The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-08-31
AWAITED the opening of a door in

place Wnere small Things c0unCeu--a
strange room, a strange man it's mas
ter; only the unusual happened here.
Besides that, beyond the door of this,
the headquarters office of the United
Bankers Protective association, there
were strange sounds. They were i'm
polling and then deterrent; a shrill
cackle, more eerie than human, as of
some hunted animal in mortal terror
a voice calling distressfully into the
bleak stormy night, like that of vic
tim from the outer world being resist
ingly dragged ever the threshold OF
new and uncer,@ in one.
To the inner circle Of financial men
given to good comradeship in exclu-
sive club circles, the mention of the
name of Resilius Marvel would bring
a tender glow to heart and brain. 1t
would suggest quaint tale told so
evenly and entrancingly that the mem
DRY of the tranquil, musical tones
would be like the echo of golden beads
dropped into a crystal dish. In one
mood stepped in the ichors of Thalia.
of Calliope, of Euterpe, of Erato, in
the next following some sloping fancy
down a fairy trail of thought sweet
and refreshing as field of daisies,
one of the Marvel reminiscent hours
would mean transformation of lazy
rising rings of rich Havana smoke into
filmy lace pictures formed of cobwebs
and starshine. His sayings were chaste
as Tiffany gem, his mind palace,
making men forget for the nonce that
he held the destinies of the great
banks as an egg shell in the palm of a
giant, lulling them with this NEGRO
NANCY of tone and professional expert
ness into the security of a Vision
house.
| had not spoken since entered the
rooms, for l saw that Resilius Marvel
was in one of his dark moods. So
well did know him that at once dis
cerned that he was struggling with
some great case where the dead blank
wall of "No Clue" faced him grimly.
He stood at the window looking out at
the rain-blurred lights of a glowing
thoroughfare, just now remindful of
some woeful Bagdad Out of that
world of shadows a lone bird beat its
wings against the window. Into its
secret recesses Marvel seemed boring
his way through obscure labyrinths
seeking that which he must find. Fifty
framing the picture was a wall Gov
cred with duplicates of famous forged
checks, portraits of the great counter.
feiters, cabinet sections containing
odd trophies of his career. Here was
a stamped brick from Assyria four
thousand years old-"the Book of the
Dead"-one line of the hieroglyphics
of which had solved an international
mystery. Next was a rude seal from
the Beloki Congo, wrested from the
possession of native chief who had
flooded the country with "phoney'
government scrip until Resilius Mar
vel had found him. Next was an ivory
fan from Turkestan with sanguinary
streak that was the blood of a prime
ess, fragment from a dynamited
American steel pillar Of Hindia that
could have told racy tale of smooth
contractor. And bullying scrap book
clasped and locked like bank code
ledger, containing his private person
al notes on the new generation of bank
criminals, modern in education as in
an appreciation of the value at the
graver's tool, "the drag" the raised
check manipulation, the automobile as
assets to crime against obsolete police
methods.
Always there was an air of complete
stiffness in this inner room. At the
disturbing sound without Resilius Mar
vel turned-distracted and therefore
annoyed. His eye fell upon Lott, his
servJtor, who, velvet-shod, noiselessly
opened the door and closed it after him
The man had a face like one of those
you see on old Roman medals, an &C
uuaintance with the moods and ways
of his master that enabled him to ques
ton intelligently and to respono
through a look, hand movement,
mere expression of the lips. Lott was
of three generations who had g1yeI
their entire lives to the production o.
four famous statues-one at the GENE
terry of Genoa, three at the beautiful
Pere lie Chaise at Paris. He was
theorist as to the sense of smell, bold
seeming his favorite dish. At him nov
in sharp silent challenge Marve
looked.
know not what telepathic system
bridged the chasm of inquiry and re
sponse, but at once Marvel straight
ened up magically as if touched by
sharp mental prod. Then he glanced
at me- and further knew that he hat
made some new and important dis
covery in the Paget case.
When I had first entered this room
/ felt sure that Marvel was preoccu
pied, and that, too, over the case
have mentioned. In fact l had com'
there on that business, being banl
man and myself interested in its out
come. To Marvel the banks wer
something more than clients-the.
were as children who went topping
down the line like tilted cards. ono
started in panic. 1t was for this rea