The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-18

all that had been wanted; my watch,
pin and money had not been touched.
1T was plain, then, that some one
had an interest in preventing my trac-
ing up these particular records. Not
Hugens, of course. but his client. who
ever he might me. Well, at least. 1t
made the case more interestlng gEyes,
and more promising. Two nights later
the house in Madison avenue was en-
tered by second story men while | was
at dinner. But the records and re-
peating apparatus had been removed
to the safe deposit vaults. and my ull-
known opponent had drawn another
blank
"Getting exciting, wasn't it? And
then for a month or more nothing
happened. You continued TO conyalesee
and kept on thinking.
This impersonai opposition = well,
there had been something of the same
sort once or twice before. You re-
member. in particular, the affair OF the
letter box.
sA devilfsh intelligence had been at
work there. and some day, as ! told
you, the mystery would be cleared up.
Then did we ever know who MT.
Aram Balencourt really was. An
agent of the Torty?' Well, perhaps
SO, but / can't help thinking that there
was always a bigger man behind him.
The same conclusion would apply 70
the case of that poor wretch Greneiti
In the affair of the Russia and the box
of dynamite. Someone with brains
pulled the strings to make all these
marionettes dance.
Finally, there was your own adven-
ture with the amiable DIR. Gonzales.
Did he ever remind you. even In
definitely. of some one else whom you
had known? Think carefully. Well.
it dosen't matter. I was deceived my
self and when / afterwards went to
the Bellevue insane pavilion to make
some inquiries I found that he had
long since been discharged as cured.
There was just one hypothesis-the
existence somewhere of a strong and
alert personality; a genius along
mechanical and scientific lines; a crea-
ture Of abnormally developed mental
ity and cerrespondingly defective ethl-
cal nature; an intelligence absolutely
passionless and ruthless, playing the
game entirely for its own sake, and
equally Indifferent to the end and to
the means used to attain it-in other
words, a monster. Quite an elaborate
theory, you observe; but the difficulty
was to fit it to the individual. Look
ing back on the problem, accuse my
under my eyes and yet only an acci-
dent opened them.
well you recall the night at the
Utinam when we met Mr.. Chivers and
accepted his very liberal proposition
to become an adjuster of averages. OF
couse, it was a trap, but what con-
noisseur of the adventure grotesque
could refuse such a bait? All 1 wanted
to know was with whom I was ex-
pected to watch wits.
"Of course, the thousand dollar bills
were counterfeits-stage money? Not
at all; every one was as good as the
gold 1t called for at the subtreasury.
Bribery? From whom and for what?
Doubtless / should know later. AS
1T happened, found out little ahead
of time.
You remember the incident of the
honest cabman and the hieroglyphic
letter which he turned over to me?
Here it is, addressed. as you observe
to Mr.. Chivers."
Indiman drew from locked drawer
in the big center table the long strip
of blush paper covered with its in
comprehensive daShes. "One of the
oldest of devices for secret writing, 4"
he remarked. This slip of paper was
originally wrapped about cylinder Of
certain diameter and the message
traced upon it, and it can only be de-
eiphered by rerolling it upon another
cylinder Of the same diameter. Easy
enough TO find the right one by the
empiric method-I mean experiment.
Once you recognize the fundamental
character of the cryptogram the rest
follows with ridiculous certainty. Be-
hold"
Indiman took a long, round, slender
ufi oh xol md
ceeded to wrap the ribbon of blush
paper about 1t, touching both ends with
paste to keep the slip in place. 1t
read in part:
HE will not find the girl, but SO
long as those records remain in his
possession the possibility continues to
exist. / leave it with you to make the
bargain, and IL he is not altogether a
| fool he will be content with his 0,000
and Nos. 1915 Barowsky chambers will
be again without a tenant. Otherwise
and 1t is generally otherwise with
these meddlers-there will have to be
a new adjustment Of ages-what
a feliciteus phrase!-and this, as usual
I will take upon myself. One way or
the other, and, personally, don't care
a straw which it iS.'
The name signed to. this curious
epistle was David Magnus.
"Our DR.. Magnus of the Utfnan.' y
explained Indiman. but I hardly heard
him. One overwhelming thought OBJ
Scured everything else-there was q
real Lady Allegra, after all. That was
ito find her, and l had the clew.
must go at once. But Indiman re-
strained me-
Eyes, that is precisely what I want
you to do, only let us first understand
the situation thoroughly / intend re-
naming here during the progress OF
the investigation, and If anything
should happen"
what do you mean?"
Pleasant rooms. aren't they?" and
he looked about him approvingly. And
yet three men have been found sitting
dead in the particular chair that I am
now occupying"
only stared at him.
mo marks of violence" continued
Indiman. Nothing to indicate foul
play; nothing, mind you. Dead by the
visitation of Cod according to the
coroner, but I should call it an .ad-
justment of averages That is a fe-
licitous phrase. / got my facts, by
the way from the janitor He is rather
proud of the affair Barowsky, as we
may call It."
"a monster, indeed!" 1 exclaimed
warmly.
"Oh, we mustn't misjudge our good
DR.. MagnuS," said Indiman, induIgent-
ly. 81 used the word monster in q
purely psychological sense. You cans
call such being immoral; he is simply
immoral"