El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-01-08


, cigar" And the older man unlocked
a drawer in his desk. took out a box.
and offered it to the American.
The latter helped himself 10 Ha-
vana and lit IT,
Here goes he said You see.
It's my plain duty 10 know all about
but Why Why. tonnerre de
Dieu-"
Because I an engaged TO his sis
teri" replied Tenant as he left
which reply only mystined n. Du-
castel still more and caused him 20
make some decidedly uncomnlimen-
( tary remarks about the whole brood
OF internal Yankee ne'er-do- wells. q"
and one James oliver Tenant in
particular
But the latter had spoken the truth
as he saw f. he was convinced that
Aristids Rod. alias Charles Huard. was
none other than Marcel Lantaigne.
brother 70 Angelo, the boy who was
supposed 20 have died a heroic death
IN the Alps, trying 70 save a com
rade's life.
He has suspected something OF the
sort before at the time when Ian
taigne, seeing him studying Marcers
pnoto graph had burst into such a
strange fit OF temper and had de-
manded 50 passionately what the
American knew about his son. about
his own sad. bitter memories
He had whispered his suspicious In
Angeles ear. She shared them. And
that was the reason why she would
not listen 10 his love words until be
had cleared up both murders. For
she was afraid that her brother was
alive, that he was the assassin. that
her father was shielding him she
feared discovery Of the whole terrible
affair eXposure- her brother sent up
HmH > 4 "a
graced-
Dear brave. bully little eirIs-
soliloQuized Tenant. and he walked
up and down the length Of the room.
thinking. smoking.
Certain elements Of the Jarvet-
STEWARD mystery he had solved.
either by psychology or by direct de-
duction- Al others he had guessed.
with the odds in his favor But there
were still others which bafGed him.
Il was like a problem In higher
mathematics So he set 10 work
separating each element into the par
ucular class where il belonged and
trying 70 see IL by dovetailinE those
OF the first with those OF the second
class, he might not be able 70 arrive
at solution OF the elements be-
longing 10 the third category.
II needed thinkinE-hard. straight
logical thinking.
There was. first OF all. the fact
proved BY the discovery OF the loose
drab overcoat the brass-spiked belt
and Angelo Lantaigne's Iove-lettsrs
stolen from Jarvet's safe. that .ris-
tide Rod-as he called himself-was
the assassin.
There was. furthermore. the fact
that ~. LantaiEne was trying 10
shield him; this proving IN itself that
Arlstide Rod was identical with
CHARLES Huard, who was Identical
with Marcel Lantaigne. This was nat
ural- fathers love IS even more
strangely unreasoning than a moth
er's- A mother viii suffer and slave
and weep for her son. but a father
VII eommita crime for him; and
L-anlalEne. hard bitter. sardonlc. was
the very man TO throw duty into the
discard In a moment OF primitive. Z
gripping choking passion. the pas
sion OF love for his own flesh and
blood.
Too-thourh this belonged. prom
erly speaking. IN the second category. ]
that OF elements guessed at. not
exactly solved-old Lantaigne had
evidently been IN fear OF some sort
Of exposure. as demonstrated by the
writing on the blotter. IN spite OF hts
Insertion that he had never received (
such a letter.
He had spoken the truth there.
But was the letter which he had not I
received the first which Jarvet had
written or was 70 not rather one
lf many2 Blackmailers the world .
over do not relp on a single threat. I
they cumulate. steadily Increase the I
pressure Yes Lsantaigne had every /
reason 10 protect his son against an /
1dds. at all cost
There was. thirdly. the fact. plainly /
proved since he had employed Aristide /
Rod as janitor OF the house in the /
Lmnasse Oudinot which he had
leased from the chief OF the secret 7
police. that Lord Menzies-
Kerr. too. was irving TO shield the /
assassin And this. again. could be I
explained. since not only was heI
zrafeful 70 old Lantaigne for his HELM /
n hushine M the news nf his es-
zane. following his fathers the i
luSe's. wire-nullinC with the French ]
government. but because he and Nor
lei had ESCAPED together from the
niasmatic funVles OF New Caledonia.
md since the dark. eccentric. taciturn
'rot was not the sort 70 betray q
hmm.
As 20 the elements at which Ten
INT had guessed. there was Drincf-
iallv the part which the butcher
iuillaume NordeE. ad played In thel