HE Had Opened A DOOR .sx by Charles G. BOOTH .sx TOM COLLINS was finding the ways of rectitude a good deal pleasanter than he had expected to .sx He had opened a door , stepped through it and at once everything on the other side of the wall was different .sx It had been like stepping suddenly out of dank fog into brilliant sunlight .sx He still could hardly believe so complete a change in the social climate possible .sx Among the most satisfactory of his new experiences was taking tea with the Clarence Wests on the Spanish porch of the Hotel Consul-General .sx Lucy had violet eyes and slim , incredibly silk legs , and Clarence was desperately in love with her and a trifle embarrassed about it .sx They were on their honeymoon , as everybody knew , and the Consul-General was terribly expensive , but you had only one honeymoon , hadn't you ?sx The other hotels , if there were any , didn't count , did they , Uncle Max ?sx Collins had deemed it wise to drop his own name .sx Something elegant would be safer and more useful .sx " Maxwell Hughes " would do , he had decided .sx It suited that invaluable distinguished manner which was imparted to him by his wavy grey hair , the hollows at the sides of his temples and in his cheeks , his thin hands , his erect , slender figure .sx Lucy was calling him " Uncle Max " by the end of the first week .sx Young West was a healthy-looking boy with long legs and handsome shoulders .sx A London jewellery firm had just opened a new branch in Biarritz and when the honeymoon was over Clarence West was to .sx be assistant manager .sx The Wests were leaving St. Jean-de-Luz at the end of the week .sx Collins did not see how he was going to get along without them and he almost had made up his mind to follow Lucy's suggestion that he install himself in one of the Biarritz hotels .sx He could finish his life there as well as he could here .sx " It's been a splendid time here , hasn't it , sir ?sx " observed Clarence .sx Collins liked the " sir .sx " There wasn't much of that nowadays .sx It was part of that deference they showed him and it complemented their authoritative solicitude for his welfare .sx He mustn't walk too far and had he had his medicine !sx Had he slept well and wouldn't he sooner sit over here in the sun ?sx Collins had met them on his arrival and they had got on famously at once .sx But why that enraptured couple should have taken him into their hearts in this wholesale fashion was more than he could fathom .sx At first Collins had been deeply resentful towards himself for not taking the trouble thirty years before to see what lay on the other side of the wall .sx No one but himself was to blame , of course .sx In his twenties he had deliberately chosen to make himself the cleverest jewel-thief in Europe because he believed that by so doing he would procure an easy living .sx " A man has a right to what he can get " had been his philosophy and , thus fortified , he had set out to open his oyster .sx It had not panned out very well .sx At forty he had a hundred thousand put away , but a clever blackmailing gang had relieved him of it .sx That was Collins's only close encounter with the police , although his activities were well known to them and he had frequently been under suspicion :sx Warily he had set about recouping his fortunes .sx It had been slow work and his unceasing vigilance had dug deeply into his physical resources .sx By the time he was fifty he had thirty thousand put away and six months to live .sx That hour in Dr. Littlefield's office with the physician going over his body an inch at a time had been the bitterest of his life .sx Tap , tap , stethoscope .sx " Take a deep breath , Mr. Collins .sx Hold it .sx " Stethoscope , tap , tap .sx That agonizing pain under his left ribs again !sx " Six months is all you give me ?sx " he had asked a little later .sx " I said six months if you took care of yourself , " the physician answered briskly .sx " I mean just that .sx I'm sorry , Mr. Collins .sx You should have come to me sooner .sx " Collins had taken it philosophically .sx Life had not been so generous to him that he was going to break his heart about giving it up .sx The lack of interest he knew his passing would arouse grieved him as much as anything .sx But that , also , was his own fault , for it had been part of his policy to live as solitary a life as city residence would permit .sx Apart from the menace of the representatives of the law , he had no enemies .sx He had no friends and few acquaintances .sx No woman had ever entered his life .sx The several fences who disposed of his stuff knew him only as a man with whom it was profitable to do business .sx One professional jewel-thief , a solitary like himself , was well known to him , but he had never worked with the man or through him .sx The police would note his death with relief and that would be the end of him .sx COLLINS might have soured if it had not been for the Clarence Wests .sx You couldn't sour in the company of that gorgeously enchanted pair .sx They picked you up and set you on wings and there you were .sx They wouldn't let you fall and soon you were sustaining yourself in the rarefied air in which they laughed and loved .sx If it had not been for those sharpening spells of agony beneath his ribs he might have forgotten who he was and where he had come from .sx But even they could not blight the rich blossoming of his affection for these foolish young things .sx Collins was not experiencing the awakening .sx of a conventional moral sense his had perished years before .sx No , his emotions were purely and violently paternal .sx What a fool he had been !sx Well , he would cherish these young people until the last hour of his life .sx A spirited argument between Lucy and Clarence broke in upon his meditations .sx " What's going on between you two ?sx " he asked .sx " The Barretts are giving a dance to-night in the Don room , Uncle Max , " Lucy cried , whirling