The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-10-27

see, ! nodded. elergctcally and
admiringly
Flaw two offered Senior Marco
valdez d cigar after we had talked
awhile" resumed Marvel, but did
not offer him a light He took out his
own match box Exhibit three. those
match stubs yonder represent the
discarded burned lucifers. Next to
them the dozen or more ends are those
[ found in my letter box. They bear
resemblance, ch?"
"Manifestly," | acceded, after an in
spection. You mean that your visitor
must have been the person who burned
up the letter in your mail box?'
Precisely While | was oonversinG
with him a door was closed noisily in
another apartment. ] feisned fear OF
an intrusion. Step in there for mo-
ment,' | directed my visitor. opening
| Instantly. taken of his guard. he
seized the reverse knob and held to it
as | pushed the door shut. Then |
had my man down in black and white.
| UnconsciouBly he had followed the
prison rule OF drawing to and hold
| ing tightly the door until the tier
| locking bar falls in place. When / an
nounced false alarm and called him
back into the room, had ready. spread
| over the blotter on my desk, paraf-
| fined sheet Of paper. Just set your
thumb on that corner while I tack 1t
down, / suggested. He did so. and
that piece of it you see has the i'm
press of his thumb L made ado to do
some scribbling on the sheet to subdue
any suspicious he might entertain. He
went away satisfied that by night l
would be on my way on FOOLS err
rand"
And later?"
THE Identification bureau. Thanks
to his thumb impression and my ability
to describe my plausible visitor. l was
practically convinced that l had been
honored by call from no less a per
sonage than the notorious Rex Ma
ginn, alias the Human Spool"
"A strange pseudonym." l observed.
so awarded" explained Marvel, "on
account of his brilliant record as an
expert smuggler up along the Cana
dian border. This man was once cap
} tured by the Detroit police. They dis
|, robed him TO find some thousands OF
yards of fine lace wound round and
round him. They began turning him
, in a circle. They reeled of vast guam
titles of the stuff, until he fell down
| dizzy and exhausted, and they had t
| give him frequent rests before they IN
, wound the discounted human spool.
"A known criminal, them
Yes, but quiescent for few years
/. the record runs. That is his system
J however. He generally satisfies him
/ self with pulling of two or three biz
things In a decade"
/. "And Is probably preparing for ont
: of those signal events at the preseu
: time" ventured.
= Beyond doubt. In plain English
s this man and his associates are ben
( upon some big scheme, probably IN thu
: bank line. where my absence is an es
J.; sential. | wired the state prison. Gu
i brazilian friend was there this morn
/. ing. and visited long termer nance
d Dorchester Ickes. who is serving um'
l. as a bank embezzler."
e If I can assist you-" l suggested
c boping that Marvel would let me.
v II will cable you" was the response
l. with a dry, dry smile-'from Rio
5 II was a case of while the cats SUI
j posed to be away the mice will play,
}. to nv manner OF thinking. l locke
k for something to happen immediatel!
a; Three days passed by, however, an
!, Resilius Marvel, according to IN
n schedule, should be forty-elsht hour
d ont on the Brazilian steamer EXPIRES:
70 hound for Rio. While / was sure tina
n some big bank trick was about to b
.. ulled off, as the saying goes, VOL
g dered where the lightning migf
% strike. how and when, and doubted nj
IS that Rex Maginn would be In evidenc
when the elimination arrived. Tn
Human Spool did not put In an a.
n pearance. however / wondered
r. Marvel had already nipped his schen
le in the bud.
70 The third evening, found myse
m headed in the direction Of Marvel
n apartment and quickened my steI
re- az I turned a corner to come With
a view of the house where Marvel live
At the side OF one Of the shades OF n
" library there was a CLINT Of light. tt
shade had become disarranged In SON
"a way. drew back, walked forwar
q. stopped, and then got upon hitchir
n. block to acquire the exact focus
to needed.
". At last-there was Resilius Marvs
81 in his accustomed easy chair. Stan
I'd ing near a table In front OF him WI
$ stout man wearing a full viii
r. beard and a silk hat. He was drawn
m on his gloves as if about to depart
or walked around the corner, posted n
he self in an open doorway adjoining u
re-. apartment house, and waited.
nv Almost Immediately | saw the n;
on with the high hat come out into Il
n. street. He turned in first one dire
"a ton and then another and glanc
he sharply down the street in both. Tn
his he almost ran to an automobile star
,er ing at the curb, leaped into
, sIompnad ira door shut gave SOL