Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1911-08-18
CHAPTER VIII.
Britz Takes Action.


Lieutenant Britt occupied unique
position in the Detective Bureau His
official grade was the same as that Of
Oonnelly 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
one of the four or five men of the
entire detective force who could not
be classed as a "stool-pigeon man."
That Is, he did not depend on the use
OF 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
to high degree, combining an acute
try. These talents were reinforced by
a rare detective instinct, which often
led him irresistibly to the goal of his
pursuit.
He was bundle of twitching nerves
beneath placid exterior. Nature had
endowed him with an inscrutable
countenance, an iron will, and a rest
less energy that seemed to flow from
an ineXhaustible inner fountain. He
matched his resourcefulness against
the tricks of the criminals he pursued
and, having the keener mind, he in
variably won.
Births enthusiasm never dubbed to
the surface. He carried himself with
an appearance of mastery ease, as II
L. - IL j.. I1Er h
lection. 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,
seemed to emit a mysterious, mex
plicable current that circled around
one and drew one closer within its
constantly narrowing circumference.
The shade of melancholy that gloomed
his nature was not hidden by the
mask of superb Indifference that rest
ed on his well-defined features, with
their browning breadth of lightly fur
rowed forehead 1t revealed itself
with the slightest twitch of his facial
line of his mouth. BY some peculi-
arity of the blood, his complexion ran
a yellow ivory, never varying its color
under the stress of the strongest emo
tons 1t required superhuman cour-
age 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 a 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,
vet there were times when he felt
a desolation of heart, q longing for
companionship, for intimate associa-
ton with his fellow beings. On such
occasions, his life seemed to lack
something of the beauty Of other lives,
as If it had been cast in more SOM
her shade. He could feel a wave OF
melancholy coming on him, and to
avoid its 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 q fascination more pow
erfuI than that called up by any other
crime within his memory. He recog-
nized surface indications of a deep
cunning In the conception and execu-
+ion of the theft. His experienced
eve saw that no ignorant or vulgar
mind had engineered the substitution
Of those marvellous diamonds. The
nursuit of the criminal fairly sparkled
with exciting possibilities, and Britt
felt the thrill of the chase even before
he started the pursuit.
pritz paced nervously up and down
his room, revolving the incidents sur
rounding the discovery OF the THEFT
in his mind, but he was unable to pick
. cIew ON which to work Nor did the
occurrences in which Donnelly and
carson participated furnish any prom
Using material
on begin at the very bottom" he
.u,,r,,,,red land work gradually TO the
4on" He sauntered out of the house,
1,~altipg with the air Of one trying to
,o,rtben moments of reflection. In
front of the Missioner nome ne
,tonned surveying the massive stone
walls as If trying to figure the possf-