The Yale expositor., October 11, 1917, Image 3

About The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
THE YALE EXPOSITOR, THURSDAY. OCTOBER 11.1917.
Tales of Resilius Marvel, Guardian of Dank Treasure
By WELDON J. COBB
THE ORIENTALIST
Ijn Coprrilht, W.
OUR auto had gone dead after
striking a great loose paving
Mock. The chauffeur was busy
ing himself getting the machine into
' shape again. Resilius Marvel could
brook necessary delay, but it was his
ttbaracteristic never to sit placidly by
with folded hands, lie had estimated
a stoppage of some continuance, hud
leaped from the vehicle, and asked for
my company with a brief glance.
: It was a quaint part of the great
city, remembered by old settlers only.
Once tlie narrow winding street, ex
tending only two blocks, had been res
idential. Business had reached and
swung over and fallen into the des
uetude of ray warehouses and storage
.cellars. Some of the rickety old-fashioned
structures had gone to decay
and disuse. We strolled along the
stone walk, cracked and Irregular,
while my friend descanted on the gild
ed past of those old tottering man
sions. It was sudden, startling, tragic the
cry, the call, the appeal that abruptly
rung out upon that dull afternoon air.
The near hum of business activity did
not soften or dush it out. Marvel came
to a sharp halt and I followed his ex
ample. Those keen eyes of his gave
one comprehensive sweep of what lay
opposite us. Mine followed the iudl
cution of his own, roved ucross the
gray house fronts and rested on the
third story, where every sash was
boarded up or out of place.
"For the love of heuveu oh, some
one come into the house!"
Those were the words, uttered in
weird, thrilling accents. Time, place
and the speaker, u fair young girl, har
monized with a suggestion of the in
tense and dramatic. She was framed
vividly against the dark background
of the vacant room, one hand support
ing her against the rotting window
frame. She wavered us though she
would fall over the low reaching case
ment into the street, ller face was
white as marble, her eyes stricken with
mine fearful emotion of horror or ex
citement. She saw us, and her cry
was meant for us.
I noted Resilius Marvel Incline that
shrewd face of bis as though striving
to peer into a mystery, his keen pro
fessional instincts at once aroused, lie
was as a man before whom the end
of u puzzle had been cast, with a chal
lenge for expert elucidation. His fea
tures instantly assumed a certain
grimuess, as if he discerned menace
in the situation, urgency, perchance
peril.
"Come," he said simply, quickly, and
started to cross the street, but a
shriek, ringing, far-echoing, curdling
hulf baited him. Together -we noted
a sharp turn to the episode, blotting
out what had materialized so sudden
ly. From behind the wavering girlish
form a pair of arms extended. They
were sinuous, though stalwart, and
full sllKen vestments enclosed them.
They encircled the shrieking girl and
drew her back, one of them muffling
her face in the folds of a fleecy, bil
lowy scarf that, with the garb of the
new actor in the momentary drama,
gave an oriental tinge to the situation.
There was blauUness then where
there had been aulmution. Travesty,
drama or tragedy, the curtain was
down and the act ended. I wondered
what Marvel would do next. His sure
definite leap over the cobblestones en
lightened me. He reached the oppo
site pavement, made a rush, and us his
powerful body came like a battering
ram against the closed door guatdiug
the old wreck of a rookery, it flew
from its hinges like a barrier of straw.
The dull afternoon light of day pen
etrated a long passugeway feebly, and
beyond was gloom. There was a flash
as we reached a shaking, uncertain
stairway. My friend had brought out
Ids portable electric tube. I followed
it and himself, guided by the shiftin
focus point that showed splintered
treads fast rotting away. We reached
a landing. A frail door guarded the
second flight. It was unlocked, how
ever, and yielded to a touch. At the
top of the stairway we came Into a
large room. It held the open window
puce at which the girl, now so lays
teriously vanished, had appeared to
our vision for the space of a few mo
ments. As Marvel passed I saw him
stoop. It was to pick up a crumpled
piece of paper. Then, his eyes fixed
on the floor, he traced a track in the
accumulated dust of years, showing
where trailing garments had made u
broad plain mark.
