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The Mystarv of the Boole Cabioot
“I WISH I HAD A JOB”
By Burton E. Stevenson
CopyrliUtcC lt« by Burton K aturenoon.
PROLOGUE.
If a Wcrary miner were to ap
praise this story he would say
of it:
■■It r nns out a big percentage
0 f thrills."
There’s "pay dirt" In this mys
tery story for every lover of an
exciting tale and an interesting
pint. It Is one of the master-
nieces of its author, who is a rec
ognized leader In the field of the
detective story.
Round a beautifully Inlaid cab-
inet dating from the days of
Louts XIV. which stands in a
fifth avenue mansion weaves a
slo-y of plot and counterplot,
mystery, suspense and surprise.
Jim Godfrey, shrewdest of re
porters, and the detective bu
reaus of New York and Paris are
trying to unravel the intricately
entangled clews- And the read
er, too, will go along with them,
breathless and absorbed, getting
now a hint, again coming up
against a blank wall, until, like
them, he comes to the amasing
explanation. And the one who
baffles reporters, detectives and
readers is Crochard, the invinci
ble, a creation in detective fic
tion.
Is there ■ message
(Continued from Yesterday)
Rparhlw: Madison square, I walked
cut under tho trees, as I almost al
ways do. to hare a look at the Flatiron
building, white against the sky. Then
I planrod un at the Metropolitan tower,
higher but iur leas romantic In appear-
anand saw by the big Illuminated
clock thnt It was nearly half past 1L
I crossed back over Broadway at
last and turned down Twenty-third
street in the direction of the Mara
thon. when. Just at the corner I came
face to face with three men as they
swung around the corner In the same
direction, and, with a little start, I rec
opnlzed Grady and Simmonds, with M.
I’lgot between them. Evidently Gra
dy had been introducing tho stranger
to a number of typical American
drinks-and the result of ail this was
thnt Grady's legs wobbled perceptibly.
As n matter of racial comparison, I
i-’anerd at M. Plgot's, bat they seemed
In every way normal.
"Hello, Lester/* said Simmonds In a
rolca which showed that he had not
wholly escaped the influences of the
evening's celebration, and even Grady
condescended to nod, from which I in
ferred that he was feeling very unusu-
•tty happy,
S’mmeRds/* I answered, and,
M I turned westward with them, he
dropped back and fell Into step be
tide me.
“Piggott Is certainly a wonder," he
fsld. “a regular sport—wanted to see
*"erythlng and taste everything. He
«ji Paris ain’t In the same class with
this town."
“Where are you going nowr I
asked.
" er ® K° ,D K round to tho station.
Jlffiott oays he’s got a sensation up
r* 5!cev « fo«’ u»—It's got something to
do *tth that cabinet”
“With the cabinet?”
that shiny thing Godfrey got
to lock up la a cell”
Slinmouda/* l said seriously, "does
Godfrey know about this?"
No,” said Simmonds, looking a little
uncomfortable. "I told Grady we
snght to phone him to come up. but
,h * chief got mad and told ma to mind
onn bunlnesa. Godfrey’s been after
«' V0U tnow * tor a lonjc time.”
“Suppose I phone blm.” I suggested.
JScrod bo no objection to that,
-oold there?”
„ 1 Wo, i t object," said Simmonda,
and 1 don’t knot, who else will, alnce
Corny else w'i| know abont it. Good
■lent, and be followed bis compan-
into tho station.
CHAPTER XV.
Th. Secret of the Cabinet
T HERE was a drug store at tbs
corner with a public telephone
station, and two minutes liter
« 1 ,ras asking to be connected
■ the City room at the Record of-
*m>. « not ,here; h « HaC 'art
did ' be,ore - No. the speaker
»h. n i. ^ W *bere be waa going, nor
„“ 0 h - would be back.
tan/°i h< ‘ re " 1 a*ia. "this la Impor
ter „ , : vant ,0 U] k to the city edl-
n l>e quick about it"
was an instant’s astonished
rb*»re
•Hone*
‘•What
‘i-er-t.
narne ?” ««ked the voice,
m-rr. , fr ., of ,to yce ft Lester—and jon
fr.'v i, tP your clty ertl,or that God
's a el,ho fn en d of mine.”
-land t " iltor to nnder-
inoraen, I 1 ' va ' 1 ’Witched on to him a
■ or. , a , ,er - Lut be was scarcely
.£. ! ’-"’factory.
' ;o, ’ f " y °P Into Weat-
tip that i'IT!.* maD " he aato. “on a
. , . 1 ’"M pretty good. He atart-
” , '" on as be rot hi, Plgnt
'tec and be ought to b* back
"1 Ju
almost any time.
