Adventure, December 1914 — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

130 and another; I’m inclined to think that those are diamonds in each of them. If that is the case, then im this box there must be one of the finest collections of diamond ornaments for the hair in town. “T didn’t know Creed dealt in precious stones! How came he to be possessed of all these things? Hullo, there’s something which is not an ornament for the hair—a cross, a Maltese cross; diamonds again. Those are diamonds! That’s something rather unusual in crosses. It’s odd, but I seem to have seen one just like it before. It recalls one my mother had.” Turning the cross over, he closely eyed the gold setting at the back.” An exclama- tion broke from his lips. “Tt is my mother’s cross! There’s the crest and the initials, just as I remember them. How came my mother’s diamond cross to be in Creed’s possession?”’ He took out a diamond star and examined the obverse. ‘““My mother’s again—crest and initials both! I’ve been living in a fog for some time, but this is beyond anything. There’s piece after piece here of my mother’s jew- elry. They weren’t her personal property, they were heirlooms; I have good reason to know that.” As he was still subjecting the contents of the box to the closest examination, without the slightest warning he leaped to one side, just in time to avoid something which whizzed through the air, and would have alighted on his head had he remained in his former position. A singular-looking person had approached on noiseless feet from the rear; and had not some instinct warned him, would have stunned him with some weapon in the na- ture of a sandbag. Although taken so wholly unawares, Mr. Adair’s self-posses- sion never left him for a moment. As his assailant was making ready to strike again he seized his wrist, wrenched his weapon from him, and would have taken him by the throat. But with a swift, wriggling, snake-like motion the man slipped out of his reach, swung around, and made off for his life. He was already at the door before Mr. Adair quite realized that he had failed to grip him. Although he moved as fast as he could, when he reached the offices he was only just in time to catch sight of the fugi- tive flying through the other door. As he Adventure was rushing out Mr. Adair all but cannoned into some one who was coming in. “Hullo, hujlo!’”’ exclaimed a genial voice. ‘“‘May I ask if you always come out of a room like this? Because if so, sir, you ought to sound a horn—or do something to let folks know that you’re coming.” ‘“‘AS you came up the stairs,” inquired Adair, “did you meet a blackguard running down?” The stranger’s reply was unexpected. ‘“‘How should I have known he was a blackguard if I had? Was it on a plate in front of him? As it happens, I met no one on the stairs; but as I was coming in from the street some one came out who seemed to be in rather a hurry. It struck me that he was a Chinaman.” “A Chinaman, was he? I thought he was something of that kind!” “You seem agitated, sir. What is that you have in your hand?” “This looks to me like a strip of old can- vas, with a wad at the end, probably of sand. This is what I believe in a certain section of society is technically known as a sandbag. If it hadn’t been that some instinct warned me, your Chinese friend would have laid me out with this.” “Pray don’t speak of him as my friend, sir. I trust I have no friends of his stamp. I’m afraid I have come at rather an inop- portune moment, but allow me to intro- duce myself. I am Maximilian Outerbridge —a name, I fancy, which is not unknown to you.” “Outerbridge!”’? Martin Adair eyed the stranger. “I fancy, sir, you are wrong.” “You must know the name if only be- cause of the letters I have been sending you—to which, by the way, you have re- turned no answer. Which is one reason why Iam here. You are Mr. Adair?” “Oh, yes, I am Mr. Adair. So you’ve been sending me letters. To what ad- dress?” “To this. I gathered that you were the present tenant of these chambers.” “If you sent them to me at this address I think it is possible that they’re among that heap on the table. I haven’t been so regu- lar in my attendance as I might have been —letters have accumulated. What can I do for you, Mr. Outerbridge? I’m rather en- gaged just now, so if you'll come to the point in as few words as you can manage I'll be grateful.” GomiiGcovdook C©