There was an open door at the end
of the long room. It led out upon a
platform which spanned an alley.
leading froirj the platform was a rick
ety flight of narrow stairs. As we
glanced over the railing we saw a fe
male form Just leaping from the lower
step. As she turned to run down the
alley towards the next street she
turned slightly.
"The same girl observed Marvel
sententlously.
"Yes," I assented, noting that her
hand was held closely across her chest
and that she tottered as she ran, evl
dently on the verge of collapse from
nervous excitement.
I saw Marvel make a movement to
dash after her. Then he saw It was
too late. At the mouth of the alley
stood an automobile, evidently in wait
G. Chapman ft
lng for the girl. She fairly fell Into
its seat as she pulled herself up the
step, the urgency with which the
chauffeur acted telling that she had
given him. some speedy directions.
The machine flitted out of view with
a whisk, but not until my companion
had applied a glass to his eye with
the words:
"You are good at figures remember
21342V2." . Then sententlously : "Our
work is here, if it is really our work,"
and crossed the platform. A lowered
door guarded the structure facing on
the next street. It had an Iron handle,
'uid a mere pressure upon this sent
the metal barrier on pulley chains to
tho coiling. As we stepped across the
grooved threshold of the door,
through some delicate adjustment of
weight, closed after us.
I was not given to exhibitions of
surprise or unguarded utterances In
the presence of the imperturbable
Marvel. What we now faced, how
ever, astounded me, and I noted plain
ly that he shared my eu,otI ms. It was
like a step from squalor into splen
dor, from gaunt barrenness into the
gleam of oriental grandeur. We had
entered a large room heavily hung
with tapestries, even to the ceiling,
that must have cost a fortune. A
heavy velvet carpet made our foot
steps noiseless. In the center of the
room was a raised dais. In front of
this burned a varicolored lamp cover
ed with the precious metals and rare
and costly jewels. A globe giving out
a soft girasole glow flooded the apart
ment with a mystic radiance, while
the Incense-laden air enhanced u cer
tain dreamy effect that lulled the sen
ses and suggested the rare inner tem
ple of some shrine of the Indus.
The dais supported a throne, backed
by a wondrous statue carved from
ebony or lignumvltae, representing a
goddess perfect of frame and feature.
All around the room were cushions
fashioned of rose silk, and before each
was a prayer rug.
"A translation to the antipodes," re
marked Resilius Marvel, and for all
the cautious subjugation of his tone,
I traced the faint echo of n scofi. "Let
us explore to a practical end. This
layout had no legitimate promise In
the heart of an American city. It Is
here with a purpose we will find out
what.
With the audacity of a man not un
used to penetrating where he chose
when la the line of duty, my friend
led the way across the apartment and
pushed aside the' heavy drapery at
its far end. An antecorridor contin
ued the suite. It was as elaborately
furnished as the main apartment we
had Just traversed. No deniren of the
strunge place had as yet come into evi
dence, but as we entered a third apart
ment we came upon a man hastily
rearranging a disordered attire..
Judging from his flustered manner
and the full sleeved silken robe he
wore, he was the owner of the pair
of arms that we had seen thrust 'back
the girl from the window. Then, too,
nt his waist the man had stuffed into
his belt the fluffy .veil or scarf which
he had used as a gag to silence that
heart-stricken cry: "Oh, some one
come Into this house 1"
The man was dark as the ebony
statue In the first room we had en
tered. Instantly, as the shadow of
Marvel fell across his range of vision,
he was erect, his arras folded, his at
titude brash and challenging. My
friend had kept straight on ns If to
pass the draperies behind this arbi
trary sentinel. Before the apparent
entrance to another apartment the lat
ter sprang, his arm outstretched.
