Evening journal., 1922-11-17

which Monsieur Jonqueile advances
was empty.
But it was not silent A vague
music, ike some weird conception
OF TschaikowslSy eeemed 10 feel
about the room. extending itself
thing that crept blindly and dis
turbed as though It would escape
from something that followed It
tirelessly and invisibly
It requires the fingers OF a master
on the board Of a keyed instrument,
TO produce these sounds. They
came from the room beyond, a
second drawing-room looking out on
the Bois de Boulogne.
Monsieur Jonquelle had not al
lowed the servant to announce him.
zone is not permitted 10 disturb
Lord Valleys at this Hour" hIe
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. 70
the Prefect of Police OF Paris. The
man had made a hopeless gesture,
like one reSigning himself TO the In
evtable.
Monsieur Jonquelle. after the
door had closed behind him, re-
ma,ned for some moments quite
motionIess in the eddy, as one might
write It, OF this strange weird
music. in which there was always
note Of ruthless vigor-a note OF
barbaric vigor, harsh and deter
mined.
Monsieur Jonquelle could not
place the music in any remembered
composition. Il was not the work
of any master that he knew. It was
an improvisation OF the fingers that
produced It.
Presently he advanced into the
room from which the music issued.
He paused a moment in the door
way, watching the figure with white
nimble fingers hard as steel. Then
he spoke.
Your pardon, monsieur" said |
the Prefect OF Polics. Il am desc |
lated TO disturb you"
The man at the piano sprang up |
and turned swiftly as though his !
body accomplished the act with
single motion.
To the eye, the man was strange.
His shoulders were very broad and
stopped; his face was wide, massive
the face of a slav. His hair was
thick. close and heavy, but It was
not long. and affected no manner
lsms.
The man was very carefully
dressed, after the English fashion
and with its well-bred restraint But
the impression he gave one was de-
cidedly not English. 1t was that OF
4 siav adapted 10 an English aspect.
The eyes one did not see, One
rarely saw them. They seemed 10 /
be hidden by heavy lids like cur /
taiDed windows. And there was no
expression in the face. The face
was a mask II seemed always in /
repose. The hib nose, the square, |
brutal Jaw. and the wide planes OF /
the face. were white as with a sort /
OF pallor. Monsieur Jonquelle had
a sudden swift impression. The
man before him was either the I
greatest criminal or the greatest
genius that he had ever seen,
Jonquelle had also a further i'm
preston of failure. He had meant
to startle this man, and observe
what followed. Ana he had startled
him; but untrue 10 every experience.
there was nothing 20 observe. The
mans face remained without an ex-
preston; he was behind It hidden
from every eye. II was a mask that
could not be changed by the will OF
another. Monsieur Jonquelle won
dered in what manner It would
change at the will OF the man that
It so admirably obscured. It was a
thing he was not interested to dis
cover.
1t 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 but a slight
changing Of the mans features.
His voice, when he spoke. was low,
well modulated and composed. His J
manner was easy and gracious.
'tAhl" he said, 1T Is Monsieur
Jonquelle. the Prefect of Police Of
Paris. I am honored."
Monsieur Jonquelle removed HIS
gloves; he sat a moment twisting
them in his fingers like one in a
certain embarrassment. His host,
also seated. regarded him with the
vague smile which appeared now as
sort of background on she mask
OF his face. The Prefect OF Police
hes.tated.
called upon you for an opinion upon !
a problem which has always per-
picked me. It is a problem upon !
which the opinions Of persons with |
out experience are wholly without |
value, and unfortunately, all those |
who have had experience and were,
therefore, able to give me an
opinion, have been always persons
lacking in a certain element OF in
telligence. have not had, the
opinion Of a man Of intelligence,
who was also a man OF experience,
upon this problem
He paused. The man before him
did not reply. He waited as in
profound courtesy for Monsieur
Jonquelle to complete the subject
with which he had opened his dis
course. He had taken a small chair
and he sat in il as a man OF. great
strength and vigor and OF an unusual
bulk rests his weight upon some
thing which he IS uncertain will sup
now