The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-11-24


ready unperturbability was baiahceI.
Then he shut his lips Grimly, ana -
# mechanically played With an i'4,-
etord before him, scTa"ling upon g
small fragment OF paper
u don't see" he said, why Eo1
cc,ae 10 me had a business 'Taha-
action with the woman you name. ~.
!, vas weeks ago, the deal was square
and vouIl have to LOOK elsewhere lCl
,-,.,r information. $3.50, Z!D@!le,
sna his hand reached down into
hoy AT his side | drew bacA a Urine,
for he head Of suake arose WITH
startling suddenness above the oo1.
II had a metal ring around us neck.
AS the man caressed IT, the scrap OF
paper he had palmed with the aQrolt-
ness of a prestidigitator was pressed
under the metal band, 500, he
repeated depart, AS to your busi-
ness here" he began again, as the rep
Tile as if trained to obey word sig
nal crept from the box and started
through the open doorway.
Watch that man, keep him here!
ordered Marvel sternly, and dlsap-
poared after the vanishing reptile.
The man left in my charge started
I'D with a stormy face and clustering
mien. Marvel had instructed me to go
armed always when in his company on
a professional case. | was prepared
on the present occasion. | made no
braggart nor heroic demonstration. |
simply quietly transferred the weapon
from my hip pocket TO my coat
pocket. keeping my hand in the latter.
The man saw the movement and
seemed to accept its significance. He
settled back on the divan and scowled.
Then he asked sullenly:
rs it the police?"
You can call it that" ! responded
with a forced calmness that, abetted
by my possession of the weapon,
seemed to enforce wariness and his
respect
About the checks?"
From the bank l nodded.
/ hoped there would be no irksome
wait. | was not built to sustain long
the part of a stern gaolor. Besides
that. ! doubted if my weapon was
loaded. The man was thinking furi-
ously Everything had happened SO
quietly. SO rapidly, so respectfully l
might say. that his shallow mind could
not rouse to the occasion. And then
bang, bang! twice-a third eXplo-
sion, not far away a womans pierre.
ing. echoing shrek, and then series
Of frantic mournful cries ringing out
upon the dense night air
Il must go-there is troubled"
shouted the man on the diyan hoarse-
", his face grown colorless. You do
not understand, but this may be seri-
GUS"
| construed the situation as indicat-
ing that the snake had taken a mes
sage under its metal collar to some
one near by. Could it be the Mystic
Lady? and was the Mystic Lady no
other than
l was willing to explore myself, and
let my captive roam at will and fol-
lowed him. He darted across the
twenty foot space separating his own
and the adjoining booth, tore down a
drapery covering the door of the rear
entrance, and there was Marvel.
There, too, wrthing on the floor, was
an immense cobra and bending over
it, fondling it as though it we're some
cherished. beloved comrade, was a
woman set off with all the gewgaws of
cheap mysticism
1t is not murder, them" l heard
my guide gasp out in tone Of iG1-
mcnse relief. "Neva-Neva,
The woman looked up with an
guished eyes. Their depths were fair
- tragic as she glared at Marvel He
stood steadily at bay, a ready weapon
held at his side.
Madam or Miss" he pronounced in
cislvely, you guessed my mission and
set your deadly cobra friend Kissing
and darling al me. Defense was
natural, although all l want of you is
the $4,000 you have swindled the Atlas
National bank cut Of It is a quiet
and speedy return Of the funds, or a
plain blue prison garb for FIVE years
as you choose"
You would risk it" reyiIed the Pro-
file Scratcher. Il warned you that for
every shrewd crook there is a cleverer
man somewhere along the line. l told
You, further, to start our journey last
night. Now it's leave perforce, with a.
warning record left behind"
The woman burst into tears She
reached within her bosom and brought
out bulky package contained in a
and flung it towards the
speaker. He missed catching it, and
the knot coming loose, It's contents
spilled out upon the foor-bank notes.
Pay him. she said, and flung her
self PROSTATE once more beside tho
dying creature that had but one hui
man friend