"Banal banal!" he croaked shrilly
"no !"
"I say, yes," observer Marvel con
temptuously, and he placed his hand
ncross the arm of the man and caught
at the rich hanging. The , entire
drapery was suddenly wrenched out
of his reach, the servitor fell to hands
and knees muttering some cabalistic
Jargon and then crept out of the way,
and we saw Nlrvasa.
We did not know her then by that
name; It came later; but I was awed
and breathless as, like some spleudid
apparition, a being in the full bloom
of lovely womanliness faced us. She
stood near a gilt stand on which rest
ed a crystal globe. She was peerless
in her dress purely oriental, a seem
ing Indian princess. Slightly dark,
her face had an Indescribable glow,
rather that of the richest rose than
delicate and clear. Her eyes were
deep set, but sparkling, enthralling.
Inviting.
She smiled upon us, divesting her
welcome of every tinge of awkward
ness, her attributes of any effort to
impress and mystify. One flashing
glance frooni those Intelligent eyes
seemed to envelope and consume us.
And then, to my sublime astonishment
she said, with steely self poise and
without a shade of hesitation:
"Mr. Ilesilius Marvel, I am hon
ored."
If she had not made the recognition,
less speedily 'would my expert friend
have pierced the travesty. If she
knew him it was no necromntic pow
er she must be of the class w ho make
It a study to know those whom they
select as prey, thoso whom they fear
as masters.
I had noticed that Marvel's compre
hensive glance had swept the room
keenly. His eyes were most attract
ed by a chart behind the gilt table.
It was a complex chart with tracings
of Buns, moons, crescents und stars
upon Its surface, helroglyphlc charac
ters and tables.
"A life chart," observed Marvel, fix
ing his glance now on the oracle of
the place.
"A seance chamber of Mahamat, re
plied the lady promptly, but dimming
any boastfulness by maintaining that
even, complacent smile.
"Ah, yes,H remarked Marvel "clair
voyant" "Mystic, corrected my lady.
You are better Informed than the
police, then, retorted my friend In
cisively. A pretty dismay wrinkled the fore
head of the woman. She made an
expressive movement with her hands
to express helplessness. Then those
liquid eyes took to their depths a
pretty, pleading power.
"It Is unfortunate that you accept
so much on hearsay," she said softly.
"You are the final. I wish I had your
good opinion. Will you let me try
and gain It? I would have no secrets
from you. I am no Impostoi. I com
from the Himalayas, the seveuth
daughter of a sevenU daughter in
verity. I profess to tell no fortunes,
but some day, with time given, I may
be able to show even Resilius Marvel
that there is a coherency and potency
to some of my claims." y
My friend was silent. There was a
slight curl of disbelief on his lip as
the lady placed her dainty hand on
the crjstal globe.
"I have explored crystal reading,!'
he said finally. "I was more fortunate
than one of your clients an old farm
er who. lost several thousands between
here and his home."
Nlrvasa shrugged her graceful shoul
ders and looked grieved and friend
less. Then she swept aside the dra
peries behind her. We entered a large
square room. Again amazement.
1 HAVE EXPLORED CRYSTAL
There was a beaten circle all around
the rug covering the floor.
A man, a Hindu, lightly garbed, thin
to the point of attenuation, was slow
ly, regularly turning somersaults. In
the corner of the room seated before
a blackboard was a Sepoy youth. He
had a piece of chalk In his hand, and
at every overturn of the wiry acrobat
ho would chalk a number on the
board, obliterating its predecessor.
There were five figures In the chron
icle, and he would name them in a
drowsy, sing-song way each time he
wrote a record.
"Asoll Ben," explained our guide.
"He is paying a penance to release
the soul of a sinful father one hun
dred thousand somersaults. It was
to have been along the Delhi road,
but he Joined my party and Is complet
ing his eighty odd thousand evolution
here on the path to clearing the score.
