The Argosy, January 1907 — page 195: what you’re looking at

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

THE LEFLFERS gotten that flat package for a moment, and his curiosity amounted to a positive yearning. He dropped his valise at the hotel, and made for Jordan’s house. The doctor was at home, and he re- garded Bridger quizzically. “Thought you’d passed away, Dick.” “Well, did you open it?” the de- tective inquired abruptly. ‘Did I give you my word not to?” “You did, but human nature is frail, and g “ Well, it would have made no dif- ference, anyway, my boy.” “ Why not?” Jordan hesitated for a moment. “Dick, you left that package here a little after tea, didn’t you—a flat affair about a foot square? ”’ “ Certainly.” “IT laid it away in the desk, and left the desk open. That evening, while I had gone to see a patient, some one broke into this room and removed it.” What!” ‘The house was deserted,” said Jor- dan quietly. “The maids were away, and my wife is out of town. The back window, here, was open when I returned, and absolutely nothing else had been dis- turbed. The package was gone—that’s all!” “Well, DUll—be hanged!” muttered the detective. “ That’s downright odd, that is, Tom! I—humph!” ‘And that isn’t quite all. Our friend ‘F,’ too, has sent in word again! ” “The deuce he has! Let’s see his latest.” The next moment he was poring over the latest communication. This time, the letter hailed from Pennsylvania; the address was correct, as ever, and the mysterious XX still marked the corner of the envelope. “ Candee’s going back Monday night. He will meet you same place and time Tuesday morning. Biggest haul ever. I’m going to quit now. Have to, as I'll explain. One more trial might smash everything. “See you soon. Keep the goods dark. ; Er? “So he is coming again to-morrow morning!” cried Bridger. ‘And you’ll meet him?” “You'd better believe that I will!” MARKED XxX. 377 ‘ Dick,” said the doctor, after a little pause, “ what on earth do you make of it all?” “I don’t make anything in particular of it just now, except that we had our hands on something that can’t belong to us, and which somebody else desires very much. What the deuce could have been in that package, anyway?” ‘And who stole it, without touching anything else? And by the way!” ts Eh? ) “Tt wasn’t imagination, sturdily; “I have been days, Dick!” A slow grin came over Bridger’ s face. ‘Well, I’m blessed if it isn’t possible after this, Tom.” With the data in hand, discussion of the problem of the XX letters was quite as fruitless as before. ‘They had had the clue in their possession, and through their thoughtless agreement had lost it again. One could hardly have foreseen that the flat bundle would have been made the subject of a burglary, but it was gone nevertheless. However, morning promised to bring, perhaps, a duplicate of the ‘peculiar package, and Bridger was at his post early. 9? said Jordan followed for ven he himself had a strong sus-. picion that he was being shadowed, yet even his trained faculties could not catch the man who was working behind. The appointed hour came, and with ‘t the man called Candee. His package was about the same in every particular, and he carried it tightly under one arm, but his eyes were very furtive. “Here, old -man,” he ~ Cheese it!” He was gone—and Bridger held a replica of the stolen bundle! The detective fairly. burned with an overwhelming curiosity. He very near- ly ran the three blocks back to Jordan’s, and when he appeared in the corridor with the bundle in sight the good doc- tor hurriedly disposed of a patient and called out to him. The office door was closed, and with eager fingers the two men picked at the heavy twine. and revealed an inner package sealed with wax. ‘They ripped it apart. muttered. CORNICGLOOOLK< Thick paper came away, (E (E@)