Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-14


see you tomorrow"
The walk uptown did me good. IT
was long past midnight when / finally
turned In at the Marathon. Higgins,
the janitor, was just closing the outer
doors. and he Joined me in the elevator
Il moment later.
There's n gentleman waiting TO see
you. SIR he said as the car started
upward. Mr.. Godfrey. sir. He came
I'm about ten minutes ago. He said
you were expecting him. so I let him
into your rooms"
found Godfrey Iolling in an easy
chair, and he looked up with n smile
at my entrance.
How do YOU keep It up. Godfrey 2"
asked. sitting down opposite him.
''You don't seem tired Mt ALL"
81 am tired. though" he said. al lit
tie. But I've got n fool brain that
won't let my body go to sleep so long
rs there IL work TO be done. Besides,
have thing or two to tell you"
"Go ahead" I said.
1--WE had n cable from our Paris Of
Ace Just before l left. 1t seems that
NJ. Thcophile D'Aurelle plays the fiddle
in the orchestra of the Cafe de Paris.
He played rs usual tonight. so that It
Is manifestly impossible that he should
also be lying in the New York morgue
Moreover. none of his friends. so far
as he knows, is in America. No doubt
he may be able to identify the photo
graph OF the dead man. and we've al
ready started one on the way. but we
can't hear from it for six or eight days.
But my guess was right-the fellows
name isn't D'Aurelle."
you say you have a Photograph
"Yes; I had some taken OF the body
this afternoon. Here's one of them.
Keep it You may have a use for IT.
I took the card. and. as l gaZed at
the face depicted upon it. I realized
that the distorted countenance l had
seen in the afternoon had given me
no idea of the mans appearance. Now
the eyes were closed and the features
composed and peaceful. but even death
failed 10 give them any dignity. 1t
was a weak and dissipated face, the
face of n hanger on of cafes, of a lott
erer along the boulevards.
81 don't see what business he could
have had with Philip Vantine,'' said.
Neither do /: but no doubt we can
establish this fellows identity in time
sooner than we think, perhaps, for
most Of the morning papers will run
his picture, and If he is known here in
New York at all, it will be recognized
by some one When we find out who
he is. we can probably guess Mt the
nature of his business with Vantine.
We can find out who the woman was
who called TO see Vantine tonight-that
is just a case of grilling Rogers; then
we can run her down and get her Sc
cret out Of her. We can find why Rog-
ers is trying to shield her. All that is
comparatively simple. But we don't
want 10 know these things. What We
want to know is how Philip Vantine
and this unknown Frenchman were
killed. And that is just the one thing
which. I am convinced. neither the
man nor the woman nor Rogers nor
anybody else we have come across in
this case can tell US. There's a per-
sonality behind all this that we haven't
even suspected yet. and which, L am
free to confess. don't know how to
get at
Will am dDOuL
TO tell you is told in confidence. and
must be held In confidence until give
you permission to use it. Do you
agree"
Go on" he said, his eyes on my
face.
well. I believe 1 know how these
two men were killed. Listen
And / told him in detail the story of
the BOule cabinet. l repeated Van
tines theory of its first ownership; !
named the price which he was ready
to pay for It; 1 described the difference
between an original and Il counterpart
and dwelt upon Vantine's assertion
that this was an original of unique and
lnquestionable artistry.
Beautiful" Godfrey murmurcd from
time to time. Immense. What
ease It will make. Lester he cried.
Then you see it too?r I questioned.
"Sce it," and he dropped into his
chair again. "A man would be blind
not 10 see It. But all the same. Lester.
I give you credit for putting the facts
.oEether"