"Abou Hamed," she continued, lift
ing a curtain and showing a couch
covered with tiger skins upon which
lay curled a small dwarfed man. "He
Is of the highest theosophlc circle
twice returned to earth.
"The oldest man in the world
Djalma.
She had proceeded like some lectur
er exhibiting his menagerie. As she
swept aside a final drapery the last
and most remarkable disclosure greet
ed us.
In the center of a room resembling
a laboratory was a balloon-shaped globe
of glass. It was about ten feet high
and broad enough to contain inside
a chair, a table and a man. From sev
eral iron tanks there ran rubber pipes
to this giant retort.
"The oldest man in the world," Nlr
vasa had said and It seemed possible.
Inside the glass globe, reclining and
engrossed in a time-worn tone bound
In ivory, was the strangest human
being I had ever seen. Ills skin was
like yellow parchment. His frame
seemed ossified. He had hair and a
beard of faded white sweeping to
his waist. His hands were like claws,
his face beak-like. Only his eyes were
alive they gleamed like two sparks
of electric Ore.
"He Is DJnlma Khi, the alchemist,
end nearly one hundred and fifty years
old," purred the tones of Nlrvasa. "I
have the proofs. He Is the gold mak
er. A wonderful power, but lacking
still some Ingredient to make his
knowledge so complete that the touch
of a wand would turn clay Into bright,
shining bullion. To leuv nis native
mountains and breathe Ms tainted air
would mean death. ,Ve dare not re
move him for any length of time from
the artificial air generated in those
tanks. I will show you."
I watched with Interest as the lady
tapped on u hinged section of the
glass globe, opened It and spoke to
the oldest man In the world. He
reached out and took up a crucible,
placing something within It, and hand
ed It to Nlrvasa.
"It Is coal," she said, and Marvel
deigned to examine and agree. The
man In the globe handed out next a
tiny phial. "It Is distilled vnpbr from
his sole discovery, the gold rooot of
Brahmaputra," she said further. "Pour
It in. Come We."
She moved the retort across a met
al plate, turned on an acetylene Jet,
and surrounded it all with a metal
drum. There was a hissing sound.
She turned off tho' gas, with the uld
of a pair of tongs Immersed the cru
cible in a jar of water, und poured out
upon a marble slab a jagged nugget.
"Accept as a souvenir, Mr. .Marvel,"
she said in a low, winning tone. "You
will find it of superfine quality."
"Doubtless," acceded my friend dry
ly. "I see your plan the genuine ar
ticles In equipment to cater to your
mystery loving clients, and I suppose,
a new religious fad to sustain all the
accessories? I am not Interested, us
I did not come as a seeker after mys
tic revelations.' I came by an unac
customed w-ay tho rear, and I am
here to learn the occasion of an almost
tragic outburst from the young lady
who was removed so suddenly by your
servitor."
"Oh, yes," smiled Nlrvasa, as tran
quilly as If the simplest, most or
dinary statement In the world had
been made. "The young lady was
READING. HE SAID FINALLY.
quieted and sent home. She is one of
those Impressionable beings who go
easily Into hysterics you had an ex
hibition of it."
"And something more," replied Mar
vin sternly "the number of the auto
mobile that conveyed her away from
here.','
I saw Nlrvasa wince. For a mo
ment her audacity was daunted. But
only for a moment.
"I do pot know her name," she eaid,
"but I can help you further, Mr. Mar
vel. She lives at the Glendale apart
ments." "Thank you," said Resilius Marvel,
If surprised not showing It, and my
lady led us through an intricate va
riety of corridors and apartments un
til we reached the front of the building
and turned us over to a tawny-skinned
servitor in costume. Still smiling, still
radiantly beautiful, still unruffled,
Nlrvasa bowed as from that remark
able haunt of mystery.
