The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-10-18
} the letter in your mail box?"


ment,' I directed my visitor, opening
the door to that anteroom yonder.
Instantly, taken off his guard, he
seized the reverse knob and held to it
as / pushed the door shut. Then
had my man down in black and white.
Unconsciously he had followed the
prison rule of drawing to and hold
ing tightly the door until the tier
locking bar falls in place. When l an
nounced a false alarm and called him
back into the room, had ready, spread
over the blotter on my desk, paraf-
fined sheet of paper. Just set your
thumb on that corner while tack it
down. l suggested. He did so, and
that piece of it you see has the i'm
press of his thumb. | made ado to do
some scribbling on the sheet to subdue
any suspicious he might entertain He
went away satisfied that by night l
would be on my way on FOOLS err
rand"
And later?"
1.-THE Identification bureau. Thanks
to his thumb impression and my ability
to describe my plausible visitor, was
practically convinced that l had been
hcnored by call from no less per-
sonage than the notorious Rex Ma
ginn, alias the Human Spool"
"A strange pseudonym," l observed.
$50 awarded" explained Marvel, ION
account of his brilliant record as an
expert smuggler up along the Cana
dian border. This man was once cap
tured by the Detroit police. They dis
robed him to find some thousands OF
yards of fine lace wound round and
round him. They began turning him
in circle. They reeled off vast guam.
titles Of the stuff, until he fell down
dizzy and exhausted, and they had to
give him frequent rests before they un-
wound the discounted human spool"
"a known criminal, them"
Eyes, but quiescent for few years,
the record runs. That is his system.
however. He generally satisfies him
self with pulling off two or three big
things in decade"
And is probably preparing for one
of those signal events at the present
time," l ventured.
Beyond doubt. In plain English
this man and his associates are bent
upon some big scheme, probably in the
bank line, where my absence is an es-
sential l wired the state prison. Our
Brazilian friend was there this morn
ing, and visited a long termer named
Dorchester Ickes, who is serving time
as bank embeZzler."
IF | can assist you" l suggested
hoping that Marvel would let me.
Il will cable you," was the response,
with a dry, dry smile-"from Rio"
1t was a case of while the cats sup
posed to be away the mice will play"
to my manner of thinking. looked
for something to happen Immediately.
Three days passed by, however, and
Resilius Marvel, according to the
schedule, should be forty-eight hours
out on the Brazilian steamer Express,
bound for Rio. While was sure that
some big bank trick was about to be
pulled off. as the saying goes, won
dered where the lightning might
strike, how and when, and doubted not
that Rex Maginn would be in evidence
when the elimination arrived. The
Human Spool did not put in an ap-
pearance, however. I wondered If
Marvel had already nipped his scheme
in the bud.
The third evening, 1 found myself
headed in the direction Of Marvefs
apartment and l quickened my steps
as turned a corner to come within
view of the house where Marvel lived.
At the side of one of tho shades of his
library there was a CLINT of light. The
shade had become disarranged in some
way. | drew back, walked forward,
stopped, and then got upon hitching
block to acquire the exact focus
needed.
At last-there was Resilius Marvel,
in his accustomed easy chair. Stand.
ing near table in front of him was
stout man wearing a full white
beard and silk hat. He was drawing
on his gloves as If about to depart.
walked around the corner, posted my
self in an open doorway adjoining the
apartment house, and waited.
Almost Immediately / saw the man
with the high hat come out into the
street. He turned in first one direc
ton and then another and glanced
sharply down the street in both. Then
he almost ran to an automobile stand
ing at the curb, leaped into it.
slammed its door shut, gave some
quick order to the chauffeur and the
machine started away.
| had no reason to imagine anything
significant and sinister about the man
except his covert, nervous actions.
had no thought of following him. My
| intention was to mount the stairs tc
| MarveIS rooms and venture to in
trude upon my friend. At just that
juncture. however. something hap
pened, something so unexpected tina;
| was lifted off my feet, fairly.
Standing in the shadow of line o.
trees opposite the apartment house
was a second machine. Its chauffeur
was unobtrusively loungfng in hi:
seat AS If by magic he started up
A man made flying leap from some
dark doorway back from the curb.
knew the sprint, | knew the supple
swing of the body, l caught the out
line of the face in ghnt of the cor
ner arc light. though we'll shadowet
by broad peaked cap pulled down al
most to the raised collar of the crav