The Spider Strain | Page 5

back now, of course, and can give her a good home. You need

play criminal no longer--for you are playing at it! You are not a
criminal at heart. I suppose that I shall have to release you as a member
of my band, Warwick. All that you know, you will have to keep secret,
of course, but I feel that I can trust you to do that. So I am going to give
you your release, Warwick."
"Thank you, jolly old sir!"
"After you have attended to a couple more matters for me," The Spider
added.
"Oh, I see! Something already planned--what?"
"Yes--two things. As soon as they are accomplished, you are to be a
free man, and then you can marry Silvia and settle down as a
respectable citizen."
"The old world isn't such a bad place after all--what?" Warwick said.
"Man gets his reward in time, and all that sort of silly rot! Feel like a
new man already! My word!"
"Don't be hasty, Warwick! These two things that I have mentioned are
far from being trivial."
"Oh, I gathered that much!"
"You may begin work on the first just as soon as you please and do it in
your own way."
"Orders, old sir and employer?"
"Exactly. I presume that you are acquainted with Mrs. Burton Barker?"
"I am," Warwick replied grimly. "Her husband was one of the group of
men that robbed me of my fortune."
"Then this work should be a pleasure for you," said The Spider. "You
may have observed that Mrs. Burton Barker wears a peculiar locket on
a long gold chain."

"I have noticed it often, old sir and employer. No matter how she may
be dressed, she always wears the silly thing. She's always twining the
chain around her fingers and playing with it. I've wondered many times
why she persists in wearing it when Barker could buy her all sorts of
jewels, if she wished them."
"That locket happens to be an important bit of merchandise," the
supercriminal said.
"I am to get the locket?"
"You are."
"As soon as possible?"
"Yes," The Spider replied. "And the sooner you can get it, so much the
better!"
"It seems like a silly thing to steal!" Warwick declared. "You could buy
all you wanted for about fifty dollars each."
"You couldn't purchase that particular locket at any price, and there is
not another in all the world exactly like it!" declared the supercriminal.
"Some sort of history connected with the foolish thing?" Warwick
wanted to know.
"Something like that, Warwick. You just get that locket as soon as you
can and leave the rest to me. There will be ten thousand dollars in it for
you--if you succeed."
"If I succeed!" Warwick gasped. "My word! Always succeed, don't I?
Couldn't afford to fail--simply couldn't--when I am so nearly done
working for you, could I? Fall down at the last moment, and all that
sort of thing? Certainly not! My word, no!"
"Getting possession of that locket might not be as easy as it sounds,"
The Spider warned him.

"How is that, old sir?"
"It happens that there are some other persons very anxious to get their
hands on it."
"Ah, I see!"
"And they are so anxious that they will go to about any length to get it,
Warwick. You will have strong competition, in other words. This will
amount to more than merely snipping a locket from a chain worn by a
woman."
"What is the silly old locket, anyway?" Warwick wanted to know.
"I may tell you about that later," The Spider returned. "You'll have
enough on your mind in planning to get it and outwit the others at the
same time."
"And the others--"
"I can tell you absolutely nothing about them, Warwick. Another man
is after that locket of Mrs. Burton Barker's, but he will not make an
attempt to get it himself. He has assistants, however, and I do not know
them. You'll have to be alert, on guard, and find out things for
yourself."
"My word! Deep and dark mystery--what? And all over a silly bit of a
locket that--"
"Allow me to tell you that it is not a silly locket, Warwick! It is a very
important locket, and we must have it. Do you understand? We must
get it!"
"Very well, old sir. I'll get the thing. I'm going to some sort of an affair
at Burton Barker's place this very evening--going to take Silvia with
me."
"Be careful, Warwick!"

"Invitations are already accepted, old sir and employer--and it'd look
rather peculiar if she did not go. I always do my work best when
everything appears natural--understand? Somebody might get
suspicious if everything did not."
"But, Silvia--"
"She'll be in the way--bother me, you mean? Bless you--no!