Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-02-21

liz tIdC L Ldu UtelI d hllS, by du
that's holy, 1 shouldn't dare swear
to the contrary!"
Sergeant Mazeroux put out his
hands, accustomed to rough work,
seized the seemingly frail wrists
Of the man addressing, him and
said:
"No, nonsense, now. I don't
know whom I've got hold of, but
| shan't let you go. You can say
what you have to say at the pre-
fect's."
Don't speak so loud, Alex
andre"
The two frail wrists were re-
leased with unparalleled ease; the
sergeant's powerful hands were
caught and rendered useless; and
Don Luis grinned:
Don't you know me, you
idiot?'
Sergeant Mazeroux did not utter
a word. His eyes started still far
Their from his head. He tried to
understand and remained abso-
lutely dumfounded.
The sound of that voice. that
way of jesting, that schoolboy
playfulness allied with that audac-
lty, the %quizzing expression of
those eyes, and lastly that Chris
tan name of Alexandra, which
was not his name at all and which
only n person used to give him,
years ago. Was it possible?
The chief!' he stammered.
1.-The chief!'
why not?'
mo, no, because"
Because WHAT"
Because you're dead"
Well, what about it? D'you
think 1T interferes with my living,
being deadg"
And, as the other seemed more
and more perplexed, he laid his
hand on his shoulder and said:
Who put you into the police
office?"
1.-The chief detective, M. Lenor-
mand."
"The chief"
and who was M. Lenor-
mand?"
"You mean Arsene Lupin, don't
|you?"
yes"
"Well Alexandra, don't you
know that it was much more diff
cult Tor Arsene Lupin to be chief
detectlve-and a mastery chief
detective he was-than to be Don
LUIS Perenna, to be decorated in
the Foreign Legion, to be a hero,
and even to be alive after he was
dead?"
Sergeant Mazeroux examined
his companion in silenc. Then his
lackluster eyes br%ightenend, his
drab features turned scarlet and
suddenly striking the table with
his fist, he growled, in an angry
voice:
"All right, very well! But T
warn you that you mustn't reckon
me. No, not that! I'm in the de-
tective service; and in the detec-
tive sercice I remain. Nothing do
ing. I've tasted honesty and I
mean to eas no other bread. No,
no, no, no! No more humbug!"
Perenna shrugged his shoulders:
Alexandra, you're an ass. Up
on my word, the bread of honesty
hasn't enlarged your intelligence.
Who talked Of starting again?"
"But-"
"But what7"
".All your maneuyers, chief"
My maneuvers! Do you think
Il have anything to say to this
business7"
"Look here, chief"
"Why, I'm out Of it altogether,
my lad! Two hours ago 1 knew
no more about it than you do. It's
Providence that chucked this
legacy at me, without so much as
shouting, 'Head!' And it's in
obedience to the DEGREES Of"
"Then-9"
Its my mission in life to
ayenge Cosmo Mornington, to find
his natural heirs, to protect them
and to divide among them the
1O0,000,000 that belong to them.
That's all. Don't you call that
the mission Of an honest mani"
eyes, but"
eyes. but, if I don't fulfill it as
an honest man: is that what you
meant"
HChief-"
"Well, my lad, if you notice the
least thing in my conduct that dis.
satisfies you, if you discover a
fspeck of black on Don Luis Peren-
mas conscience, examined under
! ~ AE