The Washington times., 1919-02-04
By GUY DE TERAMoND.

ais poihl4 out the places OF note TO
him. presents letters OF introduction 10
that cautious landlady and registers
At dinner, he makes the acQuaintancs
OF his fellow boarders. These are
Mrs.. Tankerys a rich American widow.
whose room adjOins that OF DeIorme,
and Guatemaian general, Domingo
Lopez, a man Of mystery
Mrs. Tankerys about sixty, carries
about with her fortune In Jewels.
Delorme attracts attention By reason
OF large dark-lsnsed glasses he wears.
The opinion prevails that his eyes are
weak and that he has come 70 Raris
70 consult an eminent eye specialist.
Mrs. Tankery. a fortnight after De-
lorme's arrival, is found dead In her
rOOm-murdered. After an fnvsstira-
Iion BY the Commissaire OF Police.
Delorme's is suspected OF the crime.
Later Doiorme Is released by police
He announces his dissemination Of
leaving the Family House"
a million"
a miIlionr' cried the startled
baron.
rs the price exeessive?" replied
the other coldly. Don't forget that
in a year, without the slightest risk,
am helping you make four"
"of course, but a million for COM
mission Sr'
You are at liberty to accept or
refuse. I came to you, sir. because
knew you to be a man with whom
one can reach an understanding.
But, since the transaction doesn't
suit you on the terms offer. 1 will
go elsewhere. The proposition is
good enough for me to have no
trouble in making the arrange
menti"
The baron appeared to hesitate an
instant. then he answered abrupt
~:
Since you require it, shall be
compelled to submit to your terms,
but allow me to tell you that you
are an extremely expensive agentv''
Pshaw" replied the comte,
business Is business. - The
only person who might have
reason to complain OF all
these combinations is His High
ness!' And. in connection with
is one point upon which 1 abso-
lutely insist: no one must know OF
this affair. You perceive the in
jury it might do with His High
ness il IL should eyers reach hs
ears. So 1 must request, sir. that
as soon as the contract is signed
,
sion you will give me this sum from
hand to hand, in bank notes, with
out requiring any receipt. ."
WHY is"
Il make il an absolute condition.
This is my only way OF being sure
that no proof will exist against me
in this matter. and that the entire
transaction will always remain a
secret hefWaah orIraafvaa
Very well, sir" assented the
baron, who was accustomed to
these kinds of combinations. "In
case the business is concluded. the
money shall be paid in the way you
require. 1 will make the promise"
He accompanied him TO the door.
and, with a last clasp Of the hands.
the two men separated, with a mu-
tuaI:
Hope to see you again soon!"
While Baron PluCSe was study
ing the proposition which the rep
resentative OF the Maharajah Of
Pandhukurrah had come to make
him, Lucien Delorme. settled at the
Gigantic Palace, was rejecting,
with his head between his hands,
upon the means OF finding Mrs.
Tankery's murderers
a week had passed without his
discovering any clue.
If the newspapers would only put
him on some trail! But they re-
mained silent. For lack OF ele-
ments to satisfy. daily. the curl
Osity of their readers, they had
gradually forgotten the drama
which, for a time, had caused so
deep an interest Other miscella-
neOus items of news had since
aroused the attention OF the pub
lie. The Crime Of the Faubourg
Saint-Denis, The Mystery of the
Boulevard MalesherbeS, The Disap-
pearanCe Of the Rue de Rennes.
As for the murderer Of the Rue
Mozart, the investigation had not
made one step in advance since the
chief of the Detective Bureau had
declared that "the crime
was signed" and that it was pro
fessional.'
II the police. with all the means
at its disposal. is powerless,
thought the young man sorrowful-
". what can I do? How does it
help me to be certain, against the
whole world. though NJ. Clamart
said that ] was under a hallucina-
tion, and the entire press treated /
me as II I were a lunatic, to be
certain, 1 repeat, that the taller OF |
the two murderers has a bullet in |
his head, and the other in his leg! /
How am l to discover these two /
individuals among the millions OF 4
the inhabitants OF Paris? To do so /
would require a singular accident! |
Like taking q lottery ticket with /
the expectation OF winning the
great prize. No, no, I am really |
stealing Baron Plucke's money, |
hats all and comfortable |
IS I am in this superb hotel. l am
going 10 tell him that I refuse to
continue this profession Of detec-
i've, for which I have no aptitude,
md prefer to return to Eu, where
ny mother is begging me to join
ler.
With these words, he took his
lat and. with a firm step. crossing
he Avenue des Champs Elysees,
vent up to the baron's office
Anybody but me would profit by
his situation. For a week. not
'nce have I set foot outside the
Ioor. With the means at my com
nand, | might know something
Lbout the fashionable life of Paris,
md
But he interrupted himself and.
With dropping head, added in a tone
II sorrowful disCouragemenJ:
What's the use?"
lie rang the bell. When his name
vas announced, the baron requested
lin to wait few minutes. He was
ngaged just then with Comte