Show I 1 I 1 11 I 1 I 1 br T V 1111 1 aw F I 1 F I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 JACQUES f b y mcl ka COPYRIGHT 1908 tr by TM THE associated SUri OAy MACIA MAGAZINES COPYRIGHT 1900 1909 AY y TM THE bobba MERRILL BYNO paia count dl Tol nl the lh italian amba albai 9 dor ador 1 I let kt di dinner with diplomat in th the national capital pital when mes br inas ft a note not directing him to come coma to the tha etna y at one a alre for a bucl tul young woman woma ask that nhe he he h given a ticket to the th embassy bril boll the ticket Is III niada out in the name ot oc alto Is I 1 abol thorne chief cmpbell capbell 0 ot t t the I 1 0 ecret nervure nerv ere lre aad mr brimm h hla 1 h heibl a Q d det etive aro ara wrid that a plot of 0 the th atin races race granat the tha speak ing inc rat rm 1 li adint rowing 1 in and nil grimm goes KO to the tato bull ball for or 1 in a r his ht at intention t tio 1 c called u d in mi ilabel thorns thorne who with iter companion soon oon dip di p pan A r revolver l r ahot hot I 1 harl a nj 1 fi aZbell ani and oriter oritur irli mii hast hato d down w t the h e hall to find that Al alberes veres of the mexican legat legation imn hoji hm ben been be n shot hot A woman did it anil and crimin 1 li assured it was MI mill ahr it ir viets her demanding it n cdx of the affair and there arreto arre to n mail inan pietro mi alar T thorne p rno visit an old man apkari apparently Y H bomb bb maker aid d they speak 0 of a 0 wand wonderful erful f lafty thousand thou and do dollart T r 1 in rold 1 li tol I 1 from the th oance boffl 0 s arnor or rodriguez the minister irom from V ne dueh whilo are draing the robbery wan MI thorne thorn appear fc a truest or of the th et ration CHAPTER X A safe opening together they entered the adjoining room which was waa small compared to the one they had bad just left senor rodriguez used it as a private office ilia desk was wad on their right between two windows overlooking the same bame pleasant little garden which was visible from the suite of tiny drawing rooms farther along thi the safe a formidable looking receptacle of black enameled steel stood at their left closed and locked the rem remaining aliling wall space of c f the room was given over oer to oak cabinets evidently a storage tutorage pwe plathe for or the lets less important legation papers ila aay one besides yourself been in this room today mr grimm in quiren not a soul senor was the reply mr grimm went over and examined the th e windows they were both locked inside and there were no marks of any sort sart on oil the sills they are J just u at as I 1 left them list last bight exola explained I 1 n ed senor rodriguez 1 I have not touched them today and theres only one door mused mr M r grimm meaning that by which they had bad entered so it would appear that whoever was here last night entered through that room very well ile he walked around the once opening aad shuttling tb the e doors of the cabinets as ho he parsed and finally paused panned in front af pf 0 the sate safe what are t tle pa i trot drat and second figurs figurea of the nation 7 he be asked 41 4 2 then men back to ten tell I 1 tire grimm met et the dial at thirty six alx slid and then with his ear pressed closely against the th polished door turned the I 1 dial slowly back senor rodriguez stood looking on helplessly but none the less intently the pointer read ten then nine cine eight seven five mr air grimm gazed at it thoughtfully alter after wh which ach he did it all over again placidly and without haste now well wall look inside gleaso he be requested rising senor rodriguez unlocked the safe itne ahe while sir mr grimm respectfully burned turned his eyes away then pulled the door wide open the books had been piled one on top of another and thrust into various pigeon holes at the tha top mr grimm understood that this bisor der wits the result of 0 making room at the bottom for the bulk of gold and asked no questions instead he be sat down upon the floor again the lock on this private compartment part ment at the top Is broken he be remarked after a moment st sl senor the diplomatist agreed evidently the robbers were not content with only fifty thousand dollars in gold they imagined that something else ot of value was wag hidden there was waa there asked mr at r grimm crimin naively ile he look around nothing ot of monetary value the I 1 senor enor explained there were some I 1 important state papers in there tiley they ire ther eyet but no money none ot of the papers was stolen no senor there were only nino packets they are there yet 11 contents all right yes yea I 1 looked them over mr grimm drew out the