From the manner of the high priest
ess of what I considered to be a tem
ple of chicanery, and the way In which
Marvel treated ,the proposition, I was
satisfied In ray own mind that the
woman Nlrvasa was one of the many
clairvoyants and mystics who made it
a business to catch the unwary and
credulous. We regained our machine
without Marvel saying a word. He
was silent and thoughtful until we
reached the office of the United Bank
ers' Protective association. He waved
me to a seat, went to a bookcase, se
lected a scrapbook, opened It at a
certain page, placed the volume before
me and went to the telephone. .
Within five minutes I had perused
several old newspaper articles telling
of Nlrvasa. She was a shrewd adven
turess, successful amid oriental occult
surroundings. She had been mixed
up In several cases where her clair
voyancy had gained the confidence of
clients, and she had Induced them to
Invest in worthless stocks and bonds
owned by outside confederates. The
Oldest Man in the World was really
a patriarchal Individual, and had once
been one of the living curiosities of n
big traveling circus outfit. Nlrvasa
was a grade above the average for
tune teller. She really possessed a
fair clairvoyant power. At one city
she had established a cult, had collect
ed several thousands of dollars, and
then with her combination had faded
away.
Resilius Marvel came to me Just as
I had concluded my Interesting read
ing. He held two pieces of paper In
his hands. They were crumpled frag
ments straightened out, and I knew
represented the little wad of paper I
had seen him pick up at the window
where we had seen the girl.
"Look that over," he cald.
A new rest of Interest came 'nto the
strange case. Torn crosswise, the two
fragments comprised a check for $20,
000. signed "Ainslee Druse," "Garnet
Druse." It was drawn on our banic.
"Do you know them?" asked Mar
vel. "I know the account well," I replied,
lost In surprise and augury; "I know
Ainslee Druse by sight. This Is fair
ly remarkable."
"It gives us plain sailing for a bit,"
declared Marvel In his businesslike
way. "I have been busy at the tele
phone. Nlrvasa told the truth; the
girl we saw, or at least one answering
to her description, lives at the Glendale
apartments, and her name Is Garnet
Druse."
"That is tho sister of Ainslee
Druse," I volunteered. "If you will
give me ten minutes I may be able to
dig up something at the bank."
"Go ahead," said Marvel simply.
I came back with some real Infor
mation. The Druses, brother and sis
ter, were children of the Hon. Amos
"Druse, now abroad. We had carried
two family accounts. One was In the
name of Ainslee Druse, originally $40,
(KM), drawn down in solid amounts
through sixty days, and a last check
presented two days previous, thrown
out "N. S. F."
"Not sufficient funds, eh?" translat
ed Marvel. "And the other account?"
"Joint cheeks honored only on de
posit of Amos Druse when bearing sig
nature of both brother und sister."
"Good for the face of that check?"
"Yes, and four times over," I re
plied. "There is something queer
about this affair," I submitted. "The
paying teller 'says the withdrawal of
such substantial amounts caused him
to notice Ainslee Druse. He knows
him slightly In a social way. Says
he has been hurried, excited, dopy by
turns when he came to draw money
of late."
x "We will go to the Glendale apart
ments," announced my friend abruptly.
It was only through determined per
sistency that Marvel was able to at
last prevail upon Miss Garnet Druse,
through her maid, to admit us. Every
thing bespoke refinement as we en
tered a room where sat a frail delicate
girl whose face and manner bespoke
wistful gentleness that appeared to
both of us. Her face was pale, her
bosom heaving, her eyes expressed a
hunted dread. She had not yet re
covered from the great strain of the
episode to which we had been a wit
ness.
"Miss Druse," spoke my friend, "I
am Resilius Marvel of the United
Bankers Protective association. This
gentleman," and he Indicated myself,
"is the private secretary of the bank
upon which that check is drawn. Our
mission is confidential and we ask an
explanation that will be entirely help
ful to you."
For a moment the -fair young crea
ture gazed at us as If her tongue was
glued to the roof of her mouth and the
life currents turned to ice. Then her
head sank upon her arms outstretched
on the table before her. She uttered
two despuiring, heart-rending words:
"Save us !"