I can give him?'
"Yes. Tell him Plgot If at the Twen
ty-third street station and that he'd
better come up as soon as he can.”
"Very good. I'll give him the mes
sage the moment be comes In.”
In the street again, I paused hesitat
ingly at tho curb, my eyes on the red
light of the police station. What was
about to happen there? What waa the
sensation M. Plgot had op his sleeve?
I turned toward the light pushed
open the door and entered. There waa
no one In sight except the sergeant at
the desk.
"My name is Lester,” I said. "Yen
have a cabinet here belonging to the
estate of the late Philip Van tine.”
"We’ve got a cabinet all right bnt
I don't know who It belongs to. 1
"It belongs to Mr. Vantine's estate.
I’d like to see It a minute."
“You can’t seo it tonight Come
around tomorrow. Besides, I don’t
know you.”
"Here’s my card. Either Mr. 81m-
rnoudfl or Mr. Grady would know me.
and tomorrow won't do."
The sergeant took the card, looked at
it and looked at me.
“Walt a minute.” he said at last and
disappeared through a door at the far
ther side of the room. He was gone
three or four minutes, and the station
clock struck 12 as I stood there. At
last the sergeant came back.
Come along.” he said, opening the
gate In the railing and motioning me
through. “Straight on through that
door,” be added, and sat down again
T at his desk.
With a desperate effort at careless
unconcern, I opened the door and pass
ed through. Then Involuntarily I stop
ped. for there in the middle of the floor
was the Boule cabinet with M. Pigot
standing beside It and Grady and Sim
monds sitting opposite, flung carelessly
back in their chairs and puffing at
black cigars.
"Well, Mr. Lester,” Grady said,
you want to see this cabinet?’
“Yes," I answered. “It really be
longs to the Vantine estate, you know.
I'm going to put In a claim for it—that
is, If you are not willing to surrender
It without contest”
“Did you just happen to think of this
In the middle of the night?” he inquir
ed quizzically.
“No,” I said boldly, “but I saw you
and Mr. Simmonds and this gentle
man.” with a bow to M. Pigot “turn
in here a moment ago, and It occurred
to me that the cabinet might have
something to do with your visit Of
course we don't want the cabinet in
jured. It Is very valuable. 1
“Don’t worry,” said Grady easily.
“We’re not going to Injure It And I
think we’ll be ready to surrender It to
you at any time after tonight Moos-
seer Piggott here wants to do a few
tricks with it first I suppose you
have a certain right to be present to
If you like sleight of hand sit down.”
I hastily sought a chair, my heart
singing within me. Then I attempted
to assume a mask of Indifference, for
M. Pigot was obviously annoyed at
my presence, and I feared for a mo
ment that his Gallic suavity would be
strained to breaking. But Grady, if
he noticed his guest’s annoyance, paid
no heed to it and I began to suspect
that the Frenchman’a courtesy and
good breeding had ended by rubbing
Grady the wrong way. they were In
such painful contrast to kb* own hob
nailed manners. Whatever the cause,
there waa a certain malice In the smile
he turned upon the Frenchman.
“And now, Mooaseer Piggott” he
•aid. settling back In bis chair s little
farther, “we’re ready for tho ehow.”
"What I have to tell you. sir,” began
[. Pigot In a voice as hard as steel
and cold as ice, “has. understand well,
to be told iu confidence. It must re
main between ourselves until the crim
inal is secured.”
Understand. Mr. Lester?’ Grady
asked, looking at me. And I nodded.
I saw Pigot’s eyes flame and his face
flush with anger, for Grady’s tone wss
almost insulting. I looked at him . with
interest He was typically French-
smooth shaved, with a face seamed
with little wrinkles and very white,
eyes shadowed by enormously bush/
laabea and close cropped hair as white
as his face. He was about sixty years
of age. I guessed, and there was about
him the air of a man who bad passed
through a hundred remarkable expe
riences without once loctng bis aplomb.
Certainly be was not going to lose It
now.
“The story which I hare to relate,
be began in his careful English, dip
ping his words a little now and then,
“has to do with the theft of the fa
mous Mtcbaelovitcb diamonds. Ton
may perhaps remember the case. 1
I remembered It, certainly, for the
robbery bad been conceived and car
ried out with such briiiancy and dar
ing tbat Its details bad at once arrest
ed my attention-to «ay nothing of the
fact tbat the diamonds, which formed
the celebrated collection belonging to
the Grand Duke Michael of Russia,
sojourning In Paris beesuse unappre
ciated in bit native land and also be
esuse of the supreme attraction of the
French capital to ono of his tempera
ment—were valued at something like
aooo.ooo franca.