packets ot of papers one by one they were all unsealed save the tha last when he reached for that senor benor rodriguez I 1 maidl R ado a quick dutch involuntary motion toward it with his hand band this ones sealed commented aar mr crimm it happen that yo you opened it nad sealed scaled it again senor Rodrik stood staring at 1 film blankly for a moment then some n apprehension was aroused for a startled led look came into his eyes and again he be for or the packet dlos dios nicol 0 o exclaimed let me ine sae gee senor going to open it asked irr brimm Ir linin yes bartor I 1 had bad not thought ot of it afore before ef ore I 1 senor opened it with u e arvous twitching fingers sir air grimm ll 11 had ad turned toward the safe again but lm lie heard the crackle of parchment as ag aroe document was waa drawn out of the envelope elope and then came a deep sigh of nl relief blaring satisfied his sudden jeara fears for the coety of the th paper whatever it was the tha tenor senor placed it in art an other enve lort and arid sealed scaled it asali with elaborated rare pare sir air grimm cropped into the tha swivel chair at ahe the desk I 1 senor he ha inquired plea pleasantly your sour daughter and illas alas thorne thorna were in this room yesterday yes yea replied the tha diplomatist as if or surprised at the question what time pie please asir about three they were going out driving why and just juat where please did you t find continued mr grimm I 1 repeated the diplomatist lo mati at you vou mean miss thorn Thor neB Ws handkerchief ile he paused and regarded mr grimm keenly senor what am I 1 to understand from that question it was wa plain enough replied mr grimm where mere did you find and that handkerchief there was silence for or in an instant in thin room yes replied senor rodriguez at last near the he sir air grimm per stated slated yes cattle came the slow reply again jut just here and he be indicated a a 91 little to the left of the safe ate and when did aid you find it yesterday afternoon kimt baet night this morn ing 7 this morning and without any biby apparent reason the As face turned deathly white but senor senor you are ml taken there can be nothing I 1 A bomani woman two hundred pounds of 0 lenort mr grimm waa as at stilt ill pleasant about it hl his curiosity was wan absolutely impersonal hla his eyes grown listless again were turned straight into the others face ace it that handkerchief had been there last night senor be resumed quietly you have noticed it when you yon placed the gold in the safe fafel 7 senor rodrigues farej stared pt at him a long time 1 I dont know he said at last laet lie dropped back into a chair with his face in his hands handa senor he be burst out suddenly impetuously after a moment if 1 t the he gold la ia not recovered I 1 am ruined you understand that bet I 1 J W ff T 1 1 I 1 I 1 1 I 1 1 7 t 1 1 I CF cu 0 I 1 I 1 0 I 1 aj Z I 1 Q I 1 I 1 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 0 Z i 11 i 1 I 1 i I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 11 I 1 11 7 I 1 i I 1 1 I 1 07 C 1 I 1 t I 1 I 1 1 I 1 zt I 1 Z I 1 1 1 I I 1 I 1 I 1 the lock on this private compartment at the top Is if broken ter than I 1 can tell you its ICA the kind 0 t thing that could not be explained to my government ile he TOSO suddenly and need faced the impassive young man i 11 ith merciless determination in his tace face you toll must find that gold SO se nor he be said no matter who may be who may buffer inquired mr grimm find the gold senor very well commented mr grimm w without movin do roe me the favor please to regain ros possession session ol of the handkerchief you just returned to miss thorne and to send to me here your secretary senor diaz lind your se mr rv vanta ants one by one I 1 shall question eliem alono alone no dont be alarmed unless they know of the robbery they shall get no inkling ot of it from me first he be good enough to replace the I 1 in the file safe an aal 1 lock it senor rodriguez rent replaced aced the tha packet without question afterward locking the door then went out A moment later senor diaz dia appeared lie he re main edwith mr air grimm for just eight m ml senor rodriguez entered again as aa his secretary passed on and laid a lace handkerchief on the desk mr air grimm stared glared at it curiously for I 1 a long time ita the same mime handkerchief si senor cheres no doubt whatever about it 17 no senor I 1 got it by alb it ot of no consequence interrupted mr grimm now mow the servants the tha roen men the first of 0 the men servants ser vanta waa in the room two minn minnies tes the 1 1 and an fn lie lutler was waa there five nuni utes tp one of the women