I rioted the humane, sympathetic
face of my friend soften. lie made a
quick motion to me which I under
stood and I passed into the next room,
leaving the two alone. As I stood at
the windows looking out into the
street I could catch the echo of the
tones of Marvel low, persuasive, al
most fatherly. Finally, broken, sob
bing intonations mingled, the current
of words became more steady. At the
end of half an hour when ray friend
rejoined me, I knew that master mind
of his had prevailed over the shrink
ing, fearsome mood of the beautiful
girl, stricken with the weight of some
dread secret, and had conquered the
clouded situation. Now It was clear
as crystal.
Ainslee Druse, sanguine, lightly
balanced, invested with liberal wealth
for the first time in his life, had stray
ed to the seance chamber of the Nlr
vasa. Her fascination, it appeared,
had less to do with his constant visits
than her specious influence In making
him believe that through a Judicious
investment he could asdst The Oldest
Man in the World to develop and
mature his ability to manufacture gold
from waste substances. Nlrvasa hac
evidently secretly given him some sub
tle elixir under the guise of a rare In
dian wine that had completed his sub
lugatlon. He had revelled in a fool's
paradise. Ills sister had discovered in
part his infatuation. She had followed
him that day to the home of Nlrvasa,
to see him give the check to the worn
an upon which her name was forged.
She had broken in upon them, seized
the check, and the end of her wild
flight we knew.
"Miss Druse will strive to find her
brother through friends tonight and
send us word tomorrow," explained
Marvel. "She has begged me to allow
her to make this effort, which she
hopes will succeed, so that no scan
dal may result.'
A hurry call reached me at the bank
Just after the directors' meeting the
next morning. It was from Resilius
Marvel and requested my Immediate
presence. 1 was at his office in n few
minutes, ' I noticed in his inner office
the flutter of a white handkerchief. My
friend closed the door as I entered the
room.
"It is Miss Druse," he said to me at
once. "A new complication has arisen
in the rase. I hope and believe I have
acted in time. I want you to go some
where with me."
I knew where It was, after he had
held a brief consultation with his vis
itor. It appeared that Miss Druse had
come to his office less than half an
hour previous In a great state of ex
citement and alarm. She had been
unable to find her brother, and a
thought had come to her mind that had
driven her to come downtown sarly in
the morning to visit the safety de
posit vault where the plate, Jewelry
and family papers of the estate were
kept. Only she and her brother held
keys to the section where these val
uables were. She had made an appall
ing discovery. Family diamonds con
tained in a chamois bag to the value
of over $100,000, most of them former
ly the property of her dead mother,
were missing. Foiled In securing capi
tal for his mad scheme of wealth.
Ainslee Druse had secured the Jewels.
They were doubtless by this time in
the possession of the conspirators.
"I huve had two men nctiug on or
ders at the seunce studio since Inst
evening," reported Marvel as we spun
along toward our destination. "There
is my man now," he added as, reach
ing the front of the building we had
so strangely visited the day previous
a prim, severe-faced Individual cam
to the side of the machine.
"We have detained the lady," re
ported this ally of Resilius Marvel.
"At midnight we saw the crowd had
taken alarm and were bent on flight.
You left open orders, and I acted U
my best judgment."
"Very good." v
"No sign of the young man you d
scribed. We were careless about tin
general crowd, but only one or two o'
them made off."
"Take me to the lady," directed
Marvel.
We found Nlrvasa pn;ing to end fr
In a room off from tt apartmen"
where we had first seen iijalma. Sh'
feigned coolness and her wanton smlli
gleamed as we entered the apartment
Very briefly, very sternly, Marvel de
manded a knowledge of the where
nbouts of Ainslee Druse.
"I do not know," she averred. "HI
dealings have been witfc L.lcslma ex
tiuslvely."