•That theft,” continued M. Pigot,
“was accomplished In a manner at
once so bold and *> unique that we
were certain it could be the wortMtf
but a single man—a rascal named Cro
chard, who calls himself also 'The In
vincible’—a rascal who has given us
very groat trouble, but whom we hare
never been able to convict In this
case we had against him no direct evi
dence; we subjected him to an inter
rogation and found that ho had taken
care to provide a perfect alibi; so we
were compelled to release him. We
kept Crochard under constant surveil
lance. We searched his rooms not
once, bnt many times.
“He knew thoroughly what we were
doing, for what we were searching.
He knew also that nowhere in Europe
would he dare to attempt to sell a sin
gle one of those Jewels. We suspected
thut he woia attempt to brtug them to
this country, and we warned your de
partment of customs. For we knew
that here he could sell all but the very
largest not only almost without dan
ger, but at a price far greater than he
could obtain for them in Europe. We
closed every avenue to him, as we
thought—and then, ail at once, ho dis
appeared.
“For two weeks we heard nothing,
then came the story of this man Drou-
et, killed by a stab on the hand,
once we recognized the work of Cro
chard. for be alone of living men pos
sesses tho secret of the poison of the
Medici. It is a fearful secret, which,
in his whole life be had used but once,
and that upon a man who bad betray
ed blm.”
M. Plgot pauaed and passed his hand
across his forehead.
“We were at a loss to understand
Crochard’s connection with Drouet,
M. Plgot continued. “Drouet while
a mere hanger-on of tho cafes of the
boulevards, was not a criminal Then
came the death of that creature. Mo
rel, in an effort to gain possession of
this cabinet and wo began to under
stand. We made inquiries concerning
the cabinet Wo learned Its history,
and the secret of ft« construction, and
we arrived at a certain conclusion. It
was to ascertain if that conclusion la
correct tbat I came to America.”
“What is the conclusion?” queried
Grady, who hnd listened to nil this
with a manifest impatience in strong
contrast to my own absorbed interest
“Our theory,” replied M. Plgot, with
out the slightest acceleration of speech,
“is that the Mlchselovitch diamonds
are concealed In this cabinet. Every
thing points to it, and we shall soon
see."
As he spoke be drew from his pock
et s steel gauntlet, marvelously like
the one Godfrey had used, and slip
ped it over his right hand.
“When one attempts to fathom the
secrets of the Invincible one.” he said
with s smile, “one must go armored.
Already three men have paid with
their lives the penalty of their rash
ness.”
'Three men!” repeated Grady, won-
dcrlngly.
Three.” and Plgot checked them
off upon his fingers. “Flint the mar
who gave his name as D’Aurelle, but
who was really a blackmailer named
Drouet; second. M. Vantine. the con
noisseur, and third, the creature Morel.
Of these the only ouo that really mat
ters Is M. Vantine. His death was
most unfortunate, and I am sure that
Crochard regrets It exceedingly.”
‘One moment, monsieur,” I said,
bursting In. unable to remain longer
silent “This is all so wonderful—so
thrilling—will you not tell us more?
For whet were these three men search
ing —for the Jewels?”
'Monsieur U as familiar with the
facts as I,” he answered in a sarcastic
tone. “He knows that Drouet was
killed while searching for a packet of
letters which would have compromis
ed most seriously a great lady. He
knows that M. Vantine was killed
while endeavoring to open the drawer
after its secret hnd been revealed to
him by the maid of that same great
lady, who was hoping to get a reward
for them. Morel met death directly
at the hands of Crochard because he
was a traitor and deserved It”
More and more fascinated, I stared
at him. What secret wan $yfc. I ask
ed myself, from this astonishing man?
“But even yet” 1 stammered, “1 do
not understand. We have opened the
secret drawer of tho cabinet—there
was no poison, now could it have
killed Drouet and Mr. Vantine?’
“Very simply,” said M. Pigot coldly.
“Death came to Drouet and M. >’an-
tlno because the maid of madnme la
duebesse mistook her left hand for her
right. The drawer which contained
the letters is at tho left of the cabinet
-see,” and bo pressed the series of
springs, caught the tittle handle and
pulled the drawer open. “You will no
tice that the letters are gone. The
drawer which Drouet and M. Vantine
opened.” and here his voice became a
little strident under the stress of emo
tion. ”ls on the right side of the cabi
net. exactly opposite the other and
opened by a similar combination. But
there Is one gr-at difference. About
the first drawer there Li nothing to
harm any one; the other is guarded by
the deadliest poison the world hma ever
knpwn. Observe me. gentlemen!”
