Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-01-20
THAT seems rather foolish, doesn',

" NiACN II iN ~ wv = w
Imanded.
Il think ] dol hope j do; but
am not going to tell even you till I'm
sure. I'll say this-if he is who ! think
he is. it would be a delight to match
ones brains with his. We haven't got
q pity!"
L was inclined to CUB this. for 1
have no romantic admiration for gen
tlemen burglars. even in fiction. How
ever picturesque and chivalric, a thlel
is, after all. a thief. Perhaps it is my
training as a lawyer. or perhaps j am
simply narrow, but crime. however brill
liantly carried out, seems to me a
sordid and %unlovely thing. l know
quite we'll that here are many people
who look at these things from a differ
ent angle. Godfrey is one of them.
pointed out to him now that. If
hts intuitions We're correct, he would
soon have IL chanc to match his wits
with those of HI great unknown.
Yes. he agreed. and I'm scared to
DEATH have been ever since l began
to suspect his identity. l feel like a
tyro going up against a master IN q;
game of chess-mate in six moves"
Il shouldn't consider you exactly a
tyro," I said. drily.
Its long odds that the great UNI
known WILL" Godfrey retorted. II bade
me good bye.
Except for that chance meeting, l saw
nothing of him. and in this 1 was dis
appointed, for there were many things
about the whole affair which l did not
understand. In fact. when L sat down
of an evening. and lit my pipe and
began to think it over, l found that l
understood nothing at all. Godfrey's
theory held together perfectly. so fan,
as 1 could see. but it led nowhere.
How had Drouet and Vantine been
, Eilla1c VNhv hol thnv lhoc,, Eillad@
What was the secret OF the cabinet? In
a word, h was all this mystery
about? Mo- one of these questions
could l answer: and the solutions l
guessed, it seemed so absurd 1 dismissed
them in disgust. In the end, 1 found
that the affair was Interfering with
my work, II 1 banished it from my
mind, turning my face resolutely away
from it whenever it tried TO break into
my thoughts.
But though / could shut ii out of my
waking hours successfully enough, 1
could not control my sleeping ones, and
my dreams became more and more hOr-
rible. Always there was the serpent
with dripping fangs, sometimes With
Armands head, sometimes with "a face
unknown to me, but hideous beyond de-
scription; it's Shiny body glittered with
inlay and ~arabesque: it's scaly legs were
curved like those of the Boule cabinet;
SoIItCtlIIleS Sue SOlucl SUN SiilteTeO Ou
it's forehead like a great eye. Over
and over again 1 saw this monster
Stay it's three victims; and always.
when that was done. it raised it's head
and glared at me. as though selecting
me for the fourth But l shall
not try to describe those dreams: ever
| vet l cannot recall them without a
shudder.
1t was while 1 was sitting moodily
in my room one night. debating
whether or not to go to bed: weary
to exhaustion and yet reluctant to re-
sign myself to a sleep from which i
Knew [ should wake shrieking, that Il
recognized; II l arose joyfully to
admit Godfrey.
could see by the way his eyes were
shining that he had something un-
usual to tell me: and then. as he looked
at me. his face changed.
whats the matter. Lester" he de-
manded. You're looking tagged out.
Working too hard?'
Its not that" 1 said. II can't sleep.
This thing has upset my nerves. God
frey. 1 dream about it-have regular
nightmares"
He sat down opposite me. concern
and anxiety in his face.
THAT xon't do" he protested. You
must go away somewhere-take a rest,
and a good long one"
"A rest wouldn't do me any good. as
n as this mystery is unsolved," l
said. It's only by working that can
keep my mind Off of it,
You. we will solve it first. then"
do o mean you know"
i know who the Great Unknown is,
and I'm going to tell you presently.
Day after tomorrow-Wednesday-IW
know all the rest. The whole story
Will hn IN TNH,,~-I-,
suppose You arrange to start Thurs
day afternoon
could only stare at him. He smiled
as he met my gaze.
You're looking better already" he
said. "as though o were taking a
little more interest in life" and he
helped himself to a cigar.
Godfrey" I protested. II wish VOL
would pick out somebody else, to prac-
tlce on. You come up here and explode
a bomb just to see how high Til jump.
It's amusing to you. no doubt. and
perhaps a little instructive; but my
nerves won't stand It,"
MY dear Lester he broke in. chat
wasn't a bomb: that was a simple
statement of fact"
Are o serious?"
Perfectly So"
But how do You know"
Before answer any questions. l
want to ask you one. Did you. bv any
chance. mention me to the gentleman
known to you al NJ. Felix Armand?"
Yes" answered. after a moments
thought: Il believe I did. I was tell
ing him about u trying to find the
secre1 awer- mentioned your name
and he asked who you were. / told
him o were a genius at solving mys-
teries.
Godfrey nodded.
That" he said. explains the one
thing I didn't understand. Now 20
ahead with your questions"
"YOu said a Wh1lo 700 <box