upon him with eyes that demanded his support .sx " You know about it , of course .sx We are invited .sx And Clarence won't let me wear the O'Hara emeralds .sx " " Lucy !sx " young West expostulated .sx " I told you to say nothing about them !sx You promised me you wouldn't .sx " Meeting the amused eyes of the older man , he stopped in embarrassment .sx " I'm sorry , sir , " he stammered .sx " You see , it's a a confidential matter .sx The firm entrusted me with them .sx " " But Uncle Max !sx " Lucy protested in shocked tones .sx " Clarence West , do you dare to sit there and say that it matters about Uncle Max ?sx " " Lord , no !sx You don't think that , do you , sir ?sx " Clarence asked , deeply concerned .sx " It's just that they are invaluable and that the firm told me to take no chances with them , you know what I mean ?sx " .sx " Certainly , " Collins assured him gravely .sx " Keep them locked up , whatever they are , my boy , and don't tell anyone about them .sx " " That's my intention , sir .sx It doesn't matter about you , of course .sx In fact , I'd like you to see them .sx Do you know anything about emeralds ?sx " A little , " Collins answered casually .sx " You'd better say no more about them , Clarence .sx " " That's all right , sir , " Clarence continued reassuringly .sx " I didn't mean you .sx The emeralds belong to a Mrs. O'Hara , one of the firm's shareholders .sx She's got all kinds of cash and she isn't afraid of spending it .sx They cost her ninety thousand .sx Mrs. O'Hara's home is in London but she's never there .sx She's coming here to-morrow and I have to turn the emeralds over to her .sx I'Il be glad to have them off my hands .sx She wanted a couple more stones that's how the firm happened to have the necklace .sx They sent it on to me to give to her .sx I can't let Lucy wear them , of course .sx Mrs. O'Hara is a devil and if she heard about it I'd lose my job .sx No one knows I have them .sx " " They are not in your room , are they ?sx " Collins asked sharply .sx " No , indeed .sx Mr. King has them in the hotel vault .sx " " Keep them there , " Collins said emphatically .sx " Whatever you do , don't let this .sx pretty package of nonsense talk you into .sx letting her wear them .sx " " You would say that , Uncle Max , " Lucy pouted .sx " I expect I can resist her , " Clarence grinned .sx " All the same , they'd look great .sx against Lucy's bronze hair , wouldn't they , sir ?sx I'll buy you a necklace just like it some day , darling .sx " " Oh , will you , " Lucy said , veiling her eyes , and Collins was of the opinion that .sx she intended to wear emeralds before then .sx " We are going to drive out to the beach , Uncle Max , " Lucy went on , jumping up .sx " Don't you want to come along ?sx " .sx Uncle Max didn't and , anyhow , Lucy , on second thoughts , decided that he had better not , since he was going to a symphony concert after dinner .sx She straightened his tie , plucked a hair off his coat and reminded him about his medicine .sx " You are a dear , even if you don't want to see me in Mrs. O'Hara's emeralds , " and bending over his grey head , she impulsively kissed his bald spot .sx " Come on , precious .sx " .sx CHERISHING the kiss , Collins dozed for a little while after they had gone , more contented than he ever had been .sx These last six months were worth all the rest of his life .sx .. He'd die in a bed that he'd paid for .sx .. The children could have the rest .sx .. Foolish youngsters .sx .. and Lucy wanted to hang the O'Hara emeralds around her neck .sx .. No one knew more of the witchery of gems than he .sx .. Collins opened his eyes as a shadow moved over his face .sx A man who had crossed the .sx Spanish porch and was descending the steps to the terraced rose-garden below paused and looked back .sx Their eyes met , and Collins's hands tightened on the arms of his chair .sx The man had a dish-shaped face and jet eyes without animation .sx His slender figure was nattily dressed in light grey , his spats , his necktie , his hat , and the edge of his silk handkerchief carrying out the tone .sx A certain desiccated air which was of the man himself discounted a tendency towards foppishness .sx No sign of recognition passed between .sx them .sx The man in grey went on and lost himself in the rose-garden .sx " Jimmy the Priest , " Collins muttered .sx " I wonder what he's doing here .sx The Barrett dance , maybe .sx Well , good luck to him .sx " They'd always been pretty good friends , Tom Collins and Jimmy the Priest .sx The latter , indeed , had once given Collins an alibi when he had needed one rather badly and Collins never had forgotten it .sx Their feeling for each other was as near to friendship as either of them desired .sx A queer devil , Jimmy the Priest .sx Minded his ownbusiness and insisted that you mind yours .sx If you respected his aloofness you got on well with him .sx Recently , he had been mixed up in the death of Simon Sturge , a well-known fence .sx Collins believed he had done it .sx So did the police , but they had had to let him go for lack of evidence .sx Sturge had only got what he deserved .sx Collins was troubled , however .sx He wished that Jimmy the Priest was not at the Consul-General .sx The man's presence reminded him of the things he wanted to forget .sx Of course , each would mind his own business , as usual .sx That was why neither had recognized the other .sx COLLINS was not especially fond of music , but in view of that rle of moderately sophisticated middle-aged gentleman of means which he had adopted on coming to the Consul-General , he had thought it wise to subscribe to the symphonies and attend a few of them To-night he proposed missing the first half of the programme , as Lucy at dinner had made him promise to look in at the Barrett dance on his way down from his suite .sx A gleam in Lucy's eyes , a challenging gleam , he had thought , had bothered him and he had shaken his head reprovingly .sx