The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-11-08

anu q Adlul al lGu clay SOIL.
Il see," l nodded, theoretically and
admiringly
Flaw two-I offered Senior Marco
Valdez cigar after we had talked
awhile" resumed Marvel, but did
not offer him 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
l found in my letter box. They bear
resemblance, eh?"
Manifestly," | acceded, after an in
| spectiOn. You mean that your visitor
must have been the person who burned
up the letter in your mail box2"
Precisely. While l was oonversing
with him door was closed noisily in
another apartment. 1 feigned fear of
an intrusion. Step in there for a mo-
ment,' l directed my visitor, opening
the door to that anteroom yonder.
Instantly, taken off his guard, he
seized the reverse knob and held to it
as l pushed the door shut. Then l
had my man down in black and white.
Unconsciously he had followed the
prison rule of drawing to and hold
ing tightly the door until the tier
locking bar falls in place. When I an
nOunCCd false alarm and called him
back into the room, had ready, spread
over the blotter on my desk, a paraf-
fined sheet of paper. Just set your
| thumb on that corner while | tack it
down, l 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 |
would be on my way on a 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 I had been
honored by call from no less a per-
sonage than the notorious Rex Ma.
ginn, alias the Human Spool"
"a strange pseudonym," observed.
80 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 off vast guam
titles of the stuff, until he fell down
dizzy and exhausted, and they had to
| give him frequent rests before they un-
wound the discounted human spool"
"A known criminal, them"
Yes, but quiescent for few years,
the record runs. That is his system,
! however. He generally satisfies him
self with pulling off two or three big
things in a decade
And is probably preparing for one
of those signal events at the present
time" l ventured.
Beyond doubt. In plain English,
this man and his associates are bent
upon some big scheme, probably in the
bank line, where my absence is an es-
/ sentiaI. l wired the state prison. Our
| Brazilian friend was there this morn
ing, and visited a long termer named
| Dorchester Ickes, who is serving time
| as bank embezzler."
If l can assist YOU" I suggested,
! hoping that Marvel would let me.
Il will cable you," was the response,
with a dry, dry smile-"from Rio"
| 1t was a case of while the cats sup
posed to be away the mice will play"
to my manner of thinking. l looked
for something to happen Immediately
| Three days passed by, however, and
Resilius Marvel, according to the
! schedule, should be forty-eight hours
/ out on the Brazilian steamer Express,
bound for Rio. While was sure that
some big bank trick was about to be
! pulled off, as the saying goes, Won
dered where the lightning might
strike, how and when, and doubted not
that Rex Maginn would be in evidence
when the elimination arrived. The
Human Spool did not put in an ap-
pearance. however. wondered If
Marvel had already nipped his scheme
| in the bud
The third evening, l found myself
| headed in the direction of Marvel's
! apartment and l quickened my steps
! as l turned a corner to come within
| view of the house where Marvel lived.
At the side of one of the shades of his
library there was a CLINT of light. The
| shade had become disarranged in some
way. | drew back, walked forward,
stopped, and then got upon a hitching
block to acquire the exact focus
needed.
At last-there was Resilius Marvel,
in his accustomed easy chair. Stand
| ing near a table in front of him was
a stout man wearing a full white
! beard and silk hat. He was drawing
on his gloves as if about to depart.
walked around the corner, posted N.Y.
self in an open doorway adjoining the
apartment house, and waited
Almost Immediately l saw the man
with the high hat come out into the
street. He turned in first one direc.
ton and then another and glanced
sharply down the street in both. Then
/ H.,