The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-12-01

tauraHt named the Oas.s
4 owe you thanks. my friend" said
I Marvel. simply YET automatically to
me. and was off like a shcj, as though
| ! nad given him some valuable ana
,.mclv information. did not soc him
aGaiD for two days. In the meantime
] received Intelligence that Mr.. Bal
had returned 10 the city. The neWsra
! peers noted il. and just after / had read
! the little Item in the morning paper
| It phone message from the millionaire
himself thanked me for nay seTvic 5 il
| his behalf, and requested me- to call
| upon him when / found il convenient
to do so. l was planning TO follow
! the invitation that evening after the
| bank closed. when a second phone
summons told me that Marvel was at
| the other end OF the line.
| Come over to police headquarters.
! he directed. Il want you to identity
| somebody-chief's Office"
] | repressed 4 slight start OF won
| der as { entered the private sanctum
/ OF the department of justice. Marvel
| was there, as l had expected, and the
| blind" man was present, too, to my
| mild surprise | wondered why and
| how he had come TO bob mp important
! ~ enough to be the subject Of police
| official recognition. It seemed thai
! what | was expected 10 do was TO sub
! stantiate my former statement to Mar
! vol IN In, hf
blind" man cropping his way painfully
] along the street apparently sightless
! and the evening Of the same day had
| seen him exert the ability of a person
! IN full possession of most excellent
! powers Of vision.
! See here" called out this subject
! of present interest in an irritable. com
! planning tone, what is this all about
| am no mendicant, nor a public nui
/ sance. ] am going about my own af
/ fairs in quiet. respectable way. My
| identity IS nobody'5 business"
Then why playing part?" demand
| cd the chief Of the department.
Il deny being an impostor," declared
| the man under suspicion 4 tell you
am blind" and his fixed, flmy eyes
! looked IT,
we shall soon know" observed
! Marvel All, lere is the oculist now.
Evidently he had sent for the profes
| sional looking gentleman who had now
arrived The latter placed a small!
I satchel on the table. glanced ar the
/ several occupants OF the room. and i'm
mediately fixed his glance upon our
/ blind" man.
/ This Is the person." he said, IN his
expert way selecting his subject at
once The latter made no objection 70
| being examined. He turned up his
eyes as directe1. he submitted to the
various tests of fAe oculist with instru'
ments and chemicals.
stone blind" ,fnally announced the
oculist. and he put up his instruments
I and closed his satchel.
/ Marvel glanced at me as if challeng
I ing my claim Of having seen the man
/ under normal sight conditions
i "WelI?" spoke the quasi-prisoner
impatiectly. Are you through with
me?'
My friend signalled the chief to dis
miss the subject under surveillance
| He also made a gesture to dark little
man, and the latter followed the
blind" man from the Office
Unless there are two of him." OBJ
served Marvel as we left headquarters
you identified the right man the other
night. l want you to do something for
mel wish to have an introduction tc
Mr. Dale at his home"
l referred to my plan for calling that
evening. and this quite harmonized
with my friends request. 1t was just
! after dusk, the garden was in shadow
! the house itself brilliantly Illuminated
as we were shown into the front draw
! ing room. being informed that Mr.
| Dale and his niece, as the servant put
| it. were out for a drive and would re,
| turn soon.
The alert glance Of my companion
swept the room comprohcnsiyely unit,
his eye fell upon the portrait OF the
| lev i-ilS CSo vi tiIS 'i''htHl nuItt
| Then he advanced towards IT, A con
! noiseur in matters artistic. road
| his impression of picture which had
| appealed TO me as the mcrest daub
| He drew close to tho portrait. ran his
| thumb nall over corner of It's painted
surface, and turning quickly said In Il
guarded one:
watch that door--adyiso mo IL any.
one comes"
| watched him pull the picture out
from tho wall, an open pcnknitc In his
hand. This ho inserted against the
tackedon canvas. lifted II free. and ro
turned to his chair
"A portrait from Rome" no uaid n
faint, queer smile PLAYING about IN,
corners of his lipa Walt"
With sharp suddonucsa he pro
| nounCed this word. left hia chair and
glidcd to tho open bay window In the
rear drawing room | had caught tho
echo OF n peculiar call. one half wh,a
tic. one half bird call, ttu,oodinr nh
! phrently from tho garden snw Nnr
vel step through tho window and lila
appear In In shadows
u WA only later that Lurry that IA,
met there tho mnu u hu had rnitnr al
the "blini" man rtutu huaduua,t,,s,
. 4, ~ T. l.