The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-02-10


his hand, and cried out:
'Imbecilel Imbecilel"
'You have rightly named yourself
said NJ. Lecoq wlnbecilel This proof
stsres you right in the face and yoS
do see It. This scratch is the sole
and only clew TO work the case upon
and you must go and lose the trace,
of it. If find the guilty party. IL viii
be by means of this scratch; and
am determined that Z will End him.
At a distance the squirrel very
bravely abused and defed NJ. Lecoqi
but, in his presence. he yielded to the
influence which this extraordinary
man exercised upon all who ap
preached him.
This exact information, these mi
mute details Of ali his secret move
ments, and even thoughts, so upset
his mind that he could not think
where and how NJ. Lecoq had obtained
them. Finally he said, humbly:
"You must have been looking up
this case, patron"
Probably I have: but 7 am not in,
fallible, and may have overlooked
some important evidence. Take seal
and tell me all you know"
NJ. Lecoq was not the NJ n to bs
hoodwinked, so Fanferlot told the ex.
act truth, rare thing for him to do
However, as he reached the end OF
his statement, feeling of mortified
vanity prevented mis- telling how he
had been fooled by Gypsy and the
stout man.
Unfortunately for poor Fanferlot
NJ. Lecoq was always fully informed
on every subject in which he interest
ed himself
1T seems to me, Master Squirrel
that you have forgotten something
How far did YOU follow the empty
coach 2"
Eanferlot blushcd and hung hi,
head like a guilty schoolboy.
"Oh, patron!" he cried, "and you
know about that, tool How could you
have"
But sudden idea flashed across
his brain; he stopped short, bounded
of ms chair, and cried:
"Oh, | know, now; you were the
large gentleman with red whiskers.
His surprise gave so singular an ex.
preston to his face that NJ. Lecoq
could not restrain a smile.
"Then it was you?" continued the
bewildered detective; you are the
large gentleman at whom ] stared. so
as to impress his appearance upon my
mind, and 1 never recognized yout
Patron. you would make a superb ac.
tor, il you would go on the stage; but
I was disguised, too-very well dis
guised."
Very poorly disguised; it is only
/ just TO you that l should let You know
\ hat a failure it was, Fanferlot Do
! you think that heavy beard and a
blouse are a sufficient transforma
ton? The eye is the thing to be
charged the eye. The art lies in be-
ing uole 10 change the eye. That is
/ the secret" d.
/ This theory OF disguise explained
why the lynN-eycd Iccoq never APP
/ peared at the police Office without his
/ gold spectacles.
"Then. patron" said Fauferlo.,
clinging to his idea, "you have been
more successful than Mime. Alexan-
DIRE; YOU have made the little girl
confess? You know why She leaves
the Archangel, why She does not wait
for Monsieur de Clamerun. and why
she bought calico dresses p"
a.. FolI,.,.sr,.r ..... ..s....
"That being the ease" said thc de-
tectiye, deiectedly. "therc +. nothing
left for me to do, rnt to acknowledge
myself an ass"
NO, Squirrel" said ". Lecoq, kind
ly, you are not an ass. You mcrely
did wrong in undertaking 'as, be-
yond your capacity Have you pro-
! gressed one step since you started in
this affair? No. That shows that. al-
though you are iucomrarahlr ~ q
! lieutenant, YOU do MOI possess the
/ qualities of a general ! om going ia
present you with am aphorism; re-
member IT,, and let 10 Be yo'r gnidg
IN the future: a man can shine ir
lhe second rank, who would De total
! " ccllsDed iu The nrsj.
Never had Fanferlot seen his pa
ron so tallative and goud-uutu-ed
Finding his deceit discovered, he had
: expected to be overwhelmed with
storm of anger; whereas he had e
eaped with little shower chat ho
cooled his brain. Lecoq's anger di
: appeared like one of those hcaN
! clouds which threatened i'm the hor
! zon for a moment and then are su
denly swept away by gust OF wind
But this unexpected atfahility mac
! Fanferlot feel uneasy. lie was ofra
Z that something might be conceal'
beneath IL.
> do you know who the thief is, p
{ tron?"