Anonymous - The Altar of Venus

The parting of the ways drew near. In recognition of Irma's generosity, splendid hospitality, .and the many favors she had shown me, I did everything possible to make myself agreeable to her during the remainder of my stay, and we separated the best of friends.

I passed several days wandering about the streets, or comfortably lying on my bed reading naughty French novels and magazines, collected by the score from newstands and kiosks. One afternoon as I was lazily debating the advisability of commencing preparations for my return, my detective friend presented himself. We

chatted a bit and then, putting on my hat and coat, I accompanied him downstairs, intending to have a parting drink with him before saying good-bye. We seated ourselves at a table in front of a little cafe, and ordered our favorite liquors. In the process of consuming these, my companion suddenly leaned toward me and whispered:

"Glance over your left shoulder in a moment at the girl sitting at the table just behind you. HI tell you something about her after we get away from here/'

A moment later I glaced casually around. Sitting herself sipping some colored concoction through a straw was as neat a little Parisienne as I had seen during my stay in France. Apparently eighteen or nineteen yeas old, dressed in a very short skirt, her shapely legs clad in black silk hose, and wearing a blouse of white crepe-de-chene, so diaphanous that the pink, lace edged brassiere shielding her exhuberant bubbies was plainly visible, she formed a picture whose details registered themselved with lighting rapidy in one brief glance.

Not wishing to be caught staring I turned away, and a few minutes later looked around again, this time concentrating my gaze on her face. It was entirely at variance with the extreme coquetry of her apparel, and the careless elevation of her

skirt, for her features were demure, modest, almost angelic in their pure beauty.

She was altogether too pretty not to awaken my instant admiration and after I had paid the account and we were of earshot I exclaimed:

"The cutest little trick I've seen since I've been here!"

My companion smiled cynically. "Cute is right! Entirely too cute. She's a crook."

"A crook?" I repeated, incredulously. "Yes, a crook. And a darn clever one." It seemed incredible and I could scarcely reconcile the facts as he related them with that demure sweet face and the modest downcast eyes I had seen at the little sidewalk cafe.

"And she r d have cleaned you of every franc you possess." he answered with a dry smile.

"I'm not so sure it wouldn't be worth, at that." I added, as I recalled the multiple and diverse charms of the exquisite little houri which were visible to t^e eye, and mentally conjured up naked visions of others hidden beneath the silken trappings.

"Ha!" retorted my companion, "That's the funny part of it. None of the birds she snares ever gets as much as a feel of it. She's really married to this fellow she works with, and completely infatuated with him. All the suckers get

for their money is to see her half naked for a few moments before the husband shows up. He's always right on time."

"How do they manage that?"

"Some system of signals probably. We'll get them sooner or later."

After I retired that night I lay awake for some time thinking of the girl. There was something about her which had touched a responsive chord in my being, and it was not to be suppressed even by the undisputable charges of my detective friend. And the more I thought about her, the stronger became my desire. I even studied the possibility of making her acquaintance and endeavoring to win her affection, but the idea was discarded with the recollection of my friend's statement to the effect that she was deeply enamoured with her accomplice. Finally just as I was dropping off to sleep, the germ of an idea came to me.

The next day I called on my friend and told him I had decided to remain in Paris a week or two longer.

"What's happened ? Something new in skirts ?" he asked, astutely.

"No . . . that is . . . well, I'll tell you . . : that girl we saw yesterday …"

"What!" he broke in, "A waste of time, son. You couldn't open her legs with five thousand francs. And it wouldn't be worth it, even if you could." he added, laughing.

"Wait a minute, now, before you start laughing. I've got a plan. It may open her legs, as you so crudely put it, without costing a single franc!"

"What is this plan?" he asked, cynically.

"Before I explain it, I want a little information."

"What do you want to know?" "Do you know where she takes these Lotharios for their cleaning?"

"She takes them to the apartment she and her husband occupy. They move right after each operation. We know their present location."

"Do you know whether there are any other people involved, that is, have they any confederates who participate in any way?"

"No; they work by themselves. They don't need any help the way they handle it."

"You said yesterday they probably have some system of signals that .enables the man to know the exact moment to come in. Do you think he is already in the building, or does he come in from the outside?"

"I can't answer that but one of the men who talked to us after deciding that he had been "framed" said that the fellow stepped into the

room with an overcoat on and a traveling bag in his hand, as though he had just returned from a journey."

"Do you know where she could be found, in case I wanted to get her attention as a prospective victim?"

"At any given moment, no, but she frequents cafes, in the neighborhood we were in yesterday. But why waste your time and risk your money on a wild goose chase? Aren't there enough pretty girls on the streets of Paris without wasting time on this particular little crook?"

"I'm" not interested in street chippies. See if you can't find out whether the husband secrets himself on the premises during the preliminaries or whether he comes in from outside. The practicability of the plan I have in mind depends mostly on this one detail. After you find out about it I'll explain everything.

"All right, I'll try, you're just wasting your time, son. Don't do anything foolish."

"I'll not make any move without consulting you first. If you think it imprudent I'll drop it. I'd have to have your co-operation anyway."

"Well, I'll be in to see you tomorrow evening, and let you know if I've been able to dig up anything.

I was waiting impatiently in the lobby the following evening when he arrived, and as we seat-

ed ourselves in a secluded corner, I handed him a cigar, lit one myself, and waited expectantly.

"I've got the information you wanted, son. The man comes in from the street. They either have their operations nicely timed, or else a signal of some kind is passed from the window, which by the way, fronts on the street. Their rooms are on the third floor."

"Fine!" I exclained, "Exactly what I was hoping! One more question and I'll tell you my scheme. Could you, on some pretent, arrest that chap and have him detained temporarily?"

"I could get an order to pick him up for investigation . . . but what good would it do?" he replied, doubtfully. "We have no kind of a case against him, and he would be out in a short while."

"Okay! Now I'll tell you what I have in mind. I propose to attract her attention with a display of money. If she rises to the bait, and does me the honor to accept me as a prospective victim, I'll play into her hands. Now here is where you come in. When the appointment is made you'll.be on the job and follow us at a discreet distance. When we enter the building you'll wait outside, and when hubby shows up, nab him and remove him quietly from the scene. And I'll guarantee that if I'm assured of an hour or two alone with this tricky Lorelei, safe from