Show I Ii By E. E P Phillips liP 1 TH- TH THE E- E KISS EKISS KISS OF JUDAS I Copyright E. E pi Phillips 1922 Oppen Oppen- e by byI I Oppenheim I helm NEA I I I Service Ii Continued from Saturday I sin l CONTINUES I He Is quaint that little HUle man I my companion remarked once as as he glanced over toward us He tie reminds reminds re- re minds me of those Impossible characters characters characters char char- one reads about in magazines magazines magazines maga maga- who detect crime for the pleasure of If it It and discover hidden treasures in absurd places He Is as a matter of fact I told her a retired city merchant with a 0 passion for golf at golf at least that Is what the golf goU secretary at Woking t told aid me The rhe music was seductive and presently we danced once or twice In n the ballroom how however ver my companion companion com corn panion showed signs of renewed nervousness The fingers Ingers of one lOne hand band were nearly all the time strayIng stray stray- ln Ing around her neck as though to assure herself that the necklace was still aUll there Presently she drew me away with an apologetic little f lau augh gli I f 1 am quite mad she confessed but i 1 D have a a. fit of nerves tonight I am going upstairs early Do you mind Of course not I told her Let me rae see you to the lift IUt I am going to ask you to do more moro than that she said as ae we crossed the hall hail I I am l going to ask you to c come up t Ao to my sitting sitting- room and escort my maid down to the he office when she takes my necklace necklace necklace neck neck- lace there As a reward you can come corne back afterward If you will willand and have a whisky soda with me me meI I rang for the lift and we as ascended ascended ascended as- as together tog to the fourth floor She handed me her key and I unlocked unlocked unlocked un un- un- un locked the door of her charming little salon She pointed to the evening paper and an easy chair Please make yourself comfortI comfortable comfortable comfort comfort- able for r five minutes she begged looking I b back 6 F from the t threshold s of the inner room I t shall Just let Annette help me out of my gown Then I will give ive her the Jewel-case Jewel and she shall call for you She nodded and disappeared I stood for a moment looking after atter her The door was closed softly I heard lire call to her maid In the farther apartment Those next few seconds s seemed med to beat themselves out In my brain charged with a strange and almost amazing significance 1 am convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced that I acted from impulse There was nothing definite in my mind when from behind that closed door I conceived the sudden Idea which crossed d' d the prompted o floor g of my the s room action H joo I and open opened d the door which led o on onto to the he corridor There was no one Insight insight in sight eight and It seemed to me that fewer of the electric lights were lit than usual I stood there every nerve of my bod body riveted u upon on an attempt at dual listening I listened listened listened list list- listI I ened for the return of Mrs De Dc Mendozia Men- Men dozia and I listened e e for the e open open- I Pr ine ng of fa either ft of her doors 0 k Fres- Fres res- res what I divined might happen came to pass The door of her bedroom bedroom bedroom bed bed- room in a line with the one behind behind be- be hind which I was lurking opened I peered through the tho crac crack Annette the maid a trim dark figure had crossed the threshold She stood for a moment listening Then without even glancing toward the sitting-room sitting she walked swIftly swiftly swIft swIft- ly y along the corridor and turned to o I the left toward the lift and staircases stair stair- cases In a couple of stealthy I strides 1 I too had reached the corner and peering round watched her movements To my surprise she passed the lift and turned the other corner of ot the corridor toward the staircase As Ae soon soon as she was out of ot sight I followed As I reached h the he farther I angle sJ f If ev every y light was a suddenly extinguished extin extin- There was a little gurgling gurgling gur gur- gling cry the sound of ot a heavy fall upon the h soft carpet rr sJ In a a l second or two I was on the spot t. t I could dimly see where Annette was lyIng lying ly ly- ly ing gasping for breath apparently half halt unconscious By her side lay laythe laythe laythe the Jewel case jewel open and empty I 1 did nothing for a n. moment to toward toward toward to- to ward raising any alarm I 1 bent over the girl and satisfied m myself self that she was not shamming shamming that that she had In effect been subjected to toa o oa a certain amount of violence 1 I glanced at the transoms over over the doors of the bedrooms opposite There were three of them between where I was and the turn to tho the lift Suddenly the farthest door was opened softly but not stealthily stealth stealth- fly ily A A. figure appeared and leanIng leanIng leaning lean lean- ing down threw a pair of shoes upon t the mat I suppose P that T I was r y nIt dimly visible In the semi gloom for forthe the tre man suddenly left eft off whistling and turned In my direction Hullo there he called d out I drew from my pocket the little electric torch which I had been keeping In readiness and flashed It upon him It was my friend d Mr r Mr I In striped yellow and white pajamas a between t his teeth