"Some valuable diamonds ore miss
ing," proceeded Marvel. "They must
be restored must; do you under
stand? As to your deposit In a "vol
bank, an embargo has been pln"l
upon that until you have nccountt
for the $40,000 of which you hav
divested In your latest dupe."
"You seem to know a good deal,
said the woman, with her serpentln
smile.
"I know enough to detain you a
leisure for a long time," stated Mai
vel with sternness. "Come, I wish t'
see this Djalma Khi."
"It Is useless."
"And why?"
"He Is dead. In arranging to rc
move him one of the men tipped i
piece of furniture again t the glasf
globe. The supply of gas was cut oil
lie died within the hour.
We stepped Into the next room. NIr
vasa had spoken the truth. The grea
glass case lay In brittle ruins on th
floor of the room. Two of the servl
tors were lifting the poor remains oJ
The Oldest Man In The World Into t
long cedar box.
"I have only one request to make
Mr. Marvel," spoke the woman gravely
. "And what Is that?" demanded Mai
vel.
"You Jeer at my calling and Its aC
cessorles, but at least this old man wat
genuine and consistent. I am Hindi,
enough to respect a sacred pledge
whatever charge you may brinj,
against me, I will stand the penalty.
As to the victim of an unfortunate .-
cldent, poor Djalma, I ask you to le
his remains be shipped to a relatlv
of his who Is a member of a Hindi'
colony in the east. They will send hi
body back to his native land, a fara
ily responsibility they treasure an
revere." .
"Perhaps," said Marvel, steadil
looking into the woman's eyes "afte
an Inquest."
Nlrvasa started as if a scorpion ha'
stung her. Dismay, disappointment,
defeat were evinced In her features.
She bit her Hp and trembled with sup
pressed rage.
"Stand aside," ordered Marvel to the
two servitors. He pushed them awa
and I saw him grope within the ceda
chest and his hands move all about
the wasted body of Djalma Khi.
"I thought so," he observed quietly,
drawing from under the black, silken
funeral robe of The Oldest Man In
The World a little chamois bag.
"When I have verified these jewel,'
he raid to Nlrvasa, "and the $40,001
and Ainslee Druse have materialized
you und your mountebank accomplices
are free to seek new fields of business
activity, and vye are quits."
Wo traced Ainslee Druse to a nea?
city, where the seance woman had
sent Mm to get rid of him while she
and her fellow birds of 111 omen mad
a swift flitting. She bought her free
dom by-returning the money she had
duped out of the sallow youth, wh
fully understood his pust peril wheu
the efforts of the subtle poison Nir
vasa had given him departed and hi
dulled brain was cleared.
The remarkable man, the Indomlta
ble Resilius Marvel, placed his cus
tom;:ry record of the case of The Old
eft Mnn In The World among the se
tret archives of the United Bankers
Protective Association, accepted th
heartfelt gratitude of Garnet Druse a
the one fnlr element In the grue!om
enso, and possed on to new endearor
in his expert professional I'p if dutj
STHE PADDED BRICKS
to
By GEORGE ELMER COBB, to
totatototototoEatato mXf
"Impossible l" uttered John Ray
mond and his visitor bowed her faco
In her hands and sobbed bitterly.
He sat watching the convulsing fig
ure, the fair golden hair, the cheap but
Immaculately neat and modest attire.
His was a hard, heartless business.
And i had made his nature hard, but
not heartless. The pitiful pleader had
impressed him. For the moment he
lost his stern, rigid bearing. A wave
of genuine sympathy swept his iron
nature. He sighed.
Quickly that human signal of emo
tion went to the mark. The girl looked
up. She caught the trace of pity In
that immovable fuce before the mask
was on again.
"Oh, sir!" she pleaded, "reconsider.
Put yourself in my place. If you have
no faith In poor Jim, try and trust me.
I know him, sir. He has been bud and
wicked."