(To be Continued Tomorrow.)
But wishing will never get anybody a job. The only way is to hustle. To get a jo b—go out and get one.
THE ILLUMINATION
When All the Streets Were Bright and Sister Lighted
the Colored Lamps and the Colored Glasses She Put on
the Four Corners of the Boom, it Was Wonderful.
Fat Actress—I do feel pleased.
new rule tits me like a glove.
My<
Friend—Of course;
in the pieces
it's the biffmt
Georgette had resolved that her
small brother Joseph, in one way or
the other, should take part In tho na
tional festival.
She was ten years old and he wai
five. He wa.s very small for hla ago
with a wrinkled and grave little face.
illness And he was permanently bed
ridden as his legs refused to carry him
along.
Two years had passed since tneir
mother had died and it was Georgette
who took cure of him now. The father
was fond of wandering about and waa
very seldom home. He strolled around,
working here and there, then return
ing with some money and a secret
fear that the children might have died
of starvation in the meantime. Ho
cried and kissed them and accused
himself of being an unnatural father
and swore never to leave them again.
Then he would stay at home for some
days without doing any work and com
plain of unemployment. This made
him nervous and uneasy and at last he
would make up his escape, leaving his
last money with Georgette.
They lived on the top floor of a
house in one of the suburb*! an un
healthy house It was. so miserable
that it has become a proverb even is
this shabby quarter. Its tenants were
mostly ragpickers, beggars and drunk
ards, whose number was always de
creased by sicknesn and death.
In this n»use in a small shabby
room one single widow facing a dark
yard, a room which was always dark
even on a bright day, Georgette spent
all her time with her sick brother.
Once she had persuaded a physician
to visit him and he hud given her some
medicine but what was most needed
was fresh air and a more healthy place
In which to live.
But little Joseph was not longing
for the country, the sea or the wood,
as he had no idea what they were like.
What he missed was that he could not
go down Into the street and see the
illumination on public holidays, which
to him was the most wonderful thing
in life.
From the beginning of July he had
talked to his sister of all the wonder
ful things he had seen that year when
ho himself had been able to go out in
the street and look at the festival, and
Georgette who wished that he should
not be disappointed this year and who
did not dare to try to carry him
colored lamps and got three of thorn in
return. Near the mayor's house ono
day she found four colored glasses
filled with oil and for her lost fow
centimes she bought a small Roman
candle.
As tho small hoy lay in bed she
cuuiu not surprise him anu he enjoyeu
Georgette's preparations very much.
She hung the lamps on a cord.
In the evening when ail the streets
were illuminated the sister lighted the
colored lamps and the colored glasses
she put In the four corners of tho
room. It was wonderful. Joseph lay
In his bed and laugned with Joy, but
the iurnpH smoked and Georgette had
to open the window- facing the ill
smelling yard. At ten o'clock she li&ht-
I tho Roman candle. It was a very
cheap one and at first it would not
burn but suddenly it caught fire and
filled ths room with a red light and a
horrible amoks.
The small boy coughed. Ocorgetts
rushed to the door and oponed it. In
the draught the flAmes in the lamp
reached the wall paper. In a few
minutes the fire reached the wooden
frames of the window and the door.
In vain Georgette tried to stop ths
Tire and with little Joseph clinging to
her neck ahe rushed to the stairs.
At midnight the old house had burn
ed down and only a heap of stones
were left.
A crowd of people had collected in
the square together with the former
occupants of the old house. The
authorities of the suburb had arrived
and one of them, a tall gentleman, put
some questions to the concierge.
“It wan the littlo ono on the top
floor who Mturted the fire,” she said.
"Only she and I weru In the house
when the firo broke out. I won’t say
that she did it, but I shouldn't won
der If she did,”
"Where is she?"
The concierge caught hold of a
small shadow who was carrying some
thing on her back.
Georgette who was black with smoko
ar.d still carrying Joseph stood before
the stern Judge, trembling and unable
to say a word.
"It it you. who put the house on
e? the tall gentleman asked her
harshly.
Georgette did not try to He. If she
was to be put Into prison and her lit
tle brother taken away from her it
by Illuminating tho room—and then It
began to burn as 1 opened the door to
get some fresh air into the room."
She stopped awaiting her sentence.
Everybody was looking at her and the
fear nearly choked her.
“Excellent” said the judge suddenly.