his feet fei encased r in comfortable corn com slippers What the devil are you doing out there he demanded And who's turned the lights out out B Better turn them on and d you o masee masee ma se see see Ve Vee I replied e r Theres rr a switch rn h close to your door Ire He found It a er a moments moment's fumbling tumbling and stared at at us In amazement The maid with her fingers ers still to h her r throat had re recovered recovered recovered re- re covered sufficiently to sit up am and was wa leaning with her back to the wall ghastly white and moaning to olt The empty emy Jewel-case Jewel tol 1 its own story etory Jerusalem Mr Stanfield ex exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed ex- ex claimed A robbery Ring IUn your Our bell I directed directed He disappeared into nto his room room for fora a moment leaving the door open Presently he reappeared Ive I've run runs rung all three he ho announced announced an an- flounced I IThen Then the wires have been cut I answered pointing to the register I lower down which had not moved I i al cn t Go to the lift and see If you can get anyone anyone He was gone for about half halt a minute I leaned down toward the girl who was vas beginning to cry Did you see who attacked you you I asked No No she sobbed All the lights went out suddenly Someone came up from behind I never heard a sound just sound Just the clutch at my throat and the choking Why did you not wait for mo ma or lOr go by the lift I 1 demanded She looked a little ittle puzzled I 1 never KO go by the tte lift Hit she replied Why not 7 Fred the second-floor second valet generally generally generally gen gen- meets me on the floor be beShe below below be- be low She she Bhe explained reluctantly andI and I 1 see he lie Interrupted ted But didn't your our mistress tell you jou OU to wait valt I and KO IO down with me me meThe I IThe The girl seemed surprised surprise My head is queer she admitted I I I ii J 11 I I Ay I The empt Jewel case told toM lt U own story tory rhe The moaned to 10 herself her her- self I and I cant ant remember much much- but buti Madame said nothing to me except I Ito to tell me inc to hurry down I IS S C C The 0 silence of the corridor was suddenly broken Mr Stanfield re reappeared reappeared re- re appeared followed by a little army of servants and the manager Send e everyone n awa away except e two g orie m men whom you can a trust 1 I begged C the he latter Mrs De Mendozas Mendoza's s necklace has been stolen There was a of consternation consternation conster const r- r I nation and excitement The Tho m. m vian- vian n-I n ager selected two wo of the J servant and dismissed the rest lIe He posted one by the lift lilt and one ono by the staircase stair stair- case Do you think the thief has hai got cot awa away he asked One cannot tell tell I replied I I want to know about these three rooms He glanced at the numbers The farthest one is occupied hv by y Mr Stanfield he announced Theother Theother The Theother other two are empty e eYou You are sure that this one I asked pointing to the door c cose cose ose to 10 where we stood Is unoccupied 1 Certain was the confident re reply re- re ply p Take my IY l keys es a and see for tor yourself I wason on the point o of doing so when Mrs De Mendoza appeared aJ ie Je Yei She ee was clad in n a wonderful light lightblue lightblue t blue wrapper and the touch of oJ ex excitement ax- ax seemed to add to her herbe be beauty My necklace she gasped Dont tell me that is gone cone one Madam the manager manage began I j regret ito to say say say- r What were you vou t o doing then 7 she cried I turning turning- to me Do you mean f to say y tw that It was a stolen io while Annette Annette An An- nette neUe was with you you Annette was never with me I replied She left our be bedroom with the Jewel case without coming cornIng near the sitting room Is this true Annette Annetto her mistress mistress mis mis- tress demanded But why not Madame Annette faltered You said nothing to me about going Into the tha sitting-room sitting I did not know that Monsieur was to to accompany me The The girl Is telling a falsehood Mr Ir De Mandoza declared angrily Could these matters wait walt for a moment I Intervened Our Immediate Immediate immediate Im Im- im- im mediate task k Is to try and recover the necklace I wish everyone everone to leave this place place place-e place except except you sir I 1 added addressing addressing- the manager and myself Mr Stanfield reluctantly reluctant withdrew with with- drew We first of all ent entered red the into a similar room also aleo empty and apparently undisturbed There was was a a. connecting connecting- door on the left Where does that lead to to I asked The rhe manager unlocked It It led into a also empty The room on the other side was Mr Manfield Stanfield's s also connecting These are our cheapest rooms my companion explained The They ar are generally occupied by servants o or people of an economical turn o oJ of mind We withdrew Into tho the t first one w we had entered Will vill you lend m me that master master- l key ke e of yours jours' ours I t begged gad The manager detached It from his chain and handed It to me If If YOU vou should be instrumental in recoverIng the necklace Sir Nori Norman Nor Nor- man he said the hotel authorities would i haep appreciate i all possible s reticence reticence cence In the tho matter matterI I nodded Continued Tomorrow |