Part 34 (2/2)
It was palpable to Travers Gladwin that the big chap had received a psychic jolt, for his hand trembled a little as he laid down the canvases on the top of the chest and addressed the girl:
”I didn't know you'd seen the miniatures.”
”Oh, yes, when I was here this afternoon.”
He took this between the eyes without flinching. His voice was marvellously steady as he said:
”I didn't know you were here this afternoon.”
”You didn't?” she asked in a puzzled tone. ”How funny! You'd just gone out when I called, but two of your friends were here and one of them showed me the miniatures, and china, and plate and lots of things.
Why, I left a message for you about the opera--didn't they tell you?”
The girl stood with her back to Gladwin and the man she addressed slowly turned his head and glanced over her head with a keen, flas.h.i.+ng look of inquiry. Gladwin lifted his chin a little and met the look without change of expression.
”Didn't they tell you, Travers?” the girl repeated.
”Yes, yes; they told me,” he said hastily, still maintaining his fixed gaze upon Gladwin. There was barely an instant's pause before he spoke:
”Officer, kindly go up to my room and see if you can find a bag and pack enough things to last a week or two.”
”Yes, sorr.” Gladwin flung out of the room.
He started noisily up the stairs until he saw that the thief had turned his back to him, whereat he vaulted the banister and dropped lightly upon a divan in a recessed niche that could not be seen from the room he left.
The moment Gladwin vanished the thief turned to Helen and asked sharply:
”What time did you see my friends here?”
”A little after five,” replied the girl, recoiling slightly with a look of dismay, for there was a new raw edge to the sharpness of his tone.
”Did you tell them about the elopement?” he said less harshly, but with a scarcely veiled eagerness.
”Why, they knew all about it,” Helen hastened to reply, searching his face apprehensively.
”Knew about it?” he mused, fairly grinding his brows together under the pressure of his agitated thoughts.
”What did you tell them?” he queried steadily, measuring her fresh, young beauty and vowing to himself that whatever struggle impended he was going through with it to the limit of his resources.
”That we were to meet here,” she answered with increasing fear.
”That we were to meet _here_?” he repeated.
”Yes, at half-past ten--oh, was it something I shouldn't have told them?” she cried, coming toward him.
Once more Officer 666 snapped the tension. He had wriggled around the staircase and found the suitcase Bateato had packed and left for him.
Hating to play the role of an eavesdropper any longer than necessary he made a flying start and burst into the room.
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