, 1917-11-08

CD tiouSA Sf1o1ih6 ~ nOthlDPnan-
some object of fury and hate.
1t vas at that moment that Mr. Nj.
and his ward, "the artist girl fra.
Rome entered the house and than ~
room, and 1 was introduced In ~.
original of the portrait. A creepv san
sation passed over me somebow =.
the woman smiled and touched nv a.
ger tips, and chung to the fond cbo-
ishing arm OF her escort, the rrons
old man who SO counted on her nrs0
ence to ameliorate the loneliness n,
his life.
1t was just here that Marvel, noise
lessly regaining the rear drawn.
room, advanced. a shadowy figure IL
his trail.
"Mr. Resilius Marvel" bev,,
deeming an introduction in order hu,
my friend held up a stern censurins
hand, made a half reckoning motion
and there stepped forward IN,
blind" man
who is that woman" challeupei
Marvel, to my CONSERVATION and M.
unbounded amazement and resentment,
of Mr.. Dale, and he pointed straight a,
the original of the flashing portal,
above her head.
Sara Bruhll" shouted the "blind.
man, springing forward from the wax,
of Marvel, his face a writhing glow q,
triumph, revenge and hatred.
The woman drew back with a shar,
cry. Her face became colorless. sh,
WINGED as though evading a direc,
blow.
"It is folly, a plot-he cannot tell
for is he not blind?" gasped tbs
woman.
How do you know that?" keenly de
manded Marvel.
Blind? Yes!" raved the man
Bracey, it flashed into my mind
am, indeed, blind, but only in the day
time. BY some trick of nature the fou,
drug you administered has left me 3
nyctalops, and / can see at night. Oh
this is sweet triumph-to balk you IL
your seeming hour of success! ONLY
to find your vile a~ccomplice, Trego
and then I am content"
His face worked horribly; his as
pect was that Of a demon infuriate
The woman made a lost gesture, threw
her arms in the air and fell a sense
less heap at the foot of Mr.. Dale. HI
called for the servants, who bore hel
from the room.
wait" commanded Resilius Marvel
this imposter must not be lost sigh
of for a single moment until she has
disclosed the whereabouts of the kid
naped girl she sought to represent
Miss Dunscombe."
He made a barely audible sount
with his lips. In a trice the small
alert man from headquarters was a
his side, received his instructions ant
followed the servants and their mani
mate burden into the hallway.
"What-what does this meant" de
manded the millionaire, sinking into
a chair, ercom And then my frient
told of his first suspicious discovery
the fact that the box coverings re
moved from the portrait did not CORE
spond to the box he had helped mt
bring to the house the day previous.
The appearance of the blind mar
had suggested something coincidenta
with the letter sent by Bracey to TIT
millionaire. His watchfulness of thu
n%yctalops had resulted in the climax.
Then the real Winifred Duns
combe-" gasped the wonderin!
trembling millionaire.
He knew within the hour, for thu
resuscitation of the Bruhl womaI
meant a stringent Interview with thu
imposter. She was held an unbooket
prisoner at headquarters until Marve
was assured that her victim, Mis-
Dunscombe, was released from th'
hands Of fellow conspirators in a Sc
cluded New Jersey town and on he
way to the arms of her anxious rela
tive.
1t seemed that Trego, knowing o
the portrait and of his uncle's plan
for the girl, had set up a specious plo
to kidnap her. 1t was he who had en-
tered the Dale mansion, removed TIT
original portrait from its Enclosure ant
substituted the presentiment of his &C
complete. To what evil lengths thu
plot to secur the aged mans fortuna
was still to go may readily be imagined
A sweet-faced, gentle-mannered CIR
thanked Resilius Marvel for all b.
had done for her one week later at th'
Dale home-myself, too, but I was TOT
modest to believe that my part in TN
case deserved much recognition. TIT
Bruhl woman and Bracey both fadet
back into their old life somehow, ant
n month later Basil Trego was sho'
dead in a hnuoa malice IL
another city.
/ have always regarded this case al
n of the most notable of the greai
protector of finance. From nothing hi
built up theory, from mere straws
cable chain of strong facts. that en-
aoled him to save the life and the mil
lions of a worthy old man from TIT
nEIIal n.Aal. 4hA nla-