Evening star., 1929-09-01
IT was one Of our tricks. As my illustzious

Snreo OK evidence except for the forgery-and
the least false move now-look, the writing has
faded again. 1t only becomes visible in that
sinking smoke"
M. Duprez nodded assent
"A ghaStly buSinesS-I wonder how he did
It? Mile. Florio is not buried yet. / will or
der a poSt-mortem-to be carried out secretly.
You, Voltaire, CO. If you can as a patient,
and try to have look at this place. DR..
Locard, will you please prepare photographs
and reports of all this; will then MAP out
a plan of attack. Good day."
NOW began a rush of activity. The mur-
derer must suspect nothing The notary
was warned to keep silent and make excuses
for not receiving the man should he CALL A
warrant was in readiness for the arrest of DR..
Marain should the post-mortem prove that
Mile. Florio had been murdered.
Unfortunately the doctors report destroyed
this hope Queer as the disease appeared to
be, there was no sign Of a wound or poison
The medical officer stated emphatically that
species Of cancer had caused DEATH Vol
taire returned the next evening looking fool
1Sh, He had dressed elaborately and called
as patient terrified at pains which he sug-
gested might be caused by some internal
trouble-but DR.. Marain had laughed at him
and told him to drink less cognac.
Since for some reason the murderer ap-
peared to prefer feminine victims, the Su-
rete finally decided to send one of their
agents-a girl who had achieved extraordinary
results already In other cases, and who fur
thermore knew something Of scientific research
She called at the clinic with letter from
well known specialist In Paris. To our de-
light she was admitted to the nursing home
rs an impatient
Two days passed in anxious waiting. The
chief Of the scientific department was Just
settling down to some urgent work on an intri-
cate case when a message came from M Du-
prez requesting his immediate presence in
the office. Surete officer dressed as o
postman had just arrived with letter from
the courageous girl.
Since, according to French postal regula-
tions the postman must see the person TO
whom a registered letter is addressed, 1t had
been arranged that a bogus letter and money
order were to be taken to the patient, in or
der to give her an opportunity of smuggling
report out unobserved. He had not been
allowed to enter the ward, but the girl had
succeeded IN slipping a note between the
pages Of his book, which a nurse-the sister
by his description-had carried to the bed
and brought bcak signed.
This note was terrifying:
Help me-for Gods sake am strapped
to my bed, watched day and night. There
Is some dreadful new ray being used on me
my eyes are DIM have no strength-come
quickly"
That settles it," shouted the magistrate.
Il am not going to forsake that plucky girl
case or nd case. Here is a warrant, Laugh
ton Oh with you and arrest that fiendl
Try TO catch him away from his house and
bring him to me at once Have your men
enter the clinic and liberate the patient.
Touch nothing until DR.. Locard comes-but
prevent that sister from leaving her room
until you hear from me. Col"
Laughton seized the warrant and dashed
out.
A POWERFUL car carried him with half
dozen men to Vennissieux Leaving the
man road, since spy might be watching, the
car stopped some distance from the house,
Wnlch stood alone on an eminence
Laughton posted his followers near the mas
sive locked gates which gave access to the
grounds, when he sent Surete officer to de-
coy the doctor away. The man called the
lodge keeper and informed him that O dread
ful accident had occurred on the road not
nifty yards distant The doctor was wanted
urgently.
Ten minutes later the officer appeared, fol-
lowed by the wanted man. Before he realized
what was happening, he and the servant who
had followed were seized, handcuffed and
Iorced into the car. Leaving Voltaire and
1our men to enter the house. Laughton re-
turned to Lyon with the prisoners
M. Duprez ordered the doctor to be care
1ulIy searched and confined in a cell by him
SELF Tor an hour He well knew the effect of
long wait on a mans nerves.
Meanwhile a message arrived from Voltaire
Ihey had locked the sister in an empty room.
Inc servants were in an clubhouse under the
guard of detective. The plucky girl the
only patient in the clinic at the time had
been found strapped to her bed and so weak
that she was at once sent to hospital DIR.
Audibert, who had carried out the post-nor-
tenn on Mile. Florio, was attending her.
When we were all in the Office of the map-
is'rato, orders were given for the prisoner to
b" conducted there
T'Wn