The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-11-27

concealed. But my sense OF vic.
tory vanished when saw him.
He sat IN q great chair on the
long terrace that overlooked tho
sweep Or lawn and the dark, rapid
river. He had been, all the time,
under our very nose. We had
thought OF every other place .ez-
cept an English country house
within q jump Of London. And he
had been sittlng here in every
comfort thst money could assem-.
be.
He did not riso whan I was
brought out TO him.
He leaned back in the cair, lift.
I'd his heavy face, and laughed!
And 50, Monsieur JonqueIle,"
ne said. you finally wormed II
out Of he"
could not keep my voice level
40 effectively was the man escap.
ing us after al this search.
And l did not know what the
huge creature meant. On the
night before, some one had called
up the Service de la Surete ami
said our man was here. The long
distance call from some shop In
Regent street, London, could not
be trneed-so II had been a wo.
mani Isreplied as though I were
IN his secret.
She knew you were safe"
He laughed again. "sure, she
knew itip
He pointed To- a chair few feet
beyond him across q table.
eSit down." he said. II want to
talk about her-that's the reason
wanted youy to come" He laugh.
ed again. sYou thought you.
sleuthed II out, Ell? Not by =
jugfnt 4 sent her word to put
yon wise. 1fwanted to clear some
things up before I cashed in. But
II was q clean lie. What wanted
WAS somebody to listen while /
talked about her. SIT down."
II was strange Introductory.
But It was q mystery that had puz.
sied everybody, and I was WILLING
90 hear all that he had to say about
II. I took the chair beyond him.
He shot his head forward sud
denly IN atense gesture.
She's a heavenly ANGEL" NJ
said. II don't know what God A.
mighty meant by setting her in
the game with the bunch of crooks
that He's got running the world
Unless He counted on me-" The
laugh became a sort Of chuckle, If
his big throat-sAin't she a heav.
emily angel?p
He whipped a worn photograph
out Of his pocket and reached x
across the table to men.
u was the photograph Of 4
girl with the face cut out. It had
been taken. from a painting, one
could tell from the flat surface,
and the strange background OF
beauty and an indescribable charm
in the pose OF the girl remained
even In the mudlated picture.
u cut out the face" he added,
sso she wouldn't come Into the
case 4 you caught me: your little
Westridge must have been slaugh.
tered at the loss Of her."
Again he touched me at an uu.
expected point.
shortly after the thing, for
which we were seeking the man
before me, had, as the Americans
say, been pulled off," Lord West
ridge returned TO England He had
gone TO visit some rich American, ),
and there was a rumor that some
adventure had befallen him.
Nothing definite ever came 20
me, and 4 liked the man too little
TO INQUIRE all the blood from the
origipal Glasgow solicitor, as the
British say, would '"Bite a shilling
But again i replied as though I
were In his secret.
What happened to westridge:"
/ said. nv
The man twisted around in his
sEriend,n he said. ''you've got a
head full Of brains or you wouldn't
be Chief Of the Criminal Inyestiga.
tion Department Of the. Service de
u Surete and the English woull
not have you over on this case:
now answer me a question-What's
the biggest notion in the Christian
Church3.'
= don't know" I answered him
truthtully
Wen know" he went on. 'It's
the notion that you'll git what's
acomtn. 10 you'll
he looked at me with a big, cyu.
zeal leer.
That's what happened to your
little Westridge-and the next time
you see him he's agoin' to get an.
other jolt. He will be blamed
sorry that you found me. He
eouldn' squeal, any place along the
line, but III bet finger he didn't
let you forget about me-"
And again saw an incident OF
this long search, for the man be.
fore me, from another angle, The
Blaekaere Bank had kept the
search hot for him, pretending tbs
public welfare. j saw It now, that
was Westridge's money-box-thut
would be little iWestridge in the
background.
Hes eyed me ,curiously In a mo-
ment's pause.
efEYaa7Nse.