Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1910-05-20

DutleT III the uOOI. Ouly u DIT OF u
peep aroundl' His manner of putting
his desire, supplemented by a half
crown, left the butler no alternative
save to comply with the request until
the peep around began to develop
into more than cursory examination.
when his sense of propriety became
outraged and the visitors welcome
was cut short.
HE was that curious. a regular
Paul Pry," explained the servant to
John Steele in narrating the incident
on the latter's return to London.
Seemed specially taken by the re-
ports of the old trials you have on the
shelves. sir. What an interesting col
lection of causes ~celebresl he kept re-
marking. I suppose your master
makes much of them He would have
been handling of them. too. and when
| showed him the door-trusting | did
right, sir, even if he should happen to
be a client-he asked more questions
before going"
What questions? ' quietly.
"Per~sonal-like. But | put a stop to
that"
For a few moments John Steele said
nothing. His face ON his temperance
in London had looked slightly paler,
more set and determined, not unlike
that of a man who. strongly assailed,
has made up his mind to do battle to
the end. With whom? How many?
you will admit no one to my cham
bers during my absence In the future"
said Steele at length to the man stern
", mo one, you understand, under
any pretext whatever, eyen''-a flicker
of grim humor in the deep eyes-'if
he should say he was a client of
mine"
The butler returned a subdued an
swer, and John Steele. after a mo-
ment's thought, stepped to a large safe
in the corier and, applying a some
what elaborate combination. swung
open the door. Taking from a COM
partment a bundle of papers carefully
rolled, he unfastened the tape, spread
them on a table and amined them,
one after the other. They made 4
voluminous heap. Here and there on
the white pages In bold regular scrip.
appeared the name of a Her
life lay before him. the various stages
Of an odd and erratic career-at n caha-
ret at Montmartre, at a casino In the
Paris bohemian quarter. In London
at a variety hall Of amusement. And
afterward-wastrel nomad! Through
o..% +ho .r~t4trr In vzopx ~ fhn doan-
ments another name, too. a titled
name, a mans, often came and went,
fitted elusively from leaf to leaf.
The reader looked at this name,
wrote a page or two n inserted
them. But his task seemed to afford
him little satisfaction. His face wora
an expression not remote from dis
enlargement. None knew better than
be the actual value. for his purpose.
of the material before him-the chaff.
froth, bubble of the easel Almost con
temptuously he regarded IT. Had he
sougat
He drew himself up suddenly as IL
to shake Off ~momentary doubt or de-
preston. Replacing his documents in
the safe and locking 1t, he walked into
place on the wall hung foils and broad
swords, and the only furnishings were
the conventional appointments of a
home gymnasium.
Here, having dotted his street
clothes and assumed the scant costume
nf tho ofhInta for on hn11r ~ morn hn
exercised vigorously, every muscle re-
spending to its task with an untiring
ease that told of a perfect system of
training, which proved of service to
him and his well being, for n night
not long thereafter he was called upon
to defend himself from a number of
footpads who set upon him.
The episode occurred in his W
street near a corner. where the shad-
ows were black at an hour when the
narrow way seemed silent and desert
ed. For a block or more footballs had
sounded behind him. now quickeninr
then becoming more deliberate, IN uni
son with his own steps, as from time
to time he purposely altered his pace.
Once he had stopped. ~whereupon they,
too, had paused.
John Steele seemed oblivious. He
moved into a doorway and, drawing
from his pocket a cigar. unconcerned-
~ lighted a match. The fellows looked
at him. at the tiny fame. 1t fliekered
and went out. They hesitated. He
felt in his pocket. giving them time -
move by. They did not do so. In II
moment the others from the main
highway would join them. AS If dis
appointed In not finding what he
sought, Steele. looking around, appear
ed to see for the first time the evil
looking misereants who had CONT
from the direction Of the Thames and.
striding toward them, asked brusquely
for a light. One Of the fellows thus
pparannpforc addracco1 bod aat1ai-