The Washington times., 1906-09-09


tion or two ago" said
Felix Boyd. through
wreath Of pipe smoke.
''He is not the buriy midnight rufhan
al mere fancy of whom We shud-
sered I'm our trundIe beds the bearded
fellow In rough attire and sinister mask.
with a kir of tools under his coat and
a brace OF Smith & WCsson's in his
hin pockets. whose chief attribute was
brute force. and who cracked with
equal ComplacenCy merchan' atIe
OF the merchants skull
Jimmie Coleman laughed, knocking
the ashes from his cigar. aud nodded
approvinEly.
This central office man was Boyd.s
very intimate friend end most ardent
adnlrer probably the latter because ne
knew uuch more of Boyd's remarkable
talents than any other man. so was
hest able 10 appreciate his eNtraofdi-
aary abilities.
He had dropped into Boyd's office In
Pine street half an hour before, merely
n eriov a morning smoke In genial
company
.rYou are right. Felix" said no.
''Thiugs have changed nightly In that
respect since we wore fsock and
kuICEcrbocker-.
Instead. Jimmie" added Royd, in
Eliminating mood, 1--WE have today the
much more intelligent and dangerous
scamp. who forms and executes his i"-
sians with exquisite cunning and
saeaoitr. and who employs every mod
ern mechanical device with which 10
overcome the constantly Improving
safeguards he encounters. The tran
sltiou has been gradual hut IS very
pronounced. and the detective art has
undergone a corresponding change
'That ls true. too. Felix"
''-Tba successful slauth ~ today.
Jimmie. besides possessing the dog
eed parslstency and brute courage Of
old. must he a man ~ broad intel
liEence. a keen observer and subtle an
aIvst. and ono capable Of discerning
remote relations. The detection ~
obscure bits Of evidence. and the art
Of making correct deductions there
from. chiefly serve 20 solve the great
criminal mysteries Of the present
day"
''TIme and again. Felix. YOU have
demonstrated that" nodded Coleman
Witness that bond robbery Of Curry.
Gale & Fiske last November BY the
way. I see that that man Wykoff,
vhom YOU suspected Of having had
band IN -9at affair. Is again operating
an the curb"
BOYD smiled oddly and laid away
his pipe.
..,y-.-,-se -. ,.,-,arl-o7 at that time
was not the master knave in that af-
fair" said ne. Take NV word for it.
Jimmie. there was another Richmond
somewhere I'm the field. That Ingenious
robbery was not designed by Paul
Wykcr. but by some much more cap
>ble and far-reachlng knave.'
'Do -ou stu think so?'
'I DO. indeed" said Boyd. with no
ticeabla gravity. 1T is my impression,
Jimmie. that something seriously
wrong exists down here below the
Dead Line"
why DO YOU think sou
"Doa't ask me why; the grounds for
nv uisgivinss are still vague and IN
definite. Yet I seriously believe that,
somewhere tn this wealthy locality,
where millions change hands with each
the very heart Of ouv great financial
maelstrom. there exists a veritahle
genius for crime"
"A genius for crime echoed Cole
man.
"A man whose obscure personality
nav ne only vaguely dlscevued behind
crafty operations executed hy others,
Vet directed by him with all the evil
H..U.
OF a master Of knavcry. ] see only
vague signs of this az present, Jim
mie. now and then cropping ont in
crimes OF new and peculiar originality.
an of which point 10 a maStcrful and
malignant genius hid n the back
ground. AS yet I have been un-
able to get the least definite line upon
him. but some day I shall do So Some
day Jimmie. one of these peculiar
cr4nes viii give me a clue 20 this mas
ter Inave. who. ] believe, Turks about
here Ike a spider ia Its web. and
conspires with and directs wcll-or-
ganized gang Of
Easy put I'm Coleman. lifting his
rorefnger. There are steps In the
corridor. Some one Is coming this
way"
- ~
4 stranger uuceremoniously entered.
He was about City years Of asc, stout
~ bult. and his pale face and dnatcd
ewes at once indicated exceeding nor-
vousuess and excitement
'I am looking for Mr.. Boyd-Nfr.
Felix Boyd" he said quickly. with
restless glances at each OF his hear
ers "po 7 find him Eereo"
Boyd reached for his pipe. at the
same time signing the stranger to a
chair.
.I am Felix Boyd" said ne Take
a seat. sir"
"In a moment just a moment ncr-
vouslv reioined the stranger, hasten
inc 90 produce a card. Il am Nathan
Dickson. Of Maiden Lane. dealer i'm
diamonds. ana the American agent
for some If the largest diamond mer-
chants NJ London and Amsterdam. Ny
card. Mr.. BOyd.'
Thank you,' murmurcd Boyd, with
hIe keen. gray ewes half hidden under
their dropping lids And what pray.
can 7 do for YOU, ar, Dickson
''I come 10 YOU from my bankers.
who told me that. il but mentioned
their name. YOU would readily advise
me-" Dickson quickly explained. men
tIoning one of the largest banking