apa not questioned at all the other remained teu ten minutes mr crimm followed tollow td her into the hall ball senor rodriguez atcon there helpless impatient well lie he demanded deman deil eagerly tm im going outda little while replied mr placidly no one has haa even een an latI mation ot of the attali please keep the matter absolutely to yourself until I 1 return that ww wis all the door opened and closed and he was waa gone at tho the end of 0 an hour ho returned I 1 pd on an to the its sIt tots private office sat down in front ot of the th locked safe kahi again and met it the tb dial 1 rt t thirty six ell senor looked in 11 tont shed as a mr ariman prove praed ed the tb soft ott rubber sounder of 0 stethoscope against the safe door aud beiran began t turning tte the dial back toward ton ten slowly lowly slowly lowly thirty five minutes later the lock elicited clicked mr grimm rose turned the handle slid anil pulled the sate safe door open opa how bow it was done hs be ex to tho the abated diploma and now BOW please have a servant band my card to miss them I 1 CHAPTER the lice lace handkerchief still v el tring the graceful grac elul III filmy morning gown with an added touch of 0 scarlet in her hair a single red rose roo miss thorne came into the drawing room where mr air grimm sat waiting wall lne 1 I helfeno helf a llev evo he said bald slowly lowly without prelim loRrIes tills this li is your chandker chalett lie ile offered the lacy trifle odd la in del de sign unique in obviously 0 ot f foreign tP texture iture and abe accepted cete dit it yen the he agreed readily 1 I 1 mut must have dropped it again th a t la Is the one handed banded to you by senor rodriguez mr grimm told her 1 I think you said bald you lost last it in his big office It leat esterday erday afternoon yes yea slie she nodded inquiringly it may interest yon to know that senor butler positively identifies it a one ona he be restored to you twice at dinner last evening between seven and nine mr air gri grimm m went on Inde indeed edl exclaimed allen the senor genor identifies it an one he be found this morning in his hl office mr air grimm explained obligingly during daring ilia iho night fifty arty thousand dollars lo ill gola were stolen from his safe gata aliss thorne sat motionless waltin walting ing all thin meana what ahalt she he inquired at length ill trouble you please to return the money requested mr air grimm courteously no reason appears why you should have taken it but vm im nol lot seeking reasons reasons nor am I 1 seeking disagreeable putli publicity city only the money it seems seema to me you attach undue importance to the handkerchief she objected a matter ol of opinion mr altmin remarked it would be use less even tedious to attempt to dig die prove a burglar theory but against it Is the difficulty of entrance the weight of the gold the ingenious meth od of opening the safe and the as that not more than six aix pel sons knew the money lioney wet was in the safe while a person in the file bous bouce might 6 have learned it in any of a dozen ways wars anil and in addition Is IA the tact fact that the tha handkerchief to lg odd there foro oro noticeable A laia lace expert assures I 1 me theres there probably not another like lik it in the world orail or lil ile he stopped miss Thor thorns nos ey sparkled and a smile seemed to be tugging lit at the corners of nf her mouth she spread out nut the tha handkerchief on b hi r kneib knees you identify this again ol of course she alie queried yes vea I 1 she crumpled up th bit of lace ince in both hands then opened them there were wera two now they were identical which la Is it 11 please she asked it if VT air grimsh wall disappointed I 1 there was riot not a arnee of it on hla his face I 1 she al gleefully fully moc angly inroy then demurely pardon itie you see its ita absurd abdur the the butler restored to ni at dinar din nr after afler I 1 lost loat one in the nors jimora office might have been either 4 0 of o limits or one of 0 ten other duy duic eaten cote in ill my room all given to me by her maj I 1 mean she quickly by a friend in europe she was VIM 5 hent for oc a moment is ig that all BUT tso no replied mr clr grimm gril bravely velY 1 decisively im not satisfied ishall I 1 abail insist upon tie the return of tho the nuey and it it la Is not forthcoming I 1 daro dare w say count dl at rosint the italian dor would tie be pleased to div alv hla his per bonal check rather than hav bava the mat ter become public she started tc interrupt but lie went on in any evrit you will ie be re to cliatt 1 the coun cou coubry nry ry TO BE 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