The Washington times., 1919-02-11


Pardon me, sir" replied the
young man. removing his glasses
and placing them on the desk by his
side. You misunderstand me. am
only, saying that they are not, at
this moment, in the safe"
"And on what do you base this
supposition?"
ALLOW me not to answer your
question. 1t is impossible to give
you any explanation at this mo-
ment. Rest assured, however" he
added, ''that perhaps 1 shall soon
tell you things which will amaze
you still more"
Indeed, sir-and who are your
my name is Lucien Delorme."
On leaving the baron's house he
had gone downstairs in a mood Of
great perplexity. Had not his eyes
deceived him? Had he really been
in the presence OF one Of the indt-
viduals whom he was seeking? 1t
was difficult for him to admit,
priori, that Comte d'Abazoli-Vis-
cosa, the charming society man. to
whom every drawing-room stood
-yet-he had seen-it was impos-
sible for him to be mistaken-un-
less there was some extraordinary
coincidence that could be compared
only with the accident which had
made him suddenly encounter the
man who had a bullet in his skull,
Then. after having hesitated for
a whole day over the means TO
use in order to obtain certainty, he
had telephoned to Baron Plucke
that the comte, feeling slightly I'll,
had requested him to defer his
visit until some other day, and had
gone bravely to the comte's house.
'Lucien Delorme?" cried Ihe
comte, searching his memory for
the association recalled by the
name.
THE man who occupied the next
room to Mrs. Tankery
The other leaped to his feet.
Mrs. Tankery?"
Murdered one night by two men
the taller one had a bulletin his
skull and the shorter one in
his leg. Shall I go on. sir?"
The comte, in a tone Of quiet sar-
casm, answered:
1T seems to me that I do re-
member all that now. Are not you
the young man who gave the police
such fantastic details about the
crime in the Avenue Mozart, and
whom the newspaper called a
dreamer. You were even arrested,
and then released as a madman."
Certainly" replied Lucien De-
lorme emphatically. "But those
murderers who carried a revolver
in each pocket-and who still carry
them" he added, looking intently at
his companion" zone of whom had a
ring on the ring finger-the other
watch in his left vest pocket, and
who still have them would you
like to have me tell you who they
are?"
81 was going to ask, slr!"
Lucien DelOrme had put his gray
felt hat on the table. his chestnut
colOTed Overcoat and his yellow kid
gloves on the armchair. and stand
ing erect, with folded arms. he said:
"One, sir. is yourself! The other
is the man hidden behind that hang
ing. holding the fatal wire which
he used to strangle Mrs. Tankery
and Baron Plucke-Strohe."
For an instant the conlte stared
at Lucien DelOrme in bewilderment,
seeming 20 wonder how he could
know all this.
sir" he said. haughtily, at last,
81 agree with the police and the
press that you are a lunatic. You
don't know what you are saying
will not discuss the matter with
YOU. Accuse me, Comte d'AhazoIi-
Niscoza. of being criminaI:-Come.
come, that would make all my aC-
quaintances laugh. But I do not
wish to retain the title of sWindIer
which you so gratuitoUsly bestow
upon me.-If il is impossible for me
to prove that ! have murdered no
one. l intend. at least, 10 give you
a proof that the gems exist, and
that they are in this safe.--I intend
to DO for you what I have never yet
done for anyone in the world: I am
going 10 show them TO yOu,'
He spoke with such assurance
that TO- an instant, LuciCn DelOrme
r5't doubtful.
What if =" were mistaken:
TSUt uO-theT. was no erFor-he
had only TO look AROUND him--that
empty sate-thoSe men Who carried
IN their very bodies an irrefutable
deScr!ptiOn-thc VevolverS with
which they were aFned-tEe steel
wiTc, III. the hands OF the man COR
cealed behind yonder pOrtiere, ready
TO spring CVt-they were Uudoubt-
cdly two Williams, ca2avle Of the
worst crimes.
With q rapid. cautious movement.
he felt for the revolver IN his
pocket.
Meanwhile the comte had quietly
taken a key from one OF the draw
ers in his desk. Then, after going