Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-10-26
rHsN his once stenographe. an.

MAJ nOunccd that ReSilluS Marvel
" invncible head Of the famous
United Bankers Protective as
socIatiOn. had gone 10 Rio Janciro, Bra
XII, on a secret and important mission
j smiled TO myself. 1t WAS true that
for several days the secretary Of the
association had attended 10 the duties
of the Office. II was also true that
Marvel's bachelor quarters uptown
we're closed and the shades drawn. He
was no longer present at 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 Of the
city's banks was one and Identical
with the ReSilIuS 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 was | that my informant was
mistaken. and some one else double
crossed" applied this phrase at the
time with casual glibness. little
hON pat ullSc
III events progressed Upon the eve
ming referred to | had strolled over TO
Marvers room for a quiet smoke and
chat. to find him packing a grip.
Rush call" he announced briskly
ITS a brief Journey. a consultation
and a small fortune. this time"
! expressed my regret at losing his
company ] repressed my intense Gu
riosity. 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. | knew.
Sit down" he directed. leading me
into a little den off the main apart
ment 81 have something to tell you
and he pointed to sheet of tissue pa
per spread across stand
noted a nondescript assembage OF
some matches. what suggested shoe
scrapings, a little heap of hard black
cinders, a jagged piece OF paraffine
paper and pile of crisp brittle ashes
"a letter was slipped through the door
slot into my metal mail box yesterday
evening. ard am unable to determine
Its contents. In plain words, a missive
intended for me was destroyed Some
one knew II was coming to me, or had
arrived, and slid lighted matches
through the slot until the letter was
burned up"
Just after noon today resumed
Marvel, Il had visitor. He presented
card which announced him to be
Senior Marco Valdez, a business man
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 | traced an
Interior design in his mission and
straightway lent myself to his leading
He had baited his trap with FIVE thou
sand dollars, and to his way of think
ing fell into II body and heels There |
was family trouble at Rio. serious
trouble with the various branches OF |
the Valdez family, rich as it was. pow !
erful as IL always had been. Bankers |
cattlemen. exporters. their family in |
terests were In peril from a circum |
stance of which | would be apprlsed |
when | reached Rio-with sealed in
structions. mind you: for. although he
had travelled far to engage me at the
suggestion OF the president OF a New
York bank, he must leave an explana.
tion as to how and why my services
were required to his brother. Colonel
Valdez. Of Rio Janeiro My visitor pro
duced five one-thousand-doilar bank
notes and requested me to designate a
bank where he should deposit them
subject TO my order upon my return
from my mission. He further rendered
a memoranda OF a contract to be
o. k by his brother Two million
dollars was involved in the case
Should / succeed In accomplishing
what his brother would direct, was to
receive ten per cent OF this enormous
sun
Quite a speculation" suggested
so rich and promising" observed
in his dry. wise way, "that / &C.
cepted at once. The details were gone
over. ! am expected to leave on the {
evening fast mail. The office can run
Itself on routine work until return {
II you feel lonesome, drop over here ;
once in a WHILE" and he handed me a
duplicate key to the apartments.
And you may return more speedily {
than you now PLAN" l suggested
Possibly. After all was said and s
done" continued my friend, my Wis
tor proceeded on his trip-to Denver.
think he said. Then | sat down to 6
,ogitate over some flaws in his story
One-he said he had been at his hotel Z
I'll the morning. See exhibits | and
J. meaning that little heap OF cinders. 6
md next to It that pile OF shoe scrap c
ngs. took pains to place brim B
Ip on newspaper the hat my visitor 4
wore. shaking these cinders OF the
i'm. They came from a locomotive, t
reckon. thereby indicating that my ]
.lient lied to me. and that he had been .
lifting at the open window OF a rail. I
way car just before he reached here
As to the shoe scrapings, they are the t
esult OF contact OF the sole OF his y
hoe with the round OF the chair over v
-onder where he rested It, There is a 9
'ood deal Of marble dust mixed with A
he clay. which is reddish. / recall d
hat the yard at the state prison, forty k
frnr hsr