Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-22

ing? asked Mulhausen.
You can just read this letter."
said Jones.
He handed over voles' letter.
Mulhausen put on his glasses,
opened the letter. and read it. Then
he placed the open letter on top of
the one beneath the agate paper
weight, tore up the envelope, and
threw the two fragments into the
waste paper basket behind him.
yes replied the other. "a lot
more. Let us begin at the beginning.
You have obtained from me piece
of real estate worth anything up to
a million pounds; you paid $4,000 for
, "Yes~ $685..
You, You have ave, got to hand me that
Il beg your pardon" said Null
hansen. DO you refer to the Glana-
fwyn lands"
Eyes,"
II see. And have to hand those
back to you-anything more?"
mo, that's all. 1 received your
daughters letters back from Voles
yesterday. Let's be plain with one
thing. ! have his confession under
his own handwriting, you are all in
a, net, the whole gang of you-you,
your daughter, your son and Voles.
You plucked me like a turkey. You
know the whole affair as we'll as l
erty back before o'clock today. l
shall go to the nearest police office
and swear an information against
you"
~ see,' said Mulheusen. without
turning hair. you will put us all in
prison, will you not? That would be
very unpleasant. very unpleasant in
deed"
He rose. went to some tin boxes sit
uated on ledge behind him, took out
his keys and opened one.
Jones. fancying that he was going
jump at his thyroid cartilage. This
was victory without battle. But
Mr. Marcus Mulhausen took no title
deeds from the box. He produced
letter case, came back with it to the
table, and sat down.
Then holding the letter case before
him he looked at Jones over his
glasses. {gs
"You rogue" said Mulhausen.
That was the most terrific y hent
in Jones life. Mulhausen a I'M
criminal had suddenly become a
judge. He spoke with such absolute
conviction. ease. sense of power and
scorn. that there could be no manner
of doubt he held the winning cards
He opened the letter case and pro-
dnced a paper.
Here is the bill of exchange for two
hundred and fifty pounds. to which
you forged Sir Pleydell Tuffnells
name" said Marcus Mulhausen.
spreading IVY paper before him;
THAT was two years ago. We all
know Sir Pleydell and his easygoing'
ways. He is so careless you thought
he would never find out: so good. he
would never prosecute. But 1t came
into my hands. it is my property. and
I have no hesitation in dealing with
rogues. Now do you suppose for a
moment that If were moving against
you in any unlawful way-which l
deny--I would have done so without
protection than this? The punish
ment for forgery, let me remind you.
is five years penal servitude at the
least" lie looked down at the docu-
ment with a cold smile, and then he
glanced un again at his victim. Jones
saw that he was done; done not by
Marcus Mulhausen, but by Rochester.
He had tripped over a kink in Roch-
ester's character just as a man trips
over kink in carpet. Then rage
came to him. The sight of the horri-
BILE scoundrel with whiskers, triumph
ant and gloating, reused the dog in
his nature. and all the craft that lay
hidden in him.
He hcaved a sigh. rose brokenly. and
approached the desk. and the crea-
ture behind 1t. ,,.
you are cleverer man than am"
said he, shake hands and call 1t
quits"
Next moment he had snatched the
paper from the fingers that held il.
crumpled it, crammed " into his