Evening star., 1912-10-06
CHAPTER VIII. Close Quarters
EFTER that slamning and Dol

CHAPTER VIII. Close Quarters
EFTER that slamming and boiling of the door
~ of reconciliation, the talk in the train
4NER died away. Steingal began to chat
NXSN about other matters, hoping to draw
N@M out his strange companion, and take
INNaOAN his measure more completely by IN
I0ZAl\ terchange of ideas and "reminiscences;
kYlloNW4 but Waverton, pleading fatigue,
MlGGlN| dozed for an hour or longer
WAz|W He not fegnlng sleep. OBJ
W@HW viously he was still enfeebled by the
wv injuries he had received in the accl-
a I(<A O dent, and the activities of the day
@ - had exhausted him. So Steingau
>M could only seize the opportunity to
VH9 study an interesting face; and this,
to be sure, he did thoroughly. The
strange outcome was that the closer he analyzed
Wavertons characteristics portrayed in his worn
features the less he understood how Mrs Delamar had
contrved to ruin such life. He failed completely
read into the strong stern, selfreliant lineaments
the indelible records of a roue drunkard, jaded
patron of the prize ring and haunter OF the degraded
circles that pander to the idle and dissolute in New
York and the rest of the worlds capitals Illness has
pathos and dignity of its own but it cannot eface
the of vicious years Yet Claude Waverton bore
closer resemblance to who had fought through
long and arduous campaign than to the dssoute neer-
do-wel whose evil repute almost worldwide.
In fact Steingal summed him up exactly as Clancy
had DONE and the extraordinary thought intruded it
self, as he the man.?
There could be doubt of it, and the detective
frowned at the nonsense he was indulgng in. Mrs.
Waverton, the French the servants at 64th-st.,
Rice (who had been Wavertons valet for years.
been in constant communication of ate) of these
people had questioned his identity. Then, there
mained Mrs. Delamar and Tearle, intimate acqua1nt-
ances of the last twelve months whose fortunes
bound up curiousy with Wavertons,t notion had
entered their minds that the hero of many wild
escapades and the worn, tired man now nesting in
corner of the not and the person.
Steingall laughed softly to himself. Guess it's
clear case of metamorphoss he said. Then his brows
wrinkled again; though he chuckled at conceit
that had occurred to him.
At New York it was Waverton who showed the
greater self possession Seingall about bid him
goodnight, when the other caught his
"By the way he said "are you taking taxi"
"Yes"
"Good. You shall drop at my hotel. Thus do
revenge myself for being regarded suspicious per-
son. | waste your day, smoke your cgars,-by the
way, let me have another,-and your cab. Do you
always treat criminals in this lordy way Inspector"
"If they conduct themselves well, Mr.. Waverton"
and Steingall grinned at the hunor of the situation.
TALKING matters with Clancy. he reverted to
the singular contrarietv of Claude Waverton's
present manners and past history.
Summing him up while he slept in the train he said,
Il called it of metamorphosis One uses such
terms loosely Can you tell me just what etamorpho
Sis means?'
site to that which you think it means. The word you
wanted was metempsychosis."
"Oh it! Then perhaps YOU will be good enough
to carry the correction a stage further.
"Metempsychosis implies the passing of a mans soul
after death into some other BODY"
Excellent! Let's put that diary. The Joke
will explain itself when watch the Commissioners
face while he reads it."
commissioners unirnagnatlve mortalS, they
would not be chosen for the job snapped Clancy. at
is my firm belief that when Waverton hammered
into insensibity against the rocks at Palm Beach