The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-11-01

noted the man finch. His usual
ready unperturbability was balanced.
Then he shut his lips grimly, and as
IL mechanically played with an ink
stand before him, scrawling upon a
small fragment of paper.
II don't see," he said, why you
come to me. / had business trans
action with the woman you name, bit
ii was weeks ago, the deal was square,
and you'll have to look elsewhere for
| your information. $3.50, Zibelle!"
and his hand reached down into a
box at his side. l drew back trihe,
| for the head OF a snake arose with
startling suddenness above the box.
1t had metal ring around it's neck.
AS the man caressed it, the scrap of
paper he had palmed with the adroit-
ness Of a prestldigitatOr was pressed
under the metal band. $3.50" he
epeated-"depart! AS to your bust
ness here" he began again, as the rep
tile, as if trained to obey a word sig
nal, crept from the box and started
through the open doorway.
/
ordered Marvel sternly, and disap-
peared after the vanishing reptile.
The man left in my charge started
up with a stormy face and clustering
mien. Marvel had instructed me to go
armed always when in his company on
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 1t 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" 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 !
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 divan hoarse-
ly, his face grown colorless. You do
not understand, but this may be seri-
ous!"
construed the situation as indicat.
ing that the snake had taken 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, writhing on the floor, was
an immense cobra, and bending over
it, fondling it as though 1t were some
cherished, beloved comrade, was a
woman set off with all the gewgaws of
cheap mysticism.
1T is not murder, then!" l heard
my guide gasp out in tone OF i'm
merse relief. "Neva-Nevar
The woman looked up with an
guished eyes. Their depths were fair
ly tragic as she glared at Marvel. He
stood steadily at bay, a ready weapon
held at his side.
Madam or Miss" he pronounced in
cisively, you guessed my mission and
set your deadly cobra friend Kissing
and darting at me. Defense was
natural, although all / want of you is
the $4,000 you have swindled the Atlas
National bank out of. 1t is a quiet
plain blue prison garb for five years
as you choose"
"You would risk IL !" reviled the Pro-
file Scratcher. II warned you that for
every shrewd crook there is cleverer
man somewhere along the line. told
you, further, to start our journey last
night. Now it's leave perforce, with a
warning record left behindl"
The woman burst into tears. She
reached within her bosom and brought
out bulky package contained in a
handkerchief, and flung 1t towards the
speaker. He missed catching 1t, and
the knot coming loose. its contents
spilled out upon the fioor-bank notes.
PAY him." she said, and flung her
self PROSTATE once more beside the
dying creature that had but one hu