Evening star., 1922-08-27

seemed to feel about the room. ex-
tending itself-a thing that crept
blindIy and disturbed, as though 1t
would escape from something that fol-
lowed it tirelessly and invisibly.
1t required the fingers of a master,
on the board of a keyed instrument.
to produce these sounds. They came
from the room beyond. a second draw
ing room looking out on the Bots de
Boulogne.
Monsieur JonqueIle had not allowed
the servant to announce him.
One is not permitted TO disturb
Lord Valleys at this hour" the servant
had said.
Monsieur Jonquelle's card had added
TO the mans perplexity. One was also
not permitted to deny, an entrance,
anywhere. at any hour, to the prefect
of police Of Paris. The man had made
a hopeless gesture. like one resiEnfng
himself to the inevitable.
And so Monsieur Jonquelle had en-
tered
1t was a beautiful house beyond the
Arc de Triomphe. built by that ex-
traordinary American who had married
two princes. divorced them both. and
cone elsewhere on her search for new
sensations.
1t was of pale rose-colored stone,
with a great court a wide. circular
stairway. and these exquisite drawing
rooms. TOW empty but for the price
less furniture and this haunting
music.
Monsieur Jonquelle. after the door
had closed behind him. remained Tor
some moments quite motionless In the
eddy, as one might write 1t. OF THIS
strange, weird music. in which there
was always a note of ruthless vigor-
a note of barbaric vigor, harsh and
determined.
Monsieur Jonquelle could not place
the music in any remembered COM
position. 1t was not the work OF any
master that he knew. 1t was an I'M
nrovisatfon of the fingers that produced
IL And perhaps for that reason the
prefect of police gave 1t close atten-
tion.
Presently he advanced into the room
from which the music issued he
paused moment in the doorway.
watching the figure beyond him at the
n,ano-a stopped. broad shouldered
figure with white. nimble nngers' haro
as steel Then he spoke.
Your pardon. monsieur" said the
prefect Of police. Il am desoiateo 10
disturb you
The man at the piano sprang up and
turned swiftly as though his body ac-
complished the act with single mo-
tion.
To the eye the man was strange.
His shoulders were very broad ana
stooped: his face wide. massive-the
face of a SIav. His hair was thick.
close and heavy, but 1t was not long
and affected no mannerisms.
The mar was very carefully dressed.
after the English fashion. and with us
we'll bred restraint. But the impress
sion he gave one was decidedly not
English. 1t was that of a Slav adapted
to an English aspect.
The eyes one did not see. One rarely
saw them. They seemed to be hidden
hy heavy lids like curtained windows.
.,d there was no expression in the
face The face was a mask. 1t seemed
always i'll repose. The big nose the
square. brutal jaw and the ~loe
planes of the face were white as Win
sort of paIlor. Monsieur Johquehe
had sudden, swift impression. Inc
man before him was either the great
est criminal or the greatest genius
that he had ever seen.
3D.. i -
ToNQUELLE had also further I'M
J preston of failure. He had meant
10 startle this man and observe ~hat
followed And he had startled him'
hut untrue to every experience, there
was nothing to observe. the man
face remained without an expression;
he wa. behind it, hidden from every
eve 7, was mask that could not De
changed by the will Of another. Mon
sieur Jonuuelle wondered in what man
ner it would change at the will OF the
man that 1t so admirably obscureo. 1,
was thing he was not Interested 10
discover.
II was only for an instant that the
man was without expression. Then
he smiled and came forward into the
room. The smile began with a queer
lifting of the lip and extended vaguely
with hut slight changing OF the
mans features.
His voice. when he spoke. was low,
we'll modulated and composed. MS
manner was easy and gracious.
"Ah." he said. 1T 10 monsieur
Jonuuelle. the prefect of police Oh
Paris l am honored.
He placed a great chair by the
window. 1t was a carved, heavy chair
nnboI.tered in a superb tapestry, a
chair that servants did not move in
a. drawing room. But Lord Valleys
placed 1t by the window easily. as
though it's immense weight were
nothing to him.
He indicated the chair with a ges-
ture and withdrew to another beyond
the window little beyond the light
Of il. beside curtain.
Monsieur Jonquelle removed his
cIoves-sat a moment twisting them
In his fingers like one in certain
embarrassment His host. also seat
ed. regarded him with the vag
vmile which appeared now as sor.
Of background on tho mask OF his
face. The prefect Of police hesitAted
Monsieur" he said. II have called
spon you for an opinion upon a prob
hem which has always perplexed me.
1t Is a problem upon which the opin-
ions OF persons without experience
are wholly without value. and. un-
fortunately, all those who have had
experience and were therefore able
10 give me an opinion have been
always persons lacking in certain
element of intelligence I have not