The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-15

the Frenchman opening the portman
teau which was by the dressing table.
"Au packed ready for departure YOU
see. He meant to go early no doubt. as
he told you, but perhaps not to London.
He knew your name / presume?"
Yes"
And more about you than your
name. Here are two letters in his
portmanteau warning him of Valen-
| tine West, vaguely as you will see, but
Enthusiastically. The envelopes have
been carefully destroyed. There Is an
old envelope here. however, addressed
to Geneva. Look at it,
West took it. 1t was addressed to
Herr Kratzner. Hotel Continental. Ge-
neva. The postmark was three months
old.
"Kratzner," he said slowly. search
ing his memory.
He has not troubled you much In
England, not directly at least" said
Leroux Kratzner is one of the aliases
used by the notorious spy Jean Bois-
set, a Swiss by birth. 1 believe, but
that Is not certain
West glanced at the. naked man on
the bed
Jean Boisset!" And aagin he looked
at the letters which had warned the
dead man OF him. He recalled in a
kind of lightning survey their CONVEX
sation last night, and tried to nix the
| character and mentality of the man.
searching for clues to these letters.
Some time ago We were warned
that Boisset was becoming active
again." Leroux went on, land not for
the first time he had succeeded in elud-
ing us. 1 would not admit as much
publicly, NJ. West. but with you 1 car
| be quite honest. The proprietor tells
me he has been here some days. mas
querading as NJ. Houtin, giving no
cause for suspicion Of any kind, You
| had no suspicion yourself, M. West?"
None"
"Ah, he was a curious personality.
known to few, as elusive as a dream,
| clever as the DEVIL
Yet not clever enough to escape
that" said West, pointing to the bed.
| Even the devil makes mistakes"
said Leroux, land some one has saved
| Boisset makes many enemies, and in
this instance some of them have been
smarter than the police While you
We're at the opera last night imagine
an enemy concealed himself in this
room and waited until his victim was
asleep. There could have been little
difficulty, the state Of the room proves
that; no good for hurry. no fear of
being disturbed, And there is a touch
of grim huner about the murderer. He
leaves his victim naked to the world.
See, while everything else in the port
manteau is neatly packed. the pajamas
have been thrust in hastily. crumpled
together just as they were pulled off
| the body"
| West looked at them, and examined
| the neatly packed garments.
You will find no name, NJ. West
Leroux said with a smile. He would
remain NJ. Houtin too short time TO
have his clothes marked. besides. 1t
would deceive no one whose suspicious
Were aroused
mo. I suppose not" said West, look
ing round the room, glancing again at
| the bed, at the toilet table, into every
corner. On a chair neatly folded were
the clothes he had evidently intended
to wear this morning.
| He told you he was leaving early
and going to London. but he had given
no instructions to be called early" Le-
! roux went on. He had asked at the
bureau that his bill might be prepared
saying he would probably be leaving
today. 1t was only probability. de-
pendent on circumstances no doubt
and he did not mention anything about
gong TO London. I should say, M
West. that you figured rather promi-
nently in his calculations last night.
You did not suspect him but he was
afraid of you, and was prepared to
alter his plans to deceive you. He was
not going to London, you may be sure
OF that. It was good excuse for say
Ing farewell last night. a quite natural
one as several people from the hotel
were leaving for England this morn
ing"
What business was he engaged
upon that the French police were in
terested in him just now?" West
asked
Gould give you definite answer
to that question our task would have
been easier. We should have known
what channels t. watch. We have i'm
; agined his activities to be concerned
) either with French interests in Mo-
rocco. Or with the changes which are
contemplated in our army administra-
ton, but since our efforts in these d.
, rections have proved fruitless probably
neither of these was his present game.
We do not easily fail, as you know"
, THAT is true" said West las a
detective you have far wider expert
|, ence than I have. NJ. Leroux Mine is
entirely government work, and in the
course OF that work have heard of
1 Jean Boisset. He may have been at
/ the back OF some of the problems !
: have helped to solve but the solution
I has never reached to HIM 1 have
never had to pit my brains against his
as far as 1 know, and I cannot in any
q way account for the warning against
Q me found in that portmanteau."
The fact that you are here would
be sufficient to make those who en-
( ploy Boisset careful" Leroux answer
ed. IN. West is so seldom at PLAY
i that it is reasonable to suspect hs
r may be more dangerous then than al
$ any other time
I wish I were as dangerous as they
: seem to think" said West with
d smile. 'One thing is certain. They