Evening star., 1927-10-30

action might have serious conSe-
quences. Before an arrest could be
made he would have TO get more
certain evidence than his mere recnl-
lection OF handwriting. He evolved
an Ingenious plan.
He sought q photographer and with
an air Of blunt cIHdOr explained that
he was an Englishman with n peculiar
request TO make. That day, 70 his
astonishment, he had seen at hote
in the Forest OF FortaineblPau girl
whom he recognized as the runaway
wife of friend OF his. She was with
a nobleman--a Count Lewis. He told
a long and circumstantia! story ,of a
love tragedy. to which the phOtoGra-
pher listened with sympathetic In
terest. Now the friend was seeking a
divorce. 1t would complete the evi-
dence if a photograph could he taken
of the wife with Count Lewis. The
thing would have to he done circum-
specify. however. Would it he posi-
BILE under pretense of taking some
views of the forest, to get a photo
graph of the eloping couple together?
Handsome payment would he made.
The photographer was carried away
by Froest's dramatic and moving in
ventiOn. lie spread his hands wide
'But surely. Discretion will be needed.
II myself will act. You shall have
your picture within "a hours"
He kept his word. F'roest sent a
wire to Scotland Yard and with the
portrait and the menu made a dash
for London. But before he did so he
gave a hint to the French police to
keen an eve on the count.
They had the clerk waiting at
Scotland Yard when F'roest reached
home. In silence the inspector handed
him the purloined menu.
''Where did you get this? This is
my guv'nors writing" declared the
startled young man.
"And that? Do you recognize any
one there?" demanded Froest, thrust.
ing before his eyes an excellent pho
tograph of the count and countess
mounted and equipped for a country
excursion.
The others eyes grew wider. "Why,
yes. That's the man / worked for
He's got a beard in the picture. but l
Know him. I've never seen the lady,
though"
The lady was of little importance
from Froest's point of view 1t was
enough that he now had definite evil
dence Of the identity of Count Lewis
with the forger. There were still
those antiquated red tape formalities
70 go through between the foreign
offices Of the two countries, and while
waiting for the wheels to move
F'roest spent some time in tracing out
the antecedents of Count Lewis
not so difficult matter now that he
had A portrait of the man.
His real name was soon disclosed
as Ralph Sloane. An outline of his
career was filled In with the helm of
various American detective orga MIA
tions. Sloane had been United States
naval officer. employed in the NAVY
Department at Washington. AS a
young man his tastes outran his
means and he turned to a natl1ra
talent for forgery TO CRAFTY them. Rv
bogus orders on the pavmaster gen.
eral he possessed himself of 5000 0O0
on the strength Of which he married.
Before the honeymoon concluded his
fraud was discovered He was arrested
and sent to prison for five wears. Incl.
dentally. there had been an enisode
with another lady and on this ground
his wife divorced him.
X ELEASED from prison. Sloane. on
promise of reform. was found a
job at an insurance office in Colum.
bus, Ohio. There he developed a taste
for religion, which was explained
when he married wealthy widow
who was strong church supporter.
Her fortune was soon dissipated
Utterly reckless now. he planned an
Ingenious post office robbery. by which
he got hold. temnnra rilN of q nacl,.