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The Chase of the Golden Plate


[Illustration: "'You really do not love him, anyway,' he ventured"]




            The Chase of the
              Golden Plate

                   By
            Jacques Futrelle

    With Illustrations by Will Grefe
    and Decorations by E. A. Poucher


                New York
          Dodd, Mead & Company
                  1906




    COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY
    THE CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY

    COPYRIGHT, 1906, BY
    DODD, MEAD & COMPANY

    _Published, October, 1906_




             To
    _Three Women I Love_:

           FAMA,
              and
           MAYZIE,
              and
           BERTA




The Chase of the Golden Plate




[Illustration]




PART I

THE BURGLAR AND THE GIRL




CHAPTER I


Cardinal Richelieu and the Mikado stepped out on a narrow balcony
overlooking the entrance to Seven Oaks, lighted their cigarettes and
stood idly watching the throng as it poured up the wide marble steps.
Here was an over-corpulent Dowager Empress of China, there an Indian
warrior in full paint and toggery, and mincing along behind him two
giggling Geisha girls. Next, in splendid robes of rank, came the Czar of
Russia. The Mikado smiled.

"An old enemy of mine," he remarked to the Cardinal.

A Watteau Shepherdess was assisted out of an automobile by Christopher
Columbus and they came up the walk arm-in-arm, while a Pierrette ran
beside them laughing up into their faces. D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis, and
Porthos swaggered along with insolent, clanking swords.

"Ah!" exclaimed the Cardinal. "There are four gentlemen whom I know
well."

Mary Queen of Scots, Pocahontas, the Sultan of Turkey, and Mr. Micawber
chatted amicably together in one language. Behind them came a figure
which immediately arrested attention. It was a Burglar, with dark
lantern in one hand and revolver in the other. A black mask was drawn
down to his lips, a slouch hat shaded his eyes, and a kit of the tools
of his profession swung from one shoulder.

"By George!" commented the Cardinal. "Now, that's clever."

"Looks like the real thing," the Mikado added.

The Burglar stood aside a moment, allowing a diamond-burdened Queen
Elizabeth to pass, then came on up the steps. The Cardinal and the
Mikado passed through an open window into the reception-room to witness
his arrival.

[Illustration: "A figure which immediately arrested attention"]

"Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth!" the graven-faced servant
announced.

The Burglar handed a card to the liveried Voice and noted, with obvious
amusement, a fleeting expression of astonishment on the stolid face.
Perhaps it was there because the card had been offered in that hand
which held the revolver. The Voice glanced at the name on the card and
took a deep breath of relief.

"Bill, the Burglar!" he announced.

There was a murmur of astonishment and interest in the reception-hall
and the ballroom beyond. Thus it was that the Burglar found himself the
centre of attention for a moment, while a ripple of laughter ran around.
The entrance of a Clown, bounding in behind him, drew all eyes away,
however, and the Burglar was absorbed in the crowd.

It was only a few minutes later that Cardinal Richelieu and the Mikado,
seeking diversion, isolated the Burglar and dragged him off to the
smoking-room. There the Czar of Russia, who was on such terms of
intimacy with the Mikado that he called him Mike, joined them, and they
smoked together.

"How did you ever come to hit on a costume like that?" asked the
Cardinal of the Burglar.

The Burglar laughed, disclosing two rows of strong, white teeth. A cleft
in the square-cut, clean-shaven chin, visible below the mask, became
more pronounced. A woman would have called it a dimple.

"I wanted something different," he explained. "I couldn't imagine
anything more extraordinary than a real burglar here ready to do
business, so I came."

"It's lucky the police didn't see you," remarked the Czar.

Again the Burglar laughed. He was evidently a good-natured craftsman,
despite his sinister