“It belongs to me. You have no right to take it! Give it back!”
The Man of Mystery was perfectly calm and determined in his refusal. Frank and Jack looked on wonderingly. The woman turned swiftly on Frank Merriwell.
“I appeal to you!” she cried. “You are a gentleman. Will you see me insulted and robbed of my fan in such a manner?”
“You do well to appeal to one you were about to strike like a snake!” said Mr. Noname, with a sneer. “A few moments ago you thought to destroy him, and now you appeal to him to protect you from insult! You do well!”
“She knows I speak the truth,” spoke the Mystery. “She cannot deny it.”
“Indeed! I can prove every word I have spoken.”
“You can prove nothing! Who will believe anything you may say, old fool! Give me that fan!”
She reached for it in a commanding manner. He leaned forward, as if to comply, but made a sudden motion, as if he would tap her on the wrist with the fan, as she had been about to tap Frank Merriwell when it was snatched from her hand. She jerked her hand back, with a low cry of terror!
Although the face of Mr. Noname remained as stern and grave as that of a stone image, a sound like a scornful, triumphant laugh escaped his lips.
“It’s all I ask,” he said. “Just hold out your wrist and permit me to tap you lightly with this fan.”
“If you will do that,” said the man, “I’ll promise to restore the fan to you instantly.”
Still she sat silent. The waiter came with the drink she had ordered. She threw a piece of money on the table, then caught up the glass and swiftly swallowed its contents.
Immediately she seemed to recover her nerve.
“You can see that he is crazy, Monsieur Merriwell,” she said to Frank. “No one but a crazy man would make such a proposition.”
“You attempted to tap Frank Merriwell on the wrist with this fan, which you held in a peculiar manner. All I ask before restoring it to you is that I may tap you on the wrist in like manner.”
“The desire of an insane person!” she declared.
To Jack Diamond it seemed that she was right, but something told Frank Merriwell that Mr. Noname knew very well what he was about.
“I presume you have heard that it is best to humor the insane in any little whims they may have. That being the case, why not humor me now. It is a simple thing I ask, and entirely harmless, of course. Why not permit me to tap you on the wrist with this fan, Mademoiselle Nameless, as you call yourself?”