The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-18

His words and his manner OF saying
them Seemed SO 'curiofsly inapt that
| both men were silent. - a.
~ have not yet had an opportunity.
Mr.. I.axworthy continued, "of making
n suitable apology for my presence here
tonight. Believe me, II In not altogether
| a laundering visit.
II am. as you have perhaps heard. a
man addicted to the study Of philosophy,
| who now and then steps a little out of
his way to notice curious phenomena
| In human life. a year ago all London
was thrilled by the doings Of a gang of
| the most desperate criminals who ever
| deficd the police or the canons Of our
modern civilization. I will admit that
I was hugely interested.
II sought to probe some of the secrets
| of that band. found them to be com
posed Of few men whose safety con-
| sisted in one aXiom-they fed upon one
| another"
Lentield started slightly. Both men
now were listening. Rachel too leaned
| across the table with n wicked smile
upon her lips.
| But this man is wonderful" she
murmured.
six or seven was II perhaps. this
| little band consisted Of" Mr.. Laxworthy
continued, and "a score or more oi
murders at their door. For six or seven
there is no safety, for. as we all know, a
really great criminal is trapped only by
| the indiscrrtlons or infide,ity Of his as
sociates.
| Two men there were with brains
From their hidden places they pointed
one by one with uncrring finger tn their
| other associates. The police followed
| that finger and those other associates
went to the grave. The two were left
| Tho time came when one Of those Nv,
decided that two were too many"
Paul Graycs was leaning across tn,
| table now and his hands were twltching
Lenfield. who had at some time or an
other possessed sense of humor. smile,
family.
Hear him" he muttcred. which
Mr.. LaXworthy? which,
you. Philip Lcnicld. have been har,
pressed" Mr.. LaXworthy remarked
Your secret has been fairly we'll probed
But fortunately or unfortunately fo
YOU it is the greater man who is mos
sought
perhaps he too knows that. pcrhap
he too has heard the distant echo Of sus
picion. has heard the footsteps Of thos
who are gathering around.
philip I.cntcld has not betrayc,
YOU" Mr.. I.aNworthy continued, raisin,
his voice little. He came here To-
night. intending very likely to carr
out your first principles. but he wa
forcstaled.
paul Grayes. It is I whom you ma
| f1r b.. Ia.
In the Coronia Tomorrow viii be emp,,
that you will embark instead upon
longer ana more m"m"ntous journe,
The man there who calls himself Len
field knows Your secret. but AZ | live n
breath Of IL has ever passed his lips
Il too know that the man who ha
baffied the police If every country in tn
world for nearly two years. the ma
who made himself Infamous foreve
under the name"
Mr.. LaXworthy's genius at the st
preme moment did not fail him. II
had talked until the last possible secun,
He broke OF with his sentence III
| finished
No one knew exactly how it wa
done--no one saw, even. whence Il
procured the missile, but with one ligh
nlns dow the lamp Yell broken upO
the ground and the room was plung,
into darkness. Before the sound Of Il
crash had died away footsteps we,
heard coming from every direction.
Through III" French window. lei
carefully unfast"ncd. John Z. La.
worthy, Forrest Anderson and Sydn,
Wing stole softly out into the night.
Gordon of gendarmes opened To let the
pass. They took shelter beneath Il
oleandcr trees
If one could hut see inside" VI
LaNworthy muttrr-d. We left the fra,
ton of "A second too soon"
Almost as he spoke. a great blindir
fash Of light, from which leaped sell
,illa,ions On every side lit M the who
Of the room which they had just quite
They heard the crashing Of glass. tn,
saw the walls crack.
They saw Paul Grayes. a pistol
either hand. firing madly AT the sp
where Mr.. LaNworthy had stood. lea
into the air and fan down. huddled /
heap They saw Rachel. with her hes
buried in her arms. Gassat lying at h.
side. Save those three there was no ol
in the wrecked room Then again the
was darkness, broken only 10y the sour