The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-10-27
El'EN his office Strnographrr an.

'tt IN it'h' Httl Oh me famous
United Bankers Protective as
Sociati0n, had gone to Ilin Jan"ro. Bra
iii. Oh & secret and important mission,
I smiled 10 myself. II was true that
Tor several days the secretary of the
association had attended to the duties
Of the Office. IT was also true that
NarvcIs bachelor quarters uptown
were closed and the shades drawn. He
WIS no longer present al his accuS-
toned hauntS. |. his favored friend,
had not seen him since the Tuesday
previous. For all that. | doubted if
This secret agent and protector nf the
city's banks was one and identical
with the KeSliuS Marvel whose minor
office force supposed him to be thou
sand miles distant.
The more revived the last occasion
upon which | had seen him, the more
certain vas I that my Informant was
mistaken and some one else double
crossed" l applied this phrase at the
time with casual glibness. little
dreamed how pat was my surmise un-
til events progressed. Upon the eve
cing referred to l had strolled over TO
MarvePs room for quiet smoke and
chat, to find him packing a grip.
4 Rush call" he announced briskly.
TITS a brief journey. consultation
and small fortune, this time
expressed my regret at losing his
company ! repressed my intense Gu
siosity. He never wasted words to no
purpose, never made untimely dis
closures When he got ready, or the
minute was right. or time developed
the circumstances, / would be duly
appraised, l knew.
"Sit down." he directed. leading me
irto little den off the main apart
ment. 81 have something to tell you.
and he pointed to a sheet of tissue pa.
per spread across stand.
I noted a nondescript assemblage OF
some matches. what suggested shoe
scrapings, a little heap Of hard black
cinders, a jagged piece Of parafiine
paper and a pile of crisp brittle ashes.
I'm the first place." narrated Marvel,
"a letter was slipped through the door
slot into my metal mail box yesterday
evening. and l am unable to determine
It's contents. In plain words. missive
intended for me was destroyed. Some
one knew it was coming to me, or had
arrived, and slid lighted matches
through the slot until the letter was
burned up"
"3ust after noon today" resumed
Marvel, Il had a visitor. He presented
a card which announced him 10 oe
Senior Marco Valdez, business mar
of Rio Janeiro, Brazil. He did not pre-
possess me favorably from the start
In fact. he had not been with me more
than two minutes before l traced al
olterior design in his mission ant
straightway lent myself to his Leading
He had baited his trap with i've thou
sand dollars, and to his way OF think
Ing / fell into it body and heels. iner'
yss family trouble at RIO. serious
frouhle with the various branches o
rho Valdez family, rich as It was, pc"
arful az il always had been. Bankers
cattlemen. exporters, their family IN
ferests were In peril from a clrcun
stance cf which I would be apprlse'
when l reached Rio-wlth sealed IL
structions. mind you; for, although q
had travelled far to engage me at "a
suggestion Of the president OF Ne'
York hank. he must leave an eXplana
,ion as to how and why my service
we-c -eouired to his brother. Colone
valdez. OF Rio Janeiro. My visitor pro
auced five one-thousand-doilar pan
notes and requested me to designate
nanlx where he should deposit then
auhiect to my order upon my retur
from my mission. He further tendere
memoranda Of contract 10
n K'd by his brother. Two mlllio
dollars was involved IN tne cas-
should ] succeed in accompiishlil
Ubat his brother would direct. l was
-eca,ve ten per cent. of this enormou
sum-"
quite @ speculation" suggested
go rich and promising" observe
Marvel in his dry, wise way, fhat d
cen.ed at once. The details were gon
over. am expected to leave on &c
evening fast mail. The office can ru
itself on routine work until l retuf
:, vow feel lonesome, drop over mel
nnce in a while" and he handed me
dunlicate key to the apartments
"And you may return more speeoi
man YOU now plan," ] suggested;
Possibly. After all was saIo al
dome" continued my friend. my VI
,tor proceeded on his trip-to DenVe
tb;nk he said. Then I sat down
cogitate over some flaws In his stoI
One--ho said he had been at his not
al the morning. See exhibits l al
meaning that little heap OF cindei
md next to it that pile of shoe scFa
,nrs. took pains to place Drl
IN on a newspaper the hat my Visit
wore. shaking these cinders OH u
rim. They came from a iocomotl'
reckon. thereby indicating that u
client lied to me, and that he had De-
sitting at the open window OF "a
way car just before he reached mel
As to the shoe scrapings. they are !.
ras,,It of contact Of the sole OF
..oa with the round of the CHAIR o'
I'D ~