Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-10
CHAPTER XVIII.

SAAox LIN IA v LA.
Gilbert Hannaway rose from his chair
to greet an unexpected visitor. \ few
minutes before. lingering over his after
breakfast cigarette, he had found life dun
enough. But the magic name on the
piece of pasteboard which he still held
In his hand had aroused In him something
very much like excitement.
Mr.. Leblun." he said. holding out his
hand, Il am very glad to know you, sir.
There was nothing impressive about the
appearance of Jacques I.eblun. He was
short and slight, dark, clean shaver and
with a somewhat worn face. His eyes
were nearly always half closed. as though
he were short-sighted. His hair was
parted in the middle and arranged with
great exactness. He disposed Of his hat
and stick and accepted the armchair
which his host had wheeled up to the
fire.
Your name Hannaway remarked.
has been familiar to me for good
many years, ever since | spent some
time in Paris, matter of fact"
Leblun nodded. He spoke English eX-
cellently and with very little accent. You
are very kind. SIR he said. You were
years ago"
THAT is true" Hannaway admitted
You We're present. I also believe" Le-
blum continued. when a house in the
Place Noire was raided by gendarmes
and several captures made. 1t was "A
gaming house and the home of certain
men of a dangerous character"
Hannaway nodded. II was there play
ing baccarat," he said. The place in
terested me. L had been there several
times before"
Leblun sighed gently. Mr.. Hanna
way he said. Il am getting an old man
now. Such ambitions as I had are prac-
tically either laid aside or accomplished.
i am, or rather / have been all my life,
as 1 think you know. a detective. You.
l believe, are one of those gentlemen
who, without being connected with such
matters professionally. still find a GER
tain amount of interest-shall l say
sport?-in following out to their termina-
ton such affairs may chance to inter
est you. Have / expressed myself so that
you understand me? l spoke English a
great deal when | was younger but late
ly / am little out of practice
Your English is perfect, Mr.. Leblun,
Hannaway said. land ! understand ex-
actly what YOU say. 1t is true that
have taken certain amount of interest
In some of the great crimes of the day.
1t is also true. if you care to know it,
that my interest in that house in the
Place Noire was largely because / was
aware that the gaming tables were being
conducted in an illicit fashion. and l was
was another and a more criminal reason
for it's existence.
Leblun sighed gently. I'VE should have
met in those days" he remarked. I'VE
might have been able to help each other.
A raid, as you know. was made and Ger
tain captures effected. Marcel, who
posed as the ringleader. was arrested and
convicted, not only for the various rob-
berries which 1t was proved had emanated
from that house, but for having shot
dead a gendarme In trying to escape.
Marcel-this may be news to you-escaped
from his prison three weeks ago."
"Escaped?" Hannaway murmured.
Leblun nodded. ITO you. SIR he con.
tinued, st do not mind confessing that
we could. If we had chosen, have arrested
him within a dozen hours of his escape.
For reasons of my own l persuaded the
chief Of police to let him go for q time
hands upon him, and In the interests OF
justice I was curious to see In what dr.
rection he would turn his footsteps"
In the interests of justice?" Hanna
way repeated. You are going little
beyond me-
Ieblun nodded. Permit me-" he said,
Ito explain. Marcel. at the trial. as you
may or may not remember, vigorously
that fatal shot. He also declared that
there was another. an Englishman. be-
hind him In the conception and execution
of that remarkable series of thefts In
which the gang that inhabited the house
in the Place Noire was implicated. Mar
eel was not, ! may add. believed, except
by me. / have been convinced always
that there escaped from the house that
night. wheeling a piano. and having 10y
his side hunchback and singing girl,
the man whose brain was really respon-
sible for the most daring and successful
robbery that Paris has ever known.
Therefore, when Marcel escaped, l said
let him go. Let us follow him. He will
hot xIyhn in
probability, made off with the large sums
of money which we were unable to lay
our hands on at the time of the raid.
Marcel headed straight for London. de
is in London now. in hiding and in des-
perate fear for his life. Since his COM
ing he has added to his crimes. Two
days ago, in some drunken quarrel, he
stabbed his companion. an associate,
man named Pierre Michel. and only es-
capped from the police through miracle
you take my breath awayr' Hanna
way exclaimed. II read in the papers
OF an affair-near Waterloo bridge.
think it was-between two Frenchmen.
/Leblun nodded. Marcel, he said, lis
lying, as he thinks. securely hidden. in
reality watched by an army of spies.
But he makes no move. He goes no
where He has sent one message, and
only one. That was delivered to a hunch-
back somewhere down in Pickett street.
who goes around with piano and
monkey. Without doubt he is the
same person who was with the man OF
whom Marcel is in search
1.-THE note was delivered?" Hannaway
asked.
1.-The note was delivered. Leblun an
sWered Every movement of the hunch-
back will be watched, just the same as
every movement of Marcel himself Ii
is clear that for some reason Marcel does
not desife to communicate directly with
his former coadjutor. He is going to do
it through Drake. At least, that is what
we surmise."
Tell me-" Hannaway asked, since
Marcers arrival in this country has he
made no calls whatever upon any one
whom you could associate with the house
in the Place Noire?"
I'VE fancy not. Leblun answered.
Perfect though l believe my spy system
is, there was one night when it went
wrong. Marcel and Pierre disappeared
somewhere in the West End, and for sew
eral hours were not seen. They reap
peared however, at a small cafe in Soho.
without money. but in a state of some
excitement / don't think it possible that
they would discover the man whom they
had lost and come away without money"
II have found all this exceedingly in
teresting." Hannaway admitted. Now
let me ask you a more personal question.
Why have you come here to take me
into your confidence"
fTo ho