The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-09-07
CHAPTER VIII.
Britz Takes Action.

Britz Taxes Action.
Lieutenant Britt occupied a unique
position in the Detective Bureau. His
official grade was the same as that Of
Donne1ly and Carson, but, by sheer
force of his ability, he had lifted him
SELF SO far above them that when
working on a case they accepted his
orders like subordinates. Britt was
me Of tho four or five men Of the
entire detective force who could not
he classed as a 'stool-pigeon man."
THAT Is, he did not depend on the use
OK stool-pigeons for his results. He
needed no staff of thieves to inform
him OF the doings of other thieves.
HIS detective ability was developed
60 high degree, combining an acute
analytic sense with remarkable indus
Try. These talents were reinforced by
a rare detective instinct, which often
led him irresisdbly to the goal of his
pursuit.
He was a bundle Of tvitchlng nerves
beneath a placid exterior. Nature had
endowed him with an inscrutable
countenance, an iron will, and q rest
less energy that seemed to flow from
an inexhaustible inner fountain. He
matched his resourcefulness against
tine tricks of the criminals he pursued
and, having the keener mind, he In
xariably won.
Britz's enthusiasm never dubbed to
the surface. He carried himself with
I'm appearance of mastery ease, as If
he held his impulses in complete sub
ECtfon. There was nothing striking
In his stature, yet he left an impress
sion of hidden strength as Of steel
framework behind a light coating Of
plaster. His eyes, deep set beneath
the arched outline of his eyebrows,
peened to emit a mysterious, mex
plfcable current that circled around
une and drew one closer within it's
constantly narrowing circumference.
Tho shade of melancholy that gloomed
his nature was not hidden by the
mask Of superb Indifference that rest
sd on his we.ldeined features, with
their browning breadth Of lightly fur
rowed forehead. 1t revealed itself
with the slightest twitch of his facial
muscles as well as In the dropping
hne Of his mouth. BY some peculi-
Kx1ey OF the blood. his complexion ran
. yellow ivory, never varying its color
under the stress of the strongest emo
lions. It required superhuman cour-
ago to meet the steady gaze of his
eyes. and lie to him. Though some
what abrupt of manner and speech,
there was something engaging about
him, some subtle magic of personality
that brought one under the thrall of
his mind. Almost without the utter
ance of syllable, he could bend weak
natures to his will. Only the strong
est persons were able to resist his
domination.
He was one of those strange beings
who live mostly within themselves,
yet there were times when he felt
a desolation Of heart. a longing for
companionship, for intimate associa-
lion with his fellow beings. On such
occasions, his life seemed to lack
something of the beauty of other lives,
as If 1t had been cast In a more SOM
Der shade. He could feel a wave of
melancholy coming on him, and to
avoid It's depressing influence, he turn
ed his mind resolutely to his work,
feasting on the crime at hand as on
some tempting dish. Without knowing
why, the Missioner diamond robbery
held for him fascination more pow
erful than that called up by any other
crf,,,a within bfc rnop,ory ua raco0.
nized surface indications of a deep
cunning In the conception and execu-
ton of the theft. His experienced
eye saw that no ignorant or vulgar
mind had engineered the substitution
of those marvellous diamonds. The
pursuit of the criminal fairly sparkled
with exciting possibilities. and Britz
felt the thrill of the chase even before
he'started the pursuit.
Britt paced nervously up and down
bis room, revolving the incidents sur
rounding the discovery Of the theft
In his mind, but he was unable to pick
a clew on which to work. Nor did the
occurrences in which Donnelly and
Carson participated furnish any prom
ksfng material.
I'll begin at the very bottom" he
murmured, land work gradually to the
top" He sauntered out of the house,
walking with the air of one trying to
lengthen moments of reflection. In
'front.' Of the Missioner home he
stopped. surveying the massive stone
walls, as II trying to figure the posi-