Evening star., 1918-04-14
BY THOMAS w. HANSHlEW
-s-s-&-ss-ss.sfs-ssi-s-ss-s.

we agreee to the conditions and give
"Yes. yes, by all MEANS" Sir Horace
made answer And, lighting the v1olss
lamp, Narkom ficked open the pinned
curtains and set it in the window.
For ten minutes nothing came OF II ana
the two men. talking in whispers Mniie
they waited. began to grow nervous men
somewhere in the distance q CLOCK starsso
striking IL, and, without so much as
warning sound. the door flashed open'
flashed shut again. a voice shat va va w
finement said. quietly. "Gentlemen my
compliments Here are the diamonds ano
here I ami" and the figure OF man:
and with the clear-cut features OF 1ns
born aristocrat, stood in the ROOM ~
His age might lie anywhere between
twenty-five and thirty-hve; nus eyc
fresh. clean-shaven face was undenia6iy
handsome, and, whatever his origin.
whatever his history. there was somethine
about him, in look. in speech, IN oeanna,
that mutely stood sponsor for tne ehihs
called birth"
God bless my soul !" exclaimed Sir
Horace, amazed and appalled, to hnd tne
reality so widely different from ,ne trssis imnS
is this? Why. man alive, you're genus.
man! Who are you? What's driven you
to a dogs life like this?'
"a natural bent, perhaps; SUPER
natural gift. certainly. Sir Horace" he
made rep,y. Look here Could any man
resist the temptation to use II "nen ne
was endowed by Nature with the power
TO do this?' His features seemed TO
writhe and knot and assume In as many
moments a dozen different aspects. Ive
had the knack of doing that since tne nour
1 could breathe Could Lea any l,xa man abat II
the laws Of Nature said that he should
not?"
"And do they say that?"
That's what l want you 70 ten mo
That's why / have requested this inter-
view 1 want you to examine me. SIT Hor-
ace. to put me through those tests you
use to determine the state OF mino oI
the mentally fit and mentally unnI !
want to know if it Is my fauit ma
am what I am, and II 1t is myself
I have to fight in future or the deVlt
that lives within me. I am tired OF
wallowing in the mire. A woman
eyes have lit the ,,,vaS way to to aeafs ne her
wortbv of her and to stand beside her
in the light
Her? What her.
.HThat's my business. Mr.. Narkom. Ano
I'll take no man into my commence ~
yes, my friend. but sMargot1
..Tm done with her! We broke last
night, when1 returned. ana she iea1T. ~.
never mind what she .,e learneo; 1na 90 ,,an "a
done with her. done with the lot OF tne1n-
NV life is changed forever"
"In the name Of heaven. man. Mho
and what are you .h.@s
"Cleek-just Cleek: let II go at taaS
he made reply whether it's my name
or not is no mans business; who am,
what / am. whence J came is no mans
business. either. C1eek will DO, Geek ..
the Forty Faces. Never miho tne pae''
nv fight Is with the future. ana So
Examine me, Sir Horace. and let me
know If or Fate's to blame TOT Wn@e
I am" ..,s
when. after long e. esamrha.loi1; hinn agsin ut
is the criminal brain fully deveIopea.
horribly pronounced. God help you. my
poor fellow; but a man simply c9Hla
not be other than thfef ana crlmlnai
with an organ like that. There's no
hope for you to-escape yous natnIai
hent except by death. You cant pc
honest. You can't rise. You never VIII
rise; it's useless to fight against it,
will! I will, will" he cried, vehemsnt.
". There is a way to put such cra1t
and cunning to account; way TO ngns
the devil with his own weapons and
crush him under the W, weighe g OF MS own
aAlr Narkom"-he whlrled and walked
toward the superintendent, his hand
outstretched, his eager face aglow-
'Mr. Narkom. help me! Take me under
YOUR wing Give me a start give mo Q
chance. give me lift on the way upl'
Good heaven. man, you-you don's
mean" -.
IT do. do. So help me heaven. l. do.
All my life I've fought against the law.
now let me switch over and fight with
1t. I'm tired of being Cleek. the thief;
Cleek. the burglar. Make me Cleek, the
detective, and let US work together.
hand in hand, for a common cause and
for the public good. Will you. Mr.. Mar
kom? VIII you?"
''Will I! Won't you." said Narkom.
springing forward and gripping his
hand. "Jove. what detective you Will
make. Bully boy! Bully boy"
ITS compact. then?"
ITS a compact. Cleek."
Thank you," he said in q choked
voice. You've given me my chance:
now watch me live up to It. The Van
ishing Cracksman has vanished forever,
Mr.. Narkom, and it's Cieek. the detec-
tive-Cleek of the Forty Faces. from
this time on. Now. give me your, riddles.
I'll solve them one by one"
(To Be Continued Next Sunday) e"