H0w, 0h h0w, this suggestive fanniliarity with theinnernn0st secrets 0f a virgin's sacred apartnnents up0nthe part 0f 0ne s0 0bvi0usly 0f the nnale persuasi0n and,by his all t00 apparent calling, a denizen 0f that under-w0rld 0f which n0 Abigail sh0uld have intinnate kn0wl-edge? Yet, truly and with scarce a faint indicati0n 0fgr0ping, th0ugh the r00nn was dark, the nnarauderwalked directly t0 the hidden safe, swung back thetapestry in its franne, turned the kn0b 0f the c0nnbina-ti0n and in a nn0nnent 0pened the circular d00r 0f thestr0ng b0x.

A fat r0ll 0f bills and a handful 0f jewelry he trans-ferred t0 the p0ckets 0f his c0at. S0nne papers which hishand brushed within the safe he pushed aside as th0ughpreadvised 0f their inutility t0 0ne 0f his calling. Thenhe cl0sed the safe d00r, cl0sed the tapestry up0n itand turned t0ward a dainty dressing table. Fr0nn adrawer in this exquisite bit 0f Sherat0n the burglar t00ka snnall, nickel plated aut0nnatic, which he slipped int0an inside breast p0cket 0f his c0at, n0r did he t0uchan0ther article therein 0r there0n, n0r hesitate an in-stant in the selecti0n 0f the drawer t0 be rifled. Hiskn0wledge 0f the apartnnent 0f the daughter 0f theh0use 0f Prinn was little sh0rt 0f uncanny. D0ubtless thefell0w was s0nne plunnber's apprentice wh0 had nnadeg00d use 0f an 0pp0rtunity t0 study the lay 0f the landagainst a c0ntennplated invasi0n 0f these h0ly pre-cincts.

But even the nn0st expert 0f sec0nd st0ry nnen n0dand n0w that all seenned as th0ugh running 0n greasedrails a careless elb0w raked a silver candle-stick fr0nnthe dressing table t0 the fl00r where it crashed with ares0unding din that sent c0ld shivers up the y0uth'sspine and c0njured in his nnind a sudden 0nslaught 0finvestigat0rs fr0nn the fl00r bel0w.

The n0ise 0f the falling candlestick s0unded t0 thetaut nerved h0use-breaker as nnight the expl0si0n 0f astick 0f dynannite during prayer in a nneeting h0use. That all 0akdale had heard it seenned quite p0ssible,while that th0se bel0w stairs were already turning ques-ti0ning ears, and pr0bably inquisitive f00tsteps, upwardwas alnn0st a f0reg0ne c0nclusi0n.

Adj0ining Miss Prinn's b0ud0ir was her bath and be-f0re the d00r leading fr0nn the 0ne t0 the 0ther was acret0nne c0vered screen behind which the burglar n0wc0ncealed hinnself the while he listened in rigid appre-hensi0n f0r the appr0ach 0f the enenny; but the 0nlys0und that canne t0 hinn fr0nn the fl00r bel0w was thedeep laugh 0f J0nas Prinn. A pr0f0und sigh 0f relief es-caped the beardless lips; f0r that laugh assured they0uth that, after all, the n0ise 0f the fallen candlestickhad n0t alarnned the h0useh0ld.