“It wasn’t done on purpose but It was
excellent that it was done. That mis
erable house has too long poisoned the
whole quarter. It was a very whole-
some fire. The occupants of the house
may occupy the new school house and
the community shall help them. And
you, little girl I sentence to three
months In a house of recreation In the
country together with your little
brother. That is no more than com-
NEW WAY TO RUSH THE
GROWLER
AUTHORS AND' MUTUAL
BACK-SCRATCHING
n Interesting change haa Lagan
place In literary manners In the
United States during the laat tow
years. There Is on astonishing growth
of the first prraon singular. Olympus
Is overrun with clamorous little egos.
On a book of short stories picked
up casualty on a revlewer*s table Is
the legend: "l regard Alexander Har-
zey as America’s greatest living writer
>f short stories.
"Georg. .Sylvester Vlereck.”
carry him j was better to get through it as quickly
through the crowded streets had made as possible. She confessed with trem-
up her mind to make an Illumination , bllng voice:
for Joseph alone j ”Ves, It was me. I did not do It on
She began to prepare in good time I purpose It wss for Joseph's sake.
She helped her neighbor to unwrap I Ho waa 111 and 1 wanted to amuso him | bla.
Perhaps If one had the time to look
one would find on another book cover
tho Information that Alexander Har
vey regards George Sylvester Vlereck
America's greatest living critic,
and this Is hut one Instance of the
■ogue of the era among tho younger
writers of today. Young editors of
tnugaxlnea write brief prefaces for
each piece of fiction In their maga
zines. assuring the reader that this
writer la a second Poe, a greater then
Hawthorne, the successor of Kipling,
Hardy, Tolstoi. Literary pundits Just
out of their "teens," with ths bravado
of ths playground or tho solemnity ot
the cradle, volley their I’s In ovary
magazine.
The change la startling, in ths deo-
adc before this a criticism which mjght
have been made of some of our beat
writing men—men Ilka Peter Dunne
and George Ado, tor example—was
that they were afraid to take them
selves too seriously; that they were
afraid they would be suspected of tak
ing themselves too seriously. Ur.
Dunne’s luminous wit and profound
insight Into American character and
customs; Mr. Ada's exceptional real
ism and racy humor never led these
very gifted writers Into ths astonish
ing childish egotism so widely pre
vailing now.
What has brought this about? Ths
. cuniple ot Bhaw may be suspecte-L
Yellow Journalism la porter rtsponsl
(From ths New York Sun.)
An Eighth avenue
with a big "family entranoe" trade on
Sundays has found an easy way tot
the tenement house dwellers about
him to get their beer without
Using tho fact to their
Vs(f ot tho ordinary pitcher-ot putt
hag always been attended with risk
to the dispenser. The purpose ot
either la too evident Pat ™«si
ou the new plan whan Patricia geld
to him;
“Paddy, dear go to the flab etna*
In the block below and get a quart ot
oysters tor a stew for the suppem"
“Gimme the growler and Itn gam*"
Bays Pat
“You don’t need tha pitcher; ear*
they'll give ’em to you in a box."
Pat got the oyaters In a stiff cylin
drical paper container with a bottom
ot thicker atrawboard and a can flft
ted so tightly that not a drop d the
liquor could be shaken ont He triad
to do It on his way heme and txn*d.
Then It was that Pat saw tho crest
light that has made blm consptotttus
In hts little community.
“Fine growlers these things would
make for the Sunday night trade, me ;
glorious queen," carolled Pat aa ha
skipped Into tha kitchen. “It’S tho
good thing you’ve pnt me up
tnavourneen, and yon never
seeing the golden opportunity.'
Next morning Pat laid In a stock
of tha paper containers. That’s bow
It comes thnt ths show window ta
front ot tho mahogany oorssn shaft
ting off the view ot the bar from tho ,
street la piled fell of tho ftORg ' ’
growlers” and a sign thnt ret flat
-Take draught beer homo ta mow
tain or "
AN AUDIENCE THAT RIM^LB,
(Albany Evening faunal}
■When an Atlanta cRy eaSMMO
booted an actor who was ploying tho
lending role In ono ot tho part* dra
mas which are being offered on tho
false plea that feoy hare n moral pur
pose, he began to scold, saying thnt
he did not intend to haw the affeot
«*: hla p'ay “1 polled by rowdyism.*
Bnt what be did or did not Intend
was evidently not a matter of esrnr
cent to the acdlenoe, which booted
the loader until the actor fled behind
The effect of die play waa net
"spoiled." It was good. And it waa
not rowdyism that drove the Actor
off the etage. It only such affeet St
objectionable plays becomes gsosral.
It will be wholesome;
flays to disappear.
]