The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-02-04

I'VE can soon see,' replied the police
officer, and. ringing a bell, he sum-
moned an assistant, to whom he issued
a few directions.
The man left the room to return
presently with a little hardwood box.
which he placed on his superior's desk.
"Now," said the officer, you shall
have your finger prints in a second"
He drew from the little case a square
Of plate glass. a little tube of thick ink,
a rubber roller and a few snowy white
cards.
Squeezing a drop of ink on to the
glass. he spread it back and forth with
the rubber roller until the entire sur.
face of the glass was covered with q
very thin and uniform layer of ink.
"Place the four fingers of your right
hand upon the glass thus he said to
D'Arnot; NOW the thumb. That's
right. Now place them in just the
same position upon this card here; no,
a little to the right. We must leave
Dom for the thumb and the fingers Of
the left hand. There, that's it. Now
the same with the left"
"Come. Tarzan.' cried D'Arnot, 'let's
see what your whorls look like"
Tarzan complied readily, asking
many questions of the officer during
the operation.
do finger prints show racial char
acteriSticS!" he asked. Gould you de-
%tcIrline. for example. solely from finger
prints whether the subject was negro
or C~'aucaSian?"
81 think not" rc1.|icd the officer,
'tln"@h su:.:r claim that those Of the
negro are less complex"
Gould the finger prints of an ape
be detected from those Of a MANI"
"ProbabIy. because the apes weuld
be far simpler than those Of the higher
organism"
but Il cross between an ape and a
man might show the characteristics Of
either progenitor!" continued Tarzan.
II should thiltk likely" responded
the official. "But the science has not
progressed sufficiently to render it eX-
act enough in such matters. 1 should
hate to trust it's findings further than
to differentiate between individuals.
'There it is absolutely definite. No
two people born into the world prob
ably have ever had identical lines upon
all their digits."
"Does the comparison require much
time or labor?" asked D'Arnot.
"Ordinarily but a few moments, If
the impressions are distinct"
D'Arnot drew a little black book
from his pocket and commenced turn
ing the pages.
Tarzan locked at the book in sur
prise. How did D'Arnot come to have
his book?
Presently D'Arnot stopped at a page
on which We're five tiny little smudges.
He handed the open book to the po-
liceman.
"Are these imprints similar to mine
or NJ. Tarzan's? Can you say that they
are identical With either?"
The ofiiced drew Il powerful glass
from his desk and examined all three
specimens carefully, making notations
meanwhile upon q pad of paper.
Tarzan realized now what was the
fcer.
The answer to his life's riddle lay in
these tiny marks.
With tense nerves he sat leaning for
ward In his chair. .
Presently the police edioer spoke.
Gentlemen" he said. .
Both turned toward him.
"There is evidently a great deal at
stake which must hinge. to a greater
or. lesser extent upon the absolute cor
rectness Of this cean5arissa. there
fore ask that you leave the entire mat
ter in my hands sntii cur expert re-
turns"
Il had hoped to knsw at once" said
D'Arnot. IN. TaKaa soAs fsrsAneri-
ca tomorrow"
II will promise that you can cable
him a report Within ,twe weeks" re-
piled the officer. What It will be l
dare not say. Thore arr. nssenbiasaces.
yet.well;; we hadpetter 1savsi for Al.
Leblanc to solve"
.
A taxicab drew rp before ..aa. cid
fashioned residence ssen tie outskirts
Of Baltimore. ~: -
A man Of about forty, weA ,sptN and
with st~rong,aSegslar' fatsres. sstteaped
out and poyid2g&s&e s4faatesr dismissed
him.
A moment later the passenger was
entering the library Of the old home.
"Ah, Mr.. Canler" exclaimed IN old
man, rising to greet him.
"Geod evening, nay dear professor
cried the man, extending q cordial
hand.
Il have come this evening to speak
with you about Jane. You know my
aspirations, and you have been gen.
erous enough to approve my suit"
Professor Archimedes @. Porter
1dgeted in his armchair. The subject
always made him uncomfortable. He
could not understand why. Canlel
was a splendid match.
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