St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-08-29

| asked him where he was going ht
looked at me blankly across the table
and answered that he hadn't the least
idea.
Il drift about" he added. ri have
drifted about Europe all my life."
! 81 haven't travelled very much" ]
said. Il came along here from Biar.
ritz. Do you know it?''
NO" he answered. ave never been
south of Bordeaux"
These words were an admission that
the entry in the register of the Hotel
des Anglais at Nice was false. had
| felt convinced that he did not come
from Bayonne because of his north.
ern accent.
He was concealing his identity.
After dinner we strolIed across the
brightly lit Place to the cafe, and sat
outside to take our liqueurs and listen
to the band. 1t was there he drew off
MS glove, not, however, without a
slight hesitation, and exhibited to me
Wlthered claw-like hand. 1t was in
deed h1deous. | did not wonder that
ne preferred to keep it gloved. The
mesh had wizened and died upon fin
gers and palm until it had assumed
oark-DroWn color, while the bones
snone white beneath the skin,
Verltable skeleton hand with long I'M
trimmed nails, the hand of a demon
rather than that of a human being.
Even in my ignorance of the prac.
t1ce of medicine l saw that such ter
f1pIe disease was not the result of
rheumatism, and expressed that opinion.
But my friend merely shook his
head and pulled on the glove again
saying:
You're not the first doctor who has
told me that. Yet two great special
ISIS in Paris agreed as to the cause
and treatment. | must admit, how
ever, that I've been none the better
for 1t" and he smiled, coughing that
curious hacking cough.
Shall you play again?" asked. as
We rose and descended into the Place.
No" he answered, glancing up at
the illuminated clock of the Casino.
Il shall return"
ITO Nice?"
Yes, I'm at the Anglais, When
you're over look me up
Then, with mutual civilities, we ex-
changed cards, shook hands, and
parted.
His eagerness to depart during the
last few moments struck me as
strange; therefore returning into the
Casino slipped on another suit, and
when his train left the station for
Nice I was in another compartment
engrossed in the Petit Journal. 1t
CHANGED to be yellow rapide, and /
had to exercise considerable tact to
eVade recognition, as, with growing
restlessness, he walked along the cor
r:dors from end to end, peering into
each carriage as if in search of some
one.
rs this train from Ventimille?" /
heard him inquire of the guard, to
which the man gave an Affirmative
answer. It seemed as though hesex-
pected some one to arrive from the
Italian frontier.
On arrival at Nice he walked quick
ly down the Avenue de la Care until
he came to the Cafe de la Regence,
where he entered, seating himself at
table in far corner and ordering
a book. While drinking it I saw that
his keen eyes were fixed intently on
the table. The instant he left | took
his seat, and there upon the marble
top l saw some writing in pencil. It
was evidently a message, but he had
half effaced it by dipping his finger
in the droppings of the beer and care
lessly smearing it across. Yet the
two scrubbed words In French / was
enabled to read were sufficient to whet
my curiosity. They were as follows:
"Choucrouttmann crocodile"
To the uninitiated they possessed
no meaning, but my experience in
Paris had given me a good knowledge
of thieves argot, and | translated
them as German money lender
For a few minutes I sat staring at
the writing and thinking. Then sud-
den thought dawned upon me, and by
the next train l travelled back to
Monte Carlo, where I spent half an
hour over my cosmopolitan portrait
gallery. The words upon that table
had some very mysterious meaning.
Again | went to Nice by the eleven
o'clock rapide, that train which is al
ways filed with home-going gamblers,
and at once took a cab to the central
police office, in order that the observa-
ton should be continued upon the
mysterious stranger at his hotel AS I
entered, however, / was surprised to
meet Dumont, the well-known Paris
detective.
WELL" / exclaimed, greeting him
heartily, for we were excellent friends.
What brings you down here?"
"a CASE he answered. I've been
morrow. My man was believed to
have come down here for an airing
after committing a murder, but I've
been unable to trace him. He's a
hunchback."
"A hunchback!" / exclaimed, re-
fiecting for an instant. "And he MUIR
dered German money lender?"
Yes. How did you know?" in
quired Dumont. amazed.
But I kept my own counsel, and
merely answered:
You'll find your man at the Hotel
des Anglais, number LOG. Some of the
fraternity-an accessory, probably
has warned him tonight that you're
here, SO you'd better lose no time"