"Young lady," spoke Detective Ray
mond, rising to his feet, "for your sake.
yes.
"You'll give him a chance?"
"His last one, yes."
She had sunk to her kneesv before
him. She had clasped his hand and
was covering it with kisses.
Within the month Detective Ray
mond went before the state pardon
board. Two days later Jim Waldroft,
alias "The Ferrett," was released on
commutation of n ten years' sentence.
Still later the detective noted a modest
line in a dally print among the mar
riage licenses "James Waldron and
Vinnle Morse."
The detective could find no one will
ing to go hostage for Jim. so he had
him paroled to himself. He felt It his
duty to look up Jim within a month.
Ills heart warmed as he found the
happy pair living In two pretty rooms,
neat, though humble.
Tho contented wife told him how
Jim had "found a Job." It was poor
pay, but a beginning, and oh, they
were so happy !
Then, somewhat later, the detective
met Jim coming home from work.
There was no mistaking the ma'n'y
spirit In the ex-burglar. Ills eye was
clear, his head erect.
"How Is it. Jim?" Raymond in
quired. "Grand, sir. Just to work, just to
keep straight for her sake bless her!"
"Good for you, Jim. Keep It up,"
nodded the detective with apparent
Indi (Terence, but Joy was In his soul.
For over a year Detective Raymond
did not hear of his protege. An im
portant government case sent him to
Alaska. He returned to his city post
on the eve of a great burglary. A
jewelry establishment had been looted.
An expert had done the Job, but his
Identity was not even guessed except
by John Raymond.
"It looks like Jim Waldron's old
time work," he decided and proceeded
to look up the ex-convict. At his old
home he learned that the Wn'drons
had left there four months previous.
Tho detective started In to find the
missing couple. v It was one evening at
dusk that he located them In a shabby
tenement house. Ills Inquiry divulged
the fact that Jim about a week before
bad gone to another city, hopeful of
finding work where he was not known.
"And the poor lady, sir," said the de
tective's informant, "only yesterday
she lost the little child, only ten dayt
old. She has shut herself in her room
and Just mourns and mourns. See her
there she Is now."
The detective, drawing back in the
shadow, was shocked ns a figure wear
ing a shawl about her came weak!y
down the stairs. It was Vinnle Wal
dron, but woefully white and thin, de
spair in her wan face.
He was about to speak to her, when
her shawl moved aside. Under it she
concealed a bundle, boxlike and
wrapped In a pillow case.
"I've hit it!" muttered Raymond.
"The swag, I'll bet I and she's taking
It to Jim."
Square after square he guardedly
followed the lone figure. He gasped as
she reached the edge of the city. It
was to enter the gateway of a ceme
tery. Vinnle Waldron glanced all about
her, as if fearful of being observed.
She finally reached a remote plot of
ground bearing two mere fragments of
stone, on one "Father" and on the
other "Mother." She placed her hidden
burden on the ground. She produced
a trowel. Mid tears and sobs she dug
a shallow grave, and placed the box
In it.
She heaped the loose soil upon the
mound and left her poor, short-lived
darling to the mercy of God.
John Raymond shadowed the poor
creature home. He paused outside. He
drew back as some one came down the
street and entered the house. It was
Jim.
Within ten minutes Jim reappeared.
Ills pinched, agonized face bore a
stricken, desperate expression. He
stumbled down the street; Raymond
followed him. At an alley Jim found
a brick. He wrapped his heavy muffler
about It. Bereaved, his wife starving,
the wretched man came to a delicates
sen shop, with its tempting array of
food. lie raised the padded brick.
"No need!" spoke John Raymond,
detective, the man of heart now, halt
ing the descending hand. "Jim, hero,
brother. I greet you!"
Ills arm was around him and the
man was sobbing on'hls breast the
man who, with Ms loyal wife, should
never know want and poverty while
John Raymond had the means to hold
them at bay.
(Copyright, 1)17, Watrn twi.papcr Union.)