The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-09-22

require your attention. lou nave
heard of ResiIiUS Marvel:'
Il have read about him. was the
reply. shrinking and muffed.
If you knew Mr. Marvel as | knew
him, YOU would trust to his earnest
desire to be always helpful con-
tinued He seeks only to protect the
family honor"
stop" cried Miss Ludington sud
denly, sharply interrupting me, throw
ing aside her veil and presenting a
colorless. defiant face. What do you
know-What does he know"
IL. nothing" l stammered, fairly
abashed at the resolute challenge
he, everything, probably. From two
| to four-you will see him."
Il will see Mr Marvel" she said
slowly, and passed on her way
She was adamant to every attack
I made to win one intimation. the
| faintest clew as to what she and her
mother are holding back" Resilius
Marvel narrated to me the next morn
| ing. This girl is spanning ten years
OF one She is under some terrific
| stress. and there is some influence
that is holding these two women IN
| der a dreadful thrall.'
She would tell you nothing" /
asked
Until the last, absolutely nothing.
except TO beg that l would not disturb
condition that only she and her
mother could remedy. She arose to
| leave. Suddenly she fixed her eyes
upon me- l saw her studying me as
| il to search me through and through.
| noted the flush Of some impelling
force in her face Mr. Marvel she
said, you claim a wish to be helpful
to US, and / believe you, but this is a
case where help from your viewpoint,
instead of assisting US, might precipi-
tate a direful catastrophe. But you
are said to be man who can find
where others fail, who from the
shadow can evolve reality. You can
do something for us, imperative, vital
If you can inform US what We cannot
learn-the whereabouts of a certain
person-you will bring us nearer to
the light for the end
And the person. l inquired,
Resilius Marvel handed me a worn
photograph. 1t was that CT woman
loud of dress, bold of face, wicked OF
eye She had certain wild beauty
but her smile was that of one who
lures only to destroy. On the reverse
of the card were these words: "Al
ways as now-ldalla.
wondered what was passing in the
mind of my friend at this new element
injected into the Ludington case. He
did not see fit to enlighten me. He
called for me at the bank the next
day
"A witness is sometimes handy he
observed, and as we went spinning
along the boulevard south he briefly
told of his success in locating this
new woman in the case.
The name of the photographer was
a guiding clew," he advised ME. HE
did not know Idalia,' but he knew 6
friend of hers, an actress. From this
friend ! learned the whereabouts o.
the original of the picture. She is the
inmate of the reformatory. on a sen
tence for robbery. We are goint
there"
A woman clad in light blue cottor
uniform was called to US, after we hat
reached the place in question. She
came into the room where we awaited
her, her eyes roaming everywhere il
an attempt to surmise the motive o
our visit Promptly Marvel drew thu
photograph Miss Ludington had sup
piled him from his pocket.
Il have come to ask you a ques
ton" he said. How long have yol
known the man to whom you gay'
this photograph
In an instant the prison restraint, tn
forced reserve of discipline, all sci
control went to the winds. The VIC
/ man first attempted to wrest the pic
ture from the hand that held it tC
: wards her to tear it to atoms. He
, eyes glared like a tigers, her fac
became distorted, she raved, sh
/ trembled from head to foot, sh
poured out curses upon the man
memory of whom the photograph hal
, evoked.
, Listen" she cried Mark me,
, swear 1.-THE day / am freed from
< here. be 1t when it may-I will xii
2 him!"
, You are too late" observed Marve
quietly.
Il am too late?" she repeated, sker
tically.
''Yes, he has been dead for weeks.
She laughed, this Idalia, this woman
| who made men shrink whom she di
i not cause to weep.
, You came to draw me out, to dc
I lude me-" she scoffed. From him!
: see through you. Dead? Do yo
think l do not keep track Of hin
, through my friends on the outside, t
r be ready to know when, and where
r and how shall strike when the hou
comes? Go back and tell Abel Wanda
mann that from me-"
t A low whistle, so low that it woul
have been difficult to trace its source
9 proceeded from the lips of Resiliu
: Marvel. He restored the photograp
3 to his pocket. He made motion t
. the attendant that his mission was a.
e complished He said to me:
/ THE case Is complete
r What he meant CROPPED vaguely /
| NV mind fo find ont He left me I