The evening world., 1911-01-14
Another ARSENE
g q g LUPIN Story
Hollow Needle"
By Maurice Leblanc

Of ferocity that betrayed all his bitter
ness at the humiliations which he had
undergone. all his fierce hatred OF the
great enemy who q trioked him so
crusily.
&c away. now" he whispered. I'VE
are observed. It's dangerous. But mark
words: on the day when Lupin and
I meet face to face. II will belt will
be tragic"
Beautrelet felt quite treasured on ieav-
ing Shears: he need not fear that the
Englishman would gain on him. And
here was one more proof which Thu
chance interview had brought him; the
roa from the Havre to Lille passes
through Dieppe! 1t Is the great seasid
road OF the aux country. the coas
road commanding tho han cliff
And II was on a farm near this road
that Victoire was installed. vlctolrs
that 10 to say. Lupin, for one did not
move without tho other, the master
without the blindly devoted servant.
I'm burning! I'm burning!" he re-
peated to himself. Whenever ciroum-
N bring me . new element OF In
formation. II confirms my superstition.
On tho ono hand. I have the absolute
certainty of the banks of the Seine: on
the other. the certainty OF the National
Road. N two means OF communica-
ton meet at the Havre. the town OF
Francis l.. the town, of the secret. The
boundaries are contracting. The Caux
country 10 not large; and. even %. !
have only the western portion Of the
Caux country to search"
He set to work with renewed stub
bornnsss:
Anything tina Lupin has found"
he kept on saying to himself. there
II M rAnaAn o. 100 40 Al.-
Certainly Lupin had some great ad-
vantage over him. perhaps Q thorough
acquaintance with the country. . pre-
else knowledge Of the local legends.
or less than that, . memory: invalu-
able advantages these. for he. Beautre-
let. knew nothing. was totally ignorant
Of the country. which he had nrst
visited at the time OF the fAmbrurnesy
BURGLARY. and then only rapidly. with
out lingering.
BIT what did II mAtterr Though he
had TO devote ten years Of his life 10
his Investigation, he would carry Il 70
n successful issue. Lupin was there.
He could sec him. he could feel him
there. He expected to come upon him
at the next turn OF the road. on the
skirt OF the next wood. outside the next
village. And. though continually dis
appointed. he seemed to md In zach
disappointment . fresh eason for per-
sisting.
Often he would ning himself on the
slope by the roadside and plunge into
wild examination of the copy Of the
cipher. which he always carried on him.
Often. also. according to his habit. he
would lie dowr nat on his stomach In
the tall grass and think for hours. lie
had time enough. h future belonged
to him.
With wonderful patience ne tramped
from the Seine 10 the sea, and from the
sea TO the Seine. going gradually far
ther. retracing his steps and never quit
ting the ground until. theoretically
speaking. there was no han left OF
gathering the smallest particle upon Il.
lie studied and explored Monuvilliers
and Saint-Romani and Octsvills and
Bonneville and Criauetot.
At night he knocked at tho p~easants'
doors and asked for lodging. After
Inner they smoked together n chat
ted. He made them tell him the stories
which they told ono another on the
long winter nights. And he never
omitted to i~nsinuate. silly:
What about the Needle9 The legend
Of the Hollow Needler Don't you knor
THAR"
Upon my word I dcn't-nsver hearc
or IT
"Just think-an old wives tale-some-
thing that has 10 do with a needle. An
enchanted needle. perhaps.-I don't
know
Nothing. No legend. no recollection.
And the next morning he walked blithely
away again.
one day he passed through the pretty
village OF Saint-Jouin. which overlooks
the sea. and. descending among the
chaos OF rocks hat have slipped from
cliffs. he climbed up to the lakeland
ana went In the direction OF tina -ry
valley OF Bruneval. Cap d'Antlfer and
the little creek OF Belle-Plage. He Wa.
walking gayly and lightly. feeling a
little tired perhaps, but glad to be alive.
so glad. even. that he forgot Lupln aad
the mystery OF the Hollow Needle and
victoire and Shears. and interested him-
self IN the sight of Nature-the blue
sky, the great emerald sea-. all glitterins
In the sunshine.
Some straight slopes and remains
brick walls. in which he seemed ~
recognize the vestiges of a Roma
camp. interested him. Then his eyes
fell upon a sort OF little castle. built
In imitation OF an ancient fort. with
cracked turrets and Gothic windows.
1t stood on a Jagged. rugged. rising
p%romontory, almost detached from the
clln. A barred gate. fanked by iron
hand rails and bristling spikes. guarded
tHc uargCv massage.
lTo Be Continusd1