The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-06-30
CHAPTER XI.
The Supreme Test.

~ REALTY as Hargreaye had been
shocked by WaldrOn's sudden
exhibition of all but murderous
anger. by his assault on Syme
and by his heartless cynicism. greatly
as he had come to Ioathe the nature Of
this refined criminal nature which in
adversely grew subservieut: in prosper
ity malicious and overbcaring-yet the
doctor had stiu other experiences in
store for him-exDerience which, al
though they Weakened no liking for the
man. forced from the surgeon an un-
willing admiration. For that WaIdr0n,
once the trump cards Of the game were
IN his hand, possessed nerves Of steel
and peculiar fascinating brayado, not
even Hargreave could deny.
The surgeon would have left him long
before, either by force or strategy. and
would nave gone back to tine world 10
DIS WoTh, his friends. had not ne given
ms word To see the whole affair through
10 ITS termination. once that word
given. Hargreave never broke il mo-
matter what the cost
ell, Doctor WalGrCn remarked 70
nun over the breakfast coffee cups on
ne last day of May. well. now thar
y me disposed of, safe in Yarmouth
IOSA-up Tor sixty days on a convenient
'lidlE re OF Fagraucy, there's inst ono
t 25Sner matter to attend 10, and we're
Hargreave did not reply. He only SAT
ultIe AT the table, Studyiuo v-irr -+rgr-
i've eeys the strange. TRANSMITTED fgra
before MIN, a face still hand ana -
s0iellCeIess despite its total alteration
Syme, hal haI" laughed lV'lT.r--,,
win real cEeerfulnesS. His a,-s- 49,, ~
pIlSht' ms hand no longer trembIe-I- lie
hueS OF health were once more ir' -
cheek. He needed no IOrga- -, -'- - -
70 walk with His restoration yyas 1U
buI complete 10 a condition Of bodily
oLtngln even greater than before Ha--
eIedVe had first seen him Ccsssrio,
from the drug coupled with good sIes-,
normal appetite, and proper exeycfsa
neu taken ten years from his seeming
''Syme!" he repeated scornfuUv ..tI.
won try blaCkmailing again i'm
hurry! His little plan fen tnrouoF
ullh ~ EEen that letter he had pre-
ndde way with. won't do him any good
now. Let them come. say J. II he
DIDN'T know me, what other human be-
Ing wOuld?"
Lieutenant Sherman. nerba-,ss.. ~
EesJed the doctor. quietly. "He's beED
at the Detective Bureau 800 NuTbarry
street, for more than twenty wears. ana
IN IN an that time he's never once failed to
"A criminal Say it out doctor,
~ good strong. English word: crini-
nal, crook, murderer. anything won IiI-,a
NO har-spllttng here Let's be honest
with ourselves, at any rate-T
AS you Will Hdrgreave replied.
NOT one single criminal, out of thou
SANDS, has he ever failed TO ideutif,-.
provided only that he'd ever seen fEa
man or photograph of him No mat
Ter what DISCUSSES meet him. he uicrces
tnem al a glance For example
w no. Naidron.S attention quick
tHeu- IeI me what YOU know of Shcr-
man, VIII yoU2 1 knox something my
ser, Dut not enough. His work was fusr
me very matter I wanted TO speak to
OuI "Lgie canvas rms Sherman. YOU
say What has he ever really done TO
give him the reputation Of the most
Icrmldable identifying witness in the
wOrld2f
What hasn't he done? rather ask
the doctor smiled. "A mere list OF his
incredible cases would MI book. The
man is not merely a genius AT the work
but ne possesses absolutely SUperhuman
ToWerS-poWers that he himself doesn't
understand the workings Of 1t makes
no difference to him whether he has
seen the man or the photograph recently
OF years ago-he can always recognize
pltner AT glance, under no matter what
COncealment Not only can he Mace
and name every suspect brought before
him, but be can give all the mans varf-
Gus misdeeds. prison sentences and rec
ords, and even the personal miuutidc
such as hidden mole tattoo marks and
the like"
els it possible2" asked Waldron.
quickly, a shade OF uneasincss crossing
his face.
Not only possibre. but absolutely
true" the doctor assured him. There
are more than 1900 portraits in the
Togues' gallery at headquarters in New
MY own among them. thanks to the
assiduity Of Syme"' interrupted Wal
drOn. bitterly
Your own among them; or. rather,
Lawlor's,' the surgeon continued.
naHH
claim that ne could look through al
these 1900 ana give the name of the
original or each. still the fact remains
that no criminal whose picture is fin the
gallery has ever been brought before
him in the more than forty years of his
service without his having been able to
identify the man almost al frs. chance
WaldrOu'S eyes grew calculating AS
he asked. 1T makes no difference. YOU
say, whether ne mas ever seen the orig
inal or nOt2 OF whether even the best
disguise eNists-best, I mean, IN the
ordinary sense2'
why. OF course. you understand"
replied HaTgTeaNe, that I speak merely
as a casually informed person, not eS-
cathcdra. but, from what ] know OF
Sherman's work, l should say, no it
makes no difference. sherman, you
see always appears 20 establish some
sore Of mental attachment between the
man and the picture, an attachment
which works either way ard pencJrateS
any superficial stimulation. But. why
these many questions
"NNhy2 Can you not guesS2'
Possibly. but I prefer TO have YOU
put the answer into words, rather than
40 * myself. Professional etiquette, il
seems 20 me, rather forDids my tres
passing on such vital ground at this
sine. when our ways are so close to
separation"
WaldrYn lighted a cigar before reply
ing. eNfIlCd n nebula Of VapOr, then
looked at Hargreave with a peculiar eX-
prcssiCu and laughed.
Doctor said ne finally, It won't in
sulJ tgat fine intelligence Of yours, Tor
which I have today such an Ovcrp0Uer-
ing respect, by eXp0unding the obvious.
Let ue just say this, that so long as
one living creature recognizes me. I
shall have failed OF my whole purpose.