The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-28
CHILD'S PLAY @

been seen sinking about Sir Peters prem
ises, Jacques would either have to deliver
the goods or stall, plead his physic clOudi-
ness as the result Of his acute attack OF
the flu, or thai he had not enough infOrma-
ton Of the case to pose his mental ques-
tiOns in sharp focus, or some such bunk.
1 must say that as we drove along in our
taxi l felt myself a bit of false friend. l
had by this time become really fond Of
Jack, and admired traits in him that had
nothing to do with his claims, real or pre-
tended. felt as once or twice I had before
when we were boys in the Maine school,
house and 1 had kept my mouth shut on
one or two occasions when / had seen
through his tricks. If Pervier had not been
with us, I think I wOuld have succumbed
to the temptation Of tipping him off, even
though / had come all the way from New
York, less to report his exploits than to eX-
pose him as a clever charlatan.
Nevertheless, I had every confidence in
his finding some way to wiggle out of it
and without loss of credit. His calm, un-
TROUBLES demeanOr indicated that he stood
in no dread of the test.
Just as before, in the Wharf case, we
were shown into the dingy room, where
there Immediately convened a group OF
police, this time with no outsiders, no
psychologists, or other scientific Observ-
eTs.
The ferret was brought in, but if he rec
Ognized me he gave no sign Of it. AS a
matter of fact, I don't think he did recOg-
nize me-, because the night light had been
< "a NNA4a anu 4 A4LAGA Hill A4E W.
he sprang at me. Besides, I doubt that in
our ~scuffle, flObping over and over down
the stairs, he realized that he had struck
his knife into an artificial leg and not a
hard, muscular one.
Anticipating possible arrest, he had prob
ably got rid of the weapon before discover
ing that there was no blood on it, thrown
it into a sewer opening at the street corner,
or otherwise disposed Of it.
One thing was certain, that he dreaded
the examination, and rallied all of his re-
sistance to oppose it. He didn't resist ply
sically, having had a taste, perhaps of
French LOlice methods with recalcitrants
these more refined than ours, but no less
unpleasant. He was placed in the shabby
chair, and Jacques, seating himself OppO-
site, adopted quickly his technique of tax
ing the head lightly between his hands,
and with the evil face with its shifting
eyes glowing first into his, then way like
those of a ferOciOus little beast from which
he had his S~Obriquet, delivered a finding
that held me breathless with establishment
"The Oblique mind Of this creature is a
maze Of murderOus impulses" he said In
his gentle voice, now perfectly clear. 1T is
true, as NJ. Pervier has told me, that this
man has been spying on DR.. GOranskO, with
the motive of discovering the best means
for his assassination. That was arranged
for last night, but failed because Of an in
terruptiOn of which this man is ignorant
and which therefore, I am unable to de-
scribe.
sBut the ferret, counting on its. accom-
plishment, proceeded then in an effort to re-
move the one LerSOn whom both he and
those by whom he was employed felt they
had most reason to dread. That is myself
A subdued ripple ran through the spec
tatOrs. Jacques, with a slight shake Of his
head, continued: 1.-THE ferret came to my
studio and entered. Pausing at the con-
cierge's lOge, he muttered, THE doctor tC
see NJ. 'U-guez.' The elevator was out OF
order, so he mounted up the stairs, and or
| reaching the door Of my studio unlocked il
with a key that had been furnished him
It did not fit precisely, because the lock Is
an American one of fine adjustment. The
procured, so that I also cannot say witt
certainty. At any rate, as a sOurts d'hOtel
a sneak thief Of some ability, he managed
with a file to correct the slight misfit o.
the key so that it would turn the bolt.
But just as he had accomplished thii
there arrived upon the scene my friend, Of
perhaps I had better say my suspicious &C
Quaintance, Mr.. Clarke Of New York, WIZ
has come here with the prime object o
exposing me as a fraud, and who, havin'
failed to do so in the Wharf, Do Costello
and TineO cases, has remained.
"Mr. Clarke returned to the studio a lit
tie after midnight, through the motive o
really devoted friendship, which was hi
sOlicitUde after my health, and the fac
that he knew me to be alone in the studio
having sent my manservant on a bushes
the ferret as he was about to enter with in
tent to kill me. The ferret drew his knit
and sprang at Mr.. Clarke, who, although
a mutile de guerra, is a strong and act1v
man. They grappled and rolled down tn
stairs. The ferret struck twice with hi
knife, then broke free and escaped dow
the stairs and out, but the loss Of a lie