Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25

VRS SANNA
was pointing out one or two of the
principal citizens dining at nearby
tables. when the door opened and an elderly
lady of imposing aspect entered, followed by the
most beautiful girl I had seen since my stay
in that severe and frigidly reserved town.
LYON. which seems to frown, secure in It's
immense wealth of stolid trade. on the friVoh-
ties of Paris and Marseille.
The girl was superb Tall and slim, with
Immense dark eyes and pale ivory compleXion,
the lace mantilla of Spain would have su.sed
her better than the plain white scarf winch
covered her silken hair. I was about 10 say
as much to my companion when saw tnat
he had risen and was bowling to the new
corners.
THAT is Mile. JacQueline de Castelnaraud."
he remarked, when an obsequiouS head waiter
had conducted the ladies to a distant table,
much to my regret.
"Thank Heavens I have at last seen q hand
some girl here! I began to think hat you
had none or that you kept them under lock
and key like the Arabs"
.Oh. we have our share Of feminine beauty,
nv friend, but Of o different kmo Irotn INC
dazzling Parisienne or the more swarthy south
ern type, although it is true our nice women
do not go out much alone. You rarely see
them in the streets.
.As Won know there Is q great class differ
enoe in LYON. The rich families that own
the silk industries and the vineyards. and are
of the soil. are proud Of their tradition ana
as reserved as your British aristocracy."
yes" I asserted. "Ive noticed that. Lyon
resembles London more than any town I've
known-even to the climate. But surely ~A@'
girl is not French"
"Gascony-de Castelnaraud is q famous
name I'm Carcassonne."
"Oh, that explains her Spanish appear
ance-of course"
"Yes-but as usual-there Is q skeleton hid
den somewhere. I have heard rumors OF an
engagement, apparently not to the liking OF
the narents-the youngster is poor. I believe
they are taking their daughter abroad-o .
convent
"A convent-good Lord! Is that kind OF
thing still done?"
NV friend nodded and smiled; then. con-
tinuing his rather cynical remarks. which the
entrance Of the mother ana oaugnter nao LII
terrupted, he said:
Look around. Here you have the best peo-
nile. vet to me each one bears some marx OF
degsneracy which sooner or later would bring
him to the notice Of my department, were II
not for the protective armor of wealth.
"oh. you are like those doctors, who. afte-
managing an asylum for years. cannot go with
out imagining that every one they meet Is mao.
You've specialized too much"
MY host, the chief, shrugged his shoulders.
nothing of the kind. I observe, while you
don't. Those doctors are right-more or less.
Look for yourself. You've read Lombroso and
Reiss."
over there-alone-who certainly bears all the
hall marks Of the criminal-the man Win the
extraordinary eyebrows"
A CHOKING laugh, quickly depressed, star
tied me; turning to q waiter, my friend
murmured q few words which I did not catch,
- -oz~~n~k Iaka~ Z n- "a NJ horror that
the man I had observed was coming toward
our table, in obedience to the walters mes
sage.
"Now what have I done?" I asked anxiously.
"Its all right, my dear ~fellow-that's your
colleague, Jacques Laughton-who is taking
you to see our criminal districts tonight. He'll
be delighted to learn what you thought OF
him"
jumped up in dsmay, but it was too late.
Confused and abashed, I had perforce to shake
hands with o tall, thin man, whose muscular
grip made my fingers ache.
This Is our colleague from Paris" I heard
my friend say to him.; then, turning to me:
Jacques Laughton, chief inspector of the
Surete. His father was EngliSh-but M
1aughton was born in France"
looked curiously at the strange man be-
fore me; immense black eyebrows, like a huge
muStache In the wrong place, a curved nose
and an abnormally broad, hanging upper lip
gave the face a %brooding, eagle appearance.
This bird-of-prey impression was increased
by the wiry hair which grew low down. com.
ing to a point between the bushy brows. II
was quite a shock. as of something uncanny
to meet the quiet. inquisitive gaze of two
large blue eyes almost effeminate in thei
candor. Everything about the man was
contradiction.
Our friend singled you out as having thu
true criminal type" I heard my host say will