay here with me. He wants the cook and Millie in the same room. Do you mind?"
 No, of course"
 My mother had come to my side and taken my arm. She squeezed it hard and I saw that she was looking at the safe. I gathered her under my arm to reassure her. If you touch that bell" said I to the police officer, q will tell the cook and the maid to come here
 He pressed the button.
 You just missed Somerfield, mother" said I He's going to Lon- don this afternoon and down to Oxford tomorrow. Going to take that photograph I wanted of Town Tower"
 Splendid" she said. "Oh, Millie' to the girl who came in, tell the cook to come in here, and come with her yourself" While we talked the police off cer, unhappy man, had been peer ing around the studio. It was a bare room and contained no poten- tial hiding places.
 "I'll have the key of that safe and the combination" said he.
 I took not the slightest notice of the remark. His eyes began to glint.
 Did you hear what I said?"
 "No," I replied. T never hear rude statements.
 I treated the man abominably and was thoroughly ashamed of it. But I had to make an atmosphere and I made it. His confidence visibly wilted. Then my mother came to his rescue.
 I'm surg if there's anything pri- vate in your safe, Tom, the gentle man will respect it," said she, sweetly.
 Magic! Tie truculent policeman fell at her feet. He remarked: I'm searching for one thing only madame-the thing indicated in the warrant, and of course I'm inter- ested in nothing else, and if I see anything else I shall forget it.
 He was a beautiful liar-in fact we were all beautiful liars. and my mother the most beautiful of all I myself then opened the safe It was quite small with two shelves. It contained nothing but bundles of paper and a little cash box.
 MT. Hallett gave one look inside and said:
 Thank you, thatll do." So began the police search of woodcot. Hallett and one of his assistants went through the ground floor systematically. looking foi the mysterious goods. Os
 It was not till I heard the police