The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-06-29

call up Monsieur X, that gentleman
answered without a thought of sus-
picion; nor was he even aware of the
very ingenious successive weakenings
OF the current. In fact, as merely the
thickness of roof separated his re-
ceiving instrument from the wires from
which the messages were sent, it is
probable that Eldridge might have
weakened his current down practically
to nihil, and still Monsieur X would
have continued to get his message"
Wouldn't he have noticed the send
ing getting weaker% asked Jack
shrewdly.
Not until the very last. Our send.
ing must have made a tremendous
crash, anyway, and he probably read
It by sound through the wall"
But at about the fifty-miie limit of
sending We lost him." objected Jack.
You mean at about O'Clock in the
morning" amended barrow.
"Eh? Yes, IT was about two. But
how did he get on to what Eldridge
was doing?"
"He read it in the paper" replied
barrow. AT twelve the reporters left.
At little before two our enterprising
friend, the Dispatch, issued an extra
in its usual praiseworthy effort to en-
tighten the late Broadway jag. Mon
sieur X read it, and knew exactly what
was up"
How do you know"
Because | read the extra myself"
But even them"
Then he began to pay more atten-
ton. 1t was easy enough to fake when
he knew what was doing. For all I
know, he could hear E1dridge giving
his directions
The company present rurninated over
the disclosures thus far made.
About the City Hall AFFAIR."" asked
Helen finally.
Il used to sit where I could COM
mand the hail." said barrow, "and,
therefore, ! was aware that Monsieur
X never left his room. To make the
matter certain, powdered the sill of
the door with talcum, which / renewed
every day after the cleaners. You re-
member we got to talking very earnest
ly in the hall, so earnestly that /, for
one, forgot to watch. When l realized
my remissness, l saw that the powder
on the sill had been disturbed, that
Tau kOIc OuI-
MY frse thought then was to warn
the people. To that end l was on my
way to the Dispatch Office when sheer
chance switched me into the City Hail
tragedy. l possessed myself of the ap-
paratus-
That was the square black bagP'
cried Jack
"Of course-and hustled back to the
Atlas Building. You can bet I was re-
lieved when l found that Monsieur X
had returned to his lair"
"Talcum disturbed agains asked
Jack.
Precisely"
Contained merely a model wireless
apparatus with a clockwork arrange
ment set to close the circuit at a Ger
tain time That is why Monsieur X
was not involved in his own catas-
trophe."
Il see"
Then all / had to do was to sit
still and wait for him to become dan
gerous"
How did you dare to take such
chances?" cried Helen.
Il took no chances" answered Oar
row. Don't you see, If he were to
attempt to destroy the city, he must
either involve himself in the destruc-
ton, or he must set another bit of
clockwork. If he had left his Office
again | should have seized him, broken
into the Office, and smashed the ap-
paratus."
But he was crazy" spoke up Mrs.
Warford- How could you rely on his
not involving himself in the general de-
struction"
yes, why did you act when you
did?' seconded Helen
"As long as he held to his notion
of getting hold of Mccarthy ex-
planned barrow, "he had a definite OBJ
ject in life, his madness had definite
outlet-he was harmless. But the last
message showed that his disease had
progressed to the point where Nc
Carthy was forgotten. His mind had
risen to a genuine frenzy. He talked
of general punishments, great things.
At last he was in the state of mind of
the religious fanatic who lacerates his
flesh and does not feel the wound.
When he forgot Mccarthy. / knew it
was time to act Long since had pro-
vided myself with the requisite key.
You know the rest"