The Washington times., 1913-04-06
CHAPTER TX.
Fighting the Devil With Fire.

= WAS just finishing up an afternoon S
work at my office day or two la
i ter when my clerk brought me
word that Lieutenant Richards OF
the police wished 10 see me.
He came in rather impTessively and
seated himself beside my desk. But.
after his first word of greeting. he let
the better part of a minute go by in
silence. Underneath his officially ON
niscient manner it was possible to see
that he was both puzzled and excited.
Well said | at last. to start things.
who pays for that dinner at. Chap
pell's?''
IHe didn't answer the question direct
". but brought his big fist down on a
flee boy half an hour to straighten out
again.
Your friend Jeffrey" said he. lis, a
queer fish. He'll be blind to a fact
that's as plain as the scarehcads on the
morning edition of an afternoon paper.
picture postcard and find out more from
,it'.than tire, whole department could
learn in week.
He was right about it. them" said l.
Richards nodded. Are you sure he
can't read Japanese he asked.
HE said he couldn't said I, and
I've never had any occasion to doubt
his word
We'll 1T beats me-" said the lieuten-
ant. THAT printing was an address
over on East Twenty-second street. just
asf he said, spelled out some sort of
.aast with a picture or the rising sun.
Can you beat il? Well, | had the place
looked up and she's there all right
TShe?''
THE woman whose other place We
raided-the one VINO was doing the ma
terializadons. She's a ciairvoyant now
and cfystal-gaZer l suppose her hus-
bands somewhere around in the back
groind.',
S"'Yons haven't arrested them yet
said |.
You can't arrest them yet" said
Richards: Ion the murder charge The
thing s. too thin. OF course. any arrest
In sconpection with that murder is going
tor be a tremendous sensation. And il
we let the big noise loose before we get
our case. we'll probably scare the case
away The thing to arrest them on IL
'the charge OF extorting money by tine
practice of magic. II they didn't know
the other thing, We might be able 10
get some valuable admissions out of
them
What's the difficulty about that
course" said l. There must he some
difficulty or you'd have followed it."
There is said the lieutenant. Sine 5
Keeping very quiet. She isn't advertis-
ing or holding public seanCes. Nothing
that would justify a raid. The only
way to work 1t is 10 get some one TO
make a complaint against her,
Il understand" said l. Some one
has got TO go to her and consult hel
and pay her money and then complain
to the police"
That's the idea said he.
And the difficulty is that they're so
shy and suspicious. and they know all
the Investigators so well that they Won t
take anybody but bona-fide clients.
And a bona-fide client won't complain. ="
- Nv desk telephone rang just then, and
the next moment Gwendolyn's voice was
in my ear
II Gwendolyn wanted to be a mus
sionary and go about scattering sun
shine, as the phase goes, all she'd have
to do would be TO spend an hour or two
day calling people up on the telephone
In the. midst of their business worries
and givins them the momentary luxury
of the: sound Of her voice.
I'm in your outer office" she said.
Il came down to sign those papers you
wanted. IL isn't important bit. But
when they told me Lieutenant Richards
was with you I couldn't resist asking
about the postcard"
Come in I said. Were rather at Il
standstill and you may be able to help
us out.
.. ITS N:Ss. Jack Marshall explained
to the lieutenant as I hung up.
He had looked a bit dubious on hear
ing ne invite her in. but. he lighted up
Immediately on hearing who she was.
The manicure, girl; h" cried. Il
wish We could pin star on her aud
make her one of the force. Where we'd
have been without her in that Marshall
hate to think,
They greeted each otho: pleasantly
and il didn't take us two minutes tC
present our difficulty before her.
She sat smiling in thoughtful silence
for a moment after we'd done and then
electrified us both by saying:
''I'll go and consult her myself
You wouldn't want 20 do that. Gwen
dolyn!" I cried. AN informcr's lot is
not happy one any more than a po-
liceman's. You'd have to 20 into court
and appear against woman and be
subjected to an examination by a third
rate pOlice-court lawyer
'Ill GO she said, but | don't prom
iss to make a complaint. Perhaps TT
be so pleased with the fortune she tells
me that I'll think | have. had. my
moneys worth and sha'nt want to COM
plain
But the complaints the thing We
need said the lieutenant. We can't
do anything till We get it
l. Uo1l kI1DN, Sdiu n. IcI
haps after I've talked with her there
NAV be some other way
She smiled again. and I.saw that the
Quitting of that other way WAS already
In her mind. though it was equally clear
that she didn't mean to tell us what il
wass -
Richards saw it, too. and he laug he'd
witha sort of amused VcXation.
you're almost as bad as Mr. JEFF
frey he said. You want tho police 10
leave the thing alone till you've tried
Your hand at it"