The Washington herald., 1914-11-15

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two ''plaiuclothes" men bore down on
P. c. Collins.
"HuIlo. Smathers. you in this, too7'
began he. Now, what are you after.
you goat-that French lady or the party
in the gray suit?"
Yes. yes, of course 1 am. You heard
me signal you to head him OF. didn't
1 your" replied Smathers. growing sud
denly excited when he realized that COL
Inns was empty-handed. ''Heavensi you
never let him get away. did your"
Come out Of II. you josher." said Col
lins with a wink and q grin. "Ain't you
found out even yet. you silly? Why, II
was only a faked-up thing-the taking OF
| a kinematograph picture. 1 got half q
| quid for my share when let him 60"
Smathers and Petrie lifted up their
/ voices in one despaIring howl
when you what?' yelled Smathers.
You fool! You don't mean to tell me
that you let them take you in like that
those two? Had him-think OF it!-and
let him go! Did yourself out OF a share
| In a reward OF two hundred quid when
| you'd only to shut your hands and hold
on to it"'
Two hundred quid? Two hun
W-what are you talking about? Wasn't
it a kinematograph picture, after ALP
No, you fool, no." howled Smathers.
who you let go 1t was that devil Forty
Faces'-'The. Vanishing Cracksman'-the
man who calls himself Hamilton CleeS"
and the woman was his pal 'Margot. the
Queen OF the Apaches'r"
Heavens gulped Collins. too far gone
| to say anything else, too deeply detected
to think of anything but that he had had
! the man for whom Scotland Yard had
been cropping for year-the boldest
ba haS hah IN
with. the almost supernatural genius of
crime, who. for sheer deviltry and colos-
sal impudence. as well as for a nature
bestowed power that was simply amazing.
had not his match In all the universe.
Who or what he really was. whence he
came. whether he was English. Irish,
French. German. Yankee, Canadian,
italian or Dutchman, no man knew. In
his many encounters with the police he
had assumed the speech. the character
istics and. indeed. the facial attributes
OF each in turn. with an ease and a per-
lection that were so marvellous as to
gain for his the sobriquet OF Forty
Faces" among the police. and OF The
Vanishing Cracksman" among the
scribes and reporters OF newspaperdom.
That he came, in time, to possess another
name than these was due to his own un-
blushing impudence: for. Of a sudden.
| while London was in a fever of excite
ment over one Of his most daring coups
he chose to write boldly to both editors
and police complaining that the title
| given him by each was both vulgar and
| cheap.
You would not think Of calling PaEa-
mini a 'fiddler'.' he wrote; why. then,
should YOU degrade me with the coarse
term of 'cracksman?' I claim to he an
artist in my profession. so, then, II in the
future It becomes necessary to alIude to
| me-and fear II often WILL shall he
Obliged II you do so as The Man Who
Calls Himself Hamilton Cleek.' In re-
turn for that courtesy, gentlemen.
| promise to turn over q new leaf. as Il
! were, to give you at all times hereafter
| distinct information in advance OF such
places as I elect for the field OF my oper-
ations, and OF the time when I shall pay
my respects to them. and. on the morn
| ing after each such visit. to bestow some
small portion OF the loot upon Scotland
Yard as a souvenir OF the event.
And to that remarkable program he
rigidIy adhered from that time forth
always giving the police twelve hours
notice. always carrying out his plans in
spite Of them and always. on the morn
| ing after, sending some trinket to Super
intendent Narkom at Scotland Yard. In
little pink cardboard box. marked
with the compliments Of the Man Who
| Calls Himself Hamilton C1eek''
And this was the man that he-PoIic~
| Constable Samuel James CoIlins-had
actually had in his very arms and then
had given up for half sovereign!
"oh. so help me! You make my head
| swim. Smathers, that YOU do he man
| aged TO say at last. But look here:
say. now, how do You know it was him."
Know. you footler" EroWIed Smsthers
| disEustedly. why shouldn't I know
| when I've been after him ever since he
left Scotland Yard half an hour ago?''
Left what? You amt a-Eoing to tell
me that he's been there? When? What
| for?"
TO leave one Of his blessed notices.
the daredevil. He walked in bold as
| brass. and talked with the superintend-
ent over some cock-and-bUll yarn about
Black Hand letter that he said had
been sent to him. It wasn't until after
he'd left that the super he sees a note
on the chair where the bliEhter had been
sitting. and when he opened IT, there II
was in black and white, something like
this:
The list Of presents that have been
sent for the wedding tomorrow of Sir
Horace wyvern's eldest daughter make
interesting reading. particularly that part
which describes the jewels sent-no doubt
as a tribute to her fathers position as
the greatest brain specialist in the world
from the Austrian court and the prin-
cipal Continental cities The care Of
such gems is too great a responsibility
for the bride. I propose. therefore, to
relieve her OF II tonight. and to send
you the customary souvenir OF the event
tomorrow morning. Yours faithfully.
The Man Who Calls Himself Hamilton
Cleek'
That's how I know. dash you! Super
intendent sent me out after him. hot
FOOT and I picked him up in the Strand.
toddHng along with that French hussy.
But blow him! he saw me just as soon
as saw him, and he and Frenchy sep
arated like a shot She hoped into a
taxi and flew on in one direction: he
bolted in another doubling and twisting
all to gain time. Of course till he was
ready to bunk for the Embankment. And
YOU let hm go. you blooming footler! Had
him and let him got''
But damme. sir. the things an out
rage! don't mince my words, Mr.. Mar
kom. For Scotland Yard to permit it.
self to be bamboozled, Knocked at In this
appalling fashion by a paltry burg
lar
Uncle. dear. pray don't excite your
self in this manner
Hold your tongue, Ailsa-I will not be
interfered with! It's time that somebody
let this establishment know what the
public has a right to expect OF it,
II was an hour and a half after that
exciting AFFAIR at Dead Mans Corner"