The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-08-01
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Arthur SoulekS Roche

| Higgins, and in rapid French as
sailed him. And then, suddenly, l
understood. Not Higgins manner
told me; the plutocrat acted his part
too well. But the light Of one of the
electric lamps flashed on the French
mans face, sand the mystery that
had been puzzling ME for a week
was solved at last.
l went back to bed, neither re-
preaching Higgins, nor paying any
attention to his peffunctory apollo
gics. slept soundly, happily, as one
should who knows that on the NOR
row he will acquire a fortune.
With the other passengers 1 disem-
barked next day. l submitted to the
usual examination of my baggage.
saw the reporters buzzing about the
Higginses, and knew that the after
noon headlines would be devoted to
the loss of the precious RANGES
Pearl. chuckled as thought of
the story that could be written, but
would not be printed in the news
papers. You see, had no doubt as
to my success. l had pierced the
disguise of Opportunity.
Outside the Customs shed l fol-
lowed the porter with my baggage
to taxi. l told the chauffeur to
drive my things to the Hotel Regina,
took his number to assure myself of
his honesty, and then waited. In
a few minutes the one-eyed man ar
rived. His porter handed his bags
to taxi driver. The one-eyed man
climbed into the cab.
And | climbed in after him. He
would have expostulated, save that
pressed something against his ribs,
the something being the muzzle of
an automatic pistol. The driver did
not see this byplay, and when l told
him that | would accompany his pas
senger, madesno objection. He closed
the door upon US, climbed into his
seat and started the cab.
"What do you want?" demanded
the onc-eyed man.
I smiled cheerfully at him. "Your
right eye" l told him. pressed the
muzzle harder against his chest. "No
use in crying out; it would be Jail
for you even if you live" l warned
him.
There, in the center Of crowded
West Street, he removed his glass
eye and handed it to me. At the next
corner knocked on the window, and
the chauffeur stopped. l alighted,
waved an airy adieu to my one-eyed
friend, and strolled bHthely across
town, little later to pick up taxi
and drive to the Regina.
Afraid of pursuit? Had / not al
ready conquered the one-eyed man?
Afraid of the police? Would Higgins,
who had conspired at the stimulation
of a robbery, in order to avoid the
payment of a tremendous duty, con-
fess his own attempt at crime?
For the minute that l had dis
covered the whereabouts of the Ra-
nee's Pearl, l understood why Hig-
gins had discussed business with the
White Eagle. The milliOnaire's no.
torious parsimony had caused him to
invoke the supercrook's aid at de-
frauding the Customs. That was the
only possible explanation of all that
had bewildered me.
How had | discovered the where
abouts of the pearl? Simply enough;
the one-eyed mans glass eye had
been gray in the smokeroom; it was
green when the electric light flash
ed upon it in the lounge. Instantly
l understood why the White Eagle
had printed his bizarre advertise
ment. Among the applicants for
membership in his club, he had
found the criminal willing to aid
him, in his furtherance of the desire
of Josiah Higgins to defraud his
government.
Would the one-eyed man have re-
turned the pearl to Higgins later on,
or would he have delivered it to the
White Eagle? Would there have
been honor among these thieves?
Ask me some easier question. Ask
me, for instance, what l did when |
arrived at my room in the Regina. l
will tell you; I deftly took apart the
two halves of the green glass eye
which had been surrendered to me,
and / kissed the RANGES Pearl.
had been right in my theory.
Where the carrion lies, the vulture
flies.
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