Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-05-14

DiN vi IN III StltSt
criminals who ever lived. full! of i'm
aglnatlon n resource and With IL
sense OF humor most acute" said God
frey. Il have followed his career for
years. 1t was this fact that gave me
my first clew. He killed Il man cnce
before. just as he killed this last one.
The man had betrayed him to the DO
lice. He WAS never betrayed again"
What a fiend he must be-" | said,
with Il shudder.
But Godfrey shook his head quickly.
Don't get that idea of him." he
protested earnestly. up to the time
Of his arrival in New York he had
never killed any man except that
traitor. Him he had a certain right
to kill-according to thieves ethics,
any way"
But Drouet and Vantine." I OBJ
jected.
can accident for which he was in
no way responsible said Godfrey
promptly.
"You mean he didn't xii, themT
MOST certainly not. This last man
he did kill was a traitor like the first.
4 Crochard. I think, reasons like this:
To kill an adversary is too easy; it is
too brutal; it lacks finesse. Besides. it
removes the adversary. And without
adversaries Orchards life would be
of no interest to him"
IT can't understand a man like
that" I said.
"Well, look at this" said Godfrey
and tapped the letter again. "He
honors me by considering me an adj
versary. Does he seek to remove me?
On the contrary, he gives me a handi-
cap"
"But, surely, Godfrey" l protested,
"you don't take that letter seriously!
If he wrote it at all, he wrote it merely
to throw you off the track. If he says
Wednesday. he really intends to try
for the cabinet tomorrow"
81 don't think so. I told you he
would think me only a tyro. He wrote
that letter right in the Record office.
That is a sheet Of u copy paper. He
sat down there, right under my nose.
wrote that letter, dropped it into my
box and walked out. And all that
some time this evening. when the Office
was crowded."
"But it's absurd for him to write a
letter like that. if he really means it.
You have only to warn the police"
you'll notice he says it is in conf
dence."
"And you're going to keep it SOP"
Certainly l am. l consider that he
Mas paid me a high compliment. l
have shown it to no one but you-also
in confidence
"It is not the sort Of confidence the
law recognizes I pointed out. 80
keep a confidence like that is practical
! ly to abet a felony"
"And yet you will keep it." said aGod-
frey cheerfully. you see. l am going
to do everything l can to prevent that
felony. And we will see if Crochard is
really invincible!"
"Il keep it." l agreed. because l
think the letter is just a blind. And,
by the way" l added, 81 have a letter
from Armand & Son confirming the
fact that their books show that the
Boule cabinet was bought by Philip
Vantine. Under. the circumstances. l
shall have to claim it and hand it over
to the Metropolitan"
81 hope you won't disturb it until
after Wednesday," said Godfrey quick
ly. 81 won't have any interest in it
after that | agreed to do so.
was just getting ready to leave the
office the next afternoon when Godfrey
called me up.
chow are you feeling today. Lester?'
he asked.
"Not az fit as l might l said.
GLOW would you like a Whit of salt
air this EVENING""
"First rate. How will l get it?"
"The Savoie will get to quarantine
about 6 o'clock. I'm going down on
our boat to meet her. l want to have
a talk with Inspector Pigot. the French
detective. Will you come along?"
Q"Wil Iw I said. "Where shall I
meet your"
"At the foot Of Liberty street at 5
O'clock" a
'Ill be there" l promised. And I
was. TT
The boat was cast loose as soon as
we got aboard. backed out into the
busy river. her whistle shrieking shril-
ly, then swung about and headed
down stream. There were two other
men on board-the regular ship report
ers, l suppose.
Godfrey and l stood for some time
looking at the harbor in silence.
tits a great sight. isn't it?" he said
at last. "Hell6! Look at that boat!'
he added. as a yacht coming down the
bay drew abreast Of us and then slow
" forged ahead. 'She can go some,
can't she? This boat Of ours is no
SLOUGH, you know. but just look how
that one walks away from us. wonder
who she $50 Whnt.hoat liz that ca"t"i" ~