The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-11-12
CHAPTER TX.
eUEssEs AT TIE RIDDLE

Inc walk uptown did me good. The
rain had ceased, and the air felt clear
n fresh as though 1t had beer
Washed. 1 took deep breaths of it, an6
lie ieelIng OF fatigue and depression
winch had weighed upon me gradually
vanished. l was in no hurry-wen1
out OF my way a little, indeed, to walk
out into Madison square and look back
at the towering mass of the Flatiror
building. creamy and delicate as
carved ivory under the rays of the
Hoon-and it was long past midnight
When | finally turned in at the Mara
mon. Higgins, the ~janitor, was just
closing the outer doors, and he Joined
Iie m ~ me elevator a moment later.
Ihere,s a gentleman waiting to sec
you, Sir" he said, as the car started
upward. Mr.. Godfrey, sir. He came
IN about 10 minutes ago. He said you
were expecting him, SO I let him into
your rooms."
THAT was right" I said, and re-
Iected again upon Godfrey's exhaust
less energy.
1 found him lolling in an easy chair,
and he looked VI with q smile at my
entrance.
Higgins aid you hadn't come
In yet" he explained, 80 I thought I'd
wait a few minutes on the off chance
thai you mightn't be too tired to talk.
II you are, say SO, and I'll be moving
along"
I'm not too tired" I said, hanging
up my coast. 81 feel a good Zeal bet
ter than l did an hour ago"
i saw that you were about all in"
How do you keep 1T up, Godfrey?"
l asked, sitting down opposite him.
You don't seem tired at all"
4 am tired. though" he said, "a
little. But I've got a fool brain that
won't let my body go to sleep so long
as there is work to be done. Then, as
soon as everything is finished, the
brain let's go and the body sleeps like
a log. Now I knew I couldn't go to
heard the very interesting theory you
are going to confide to me. Besides, /
have a thing or two to tell you"
Go ahead" 1 said.
"We had a cable from our
It seems that N. - Theophile
dAurelle plays the fiddle in the orches-
ira of the Cafe de Paris. He played 4
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 photograph of the
dead man, and we've already started
one on the way, but we can't hear from
1t for six or eight days. But my guess
was right-the fellows name isn't
d'Aurelle."
You say you have q Photograph"
Yes, l had some taken Of the body
THIS afternoon. Here's one of them.
Keep it; you may have use for it,
l took the card, and, as 1 gazed at the
face depicted upon it, l realized that the
distorted co~untenance 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 to give
them any dignity. 1t was a weak and
dissipated face, the face Of a hanger
on Of cafes, as Parks had said-of a
loiterer along the ~boulevards, Of a man
without ambition, and capable of n
depth of and deceit. At least,
that is how ! read 1t.
He's evidently low Glass; said God
frey, watching me. One of those para
sites, without work and without income,
so common in Paris. Shop girls and Ia
dies maids have a weakness for them"
Il think you are right" 1 agreed; but
at the same time. if he was Of that
type, I don't see what business he could
AVE had with Philip V~antine."
Neither do I; but there are a lot Of
other things l don't see, either. We're
thought of that? Absolutely in the
dark"
yes, 1 have thought Of It," I said,
slowly.
mo doubt we can establish this fell
lows identity in time-sooner than we
l. pSl / dpot " VI Si1C
ing apers 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 at 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 secret out of her. We can find
why Rogers Is trying to shield her. All
49, t.. ~.~ fs,r@1, -;~--1~ J0-.l l.
we have done 1t all, when we have all
these facts in hand, I am afraid we
shall find hat they are utterly unim-
p~ortant."
"Unimportant?" I echoed. But sure
ly-'
"Unimportant because we don't want
to know these things. What we want to
know is how Philip Vantine and this
unknown Frenchman were killed. n
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 personality behind all
his that we haven't ever suspected
yet, and which, l am free to confess. l
don't know how to get at. 1t puzzles
me; it rather frightens me-; it's like a
threatening shadow which one can't
get hold Of"
There was a moments silence; then,
I decided. the time had come for me
to speak.
Godfrey" I said, what I am about
to tell you is told in confidence. and
must be held in confidence until 1 give
you permission to use it. Do o agree?"
Go on" he said, his eyes on my face.
well. I believe I know how these
two men were killed. Listen"
And told him in detail the story of
the Boule cabinet; I repeated Vantine's
theory Of its first ownership; I named
the price which he was ready to pay
for it; 1 described the difference be-
tween an original and a counterpart,
and dwelt upon Vantine's assertion that
this was an original of unique and I'M
questionable artistry. Long before 1
had finished Godfrey was out of his
chair and pacing up and down the
room, his face flushed, his eyes glow
ing.
'Beautiful!" he murmured from time
to time. '1m1nense! n q case 1T
will make, Lester!" he cried, stopping
before my chair and beaming down up
on me, as I finished the story. unique,
too; that's the beauty of 1t. AS unique
as this adorable Boule cabinet"
- MI T nI