Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1938-04-22
CHAPTER 13

Of course, we both had hard time in
our youth and that tends to make a
man as cold as stone, yet l was
sorry when heard he had gone down
with the Boccaccio. What an artist
he wasl His face was wax mask,
he could change it at will, he was not
dependent upon powder and paint and
masks. Few people ever saw his real
face-oh, well, we slept together for
ten year!"
"His companion persisted: "And yet
you think that you saw him today?'
4 could swear it was Giovanni.
1 even jumped up and ran to his table,
crying, Giovanni, you are alive .
you still live!" almost embraced him,
so great was my joy. And then he
said he was not Giovanni"
Naturally not Giovanni is
dead"
'Oh but what likeness!"
'Oh, he was most friendly: said
he was sorry that he was not Giovan-
nj. He invited me to have bottle of
notable-a Consul Traer. Even then
l could not understand had Gio-
vanni's voice eyes -. manners.
But after we had spoken a while,
noticed that it was not my old Gio-
vanni; this Consul Traer was too soft,
too generous, and too kindly to be our
hard-boiled pal of long ago. After
we had finished a bottle of good
Chateaubriand, he showed me pictures
of women and he spoke so strangely
of women-that was not like Giovan-
nj. Signor Testino was no philistine;
he was a man of deeds, not a roue.
Suddenly the Consul became very
drunk, helped him into his auto, and
he disappeared. l wonder what sort
of man Giovanni would be if he had
lived!"
"That was the conversation which
I overheard between the two circus
artists. Somehow I could not forget
this talk; it remained in my mind
the whole evening. Something told
my detective instinct that 1 was on the
trail Of mystery. I lit cigar and
sat in the darkness going over this
conversation point for point | thought
how shrewd it was of the Consul to
invite the other man to have a drink
with him, instead of just ignoring him
as any other less clever man would
have done.
"Then I heard in the city that Con-
sui Traer was known to speculate heav
lily on the market and was famous as
hermlt-he never gave parties, din
ners, or went to parties. He had SER
wants by day but never allowed anyone
under his roof at night! He lived the
life of an embittered, soured man.
Why? / was mystified.
Finally I decided to pay the Con-
SUI visit by night of course, un-
invited and in the guise of burglar.
1t was dangerous, perhaps foolhardy,
but -. exciting. 1t heated my blood
like a bottle of heavy champagne.
The next day, posing as a Chin
ney expert, 1 visited the Traer villa
and examined the home of the Consul.
! found nothing suspicious, but 1 did
notice tremendous vault which stood
in his study. l felt sure that the
somach of this iron giant would di-
vulge something which would pay me
for all my trouble. I did not dare to
ask police aid . had only my sus-
picions curiosity controlled me,
was my master, and l had to obey; it
was stronger than I. So I became
burglar for one night.
"An experience ensued which comes
often to prowlers. l ran into the Con
sui who caught me redhanded as it
were. Looking into his eyes, realized
it would cost me my life if he learned
l was detective and not a burglar.
So played the role so we'll that he
did not suspect I was more than a
money-lusting marauder.
"But, weirdIy enough, the Consul
decided to make a murderer out of
me; he wanted me to murder his fos-
ter-daughter. The treacherous Trael
had no heart but, hard as he was he
shrank from that terrible deed.
$50 in the middle of the night. he
showed me into her room, pressed &
dagger in my hand, and ordered me to
kill her; threatening that, if I did moi
obey him he would shoot me from be-
hind with his noiseless revolver. Mis-:
Traer, who was awake, levelled he1
gun at me, believing, of course, tha
I was a burgler. Thus 1 stood be-
tween two revolvers.
II would not commit murder.