The herald., 1893-08-27
A TWO'EDGED SECRET

Breakfast was nearly over, and the
Baron and Baronne Silber were chatting
as affectionately as lovers. She had just
come from her boudoir and he from his
racing stables! training courses, pad
docks, etc., at virofay. Absorbed all
day long in business in Paris, he had
fallen into the habit of visiting his stud
of evenings, in order to be present at
dawn during the speeding of his horses.
Baron Karl Silber, an Austrian bank
or and fnancier, was an unknown no.
body 10 years before. Now you could
not open morning journal of COM
merce, sport or anything else without
running across some mention Of his bust
ness, his races and racers, his dinners or
his wife's beauty.
Above all, his wife's beauty, for Silber,
who denied himself nothing, had in
dulged himself at 40 in the dangerous
luxury of marrying charming Marguerite
de Francmont, with whom all Paris had
danced during four successive seasons
but whose poverty had reserved her fol
a marriageAbf this kind.
They LIVELY happily enough, and Silber
recognizing his wife's really uncommon
intelligence, ibid nothing-save in mat
ters of finarice- without consulting hel
with franhe and tender Difference.
"Then," said he presently, rolling q
last strawberry to sugar, "Guerin did
GOMEZ"
eyes, lastmight, just after you had
started for vinofay. saw him and ex-
planned to him fully how you were the
victim of indiscretions that brought sus-
picion upon you. Everything that passes
at the stable, said I, lis reported straight
way to the Ibookmakers of the Rue Vivi-
enne. They know in advance what
horse will run or be withdrawn; what
horse carries the stables money or is
meant to win; briefly. daily and regu-
larly, we are betrayed by some one. But
by whom? Know this we must, for they
are beginning to accuse us of dishonest
practices
"And he saidr'
'Nothipg, but asked if you suspected
any one of your men?"
s'No special one, by Jove! I simply
suspect them ALL"
Precisely what I told him, where
upon he took notes and his departure.
assuring me that a special agent would
be at once put in charge of SO delicate a
matter. He will report SO soon as he
discovers anything" .s
y (which will be soon, hope. You
have had no other visitor, my dear?"
''Not one. I dirled alone and spent the
evening with mother. But you, Karl,
what did you do at virofay?"
''Always the same thing-audited &C
counts; paiN ont money, examined the
colts, and by o'clock was out with the
trainers speeding the racers. Kronstadt
is not doing as well as he should. We
shall have hard pull to keep him in
shape for the 25th. Why, hello, it's 10
o'clock. I must go. It's time for bust
ness"
"But you seem SO fatigued, my poor
Karl"
'.Zoundsl I ought to be. was up
before the sum-"
"But need you go to virofay SO often,
Karl7"
"Every day if could, my dear. 'The
eye of the MASTER you know-above all,
in the care Of race horses. And have,
praise heaven, an eye that sees clearly"
Undoubtedly, my dear" Marguerite
assented calmly. tracing the tablecloth
with the tip of her rosy nail. "But
Guerin, trust, will see clearer still. 1t
is really as amusing as play to me,
dearest, to have anything to do with a
detective whom they talk so much Of as
they talk of this Guerin."
~ \ n
Two hours later Karl Silber, lying
back in an easy chair in his Office in the
Rue Richelieu, smoked with half closed
eyes the purest products Of the Havana
tobacco fields. Near him in chair no
less luxurious and with weed drawn
from the same source between his lips,
young De Payzac-with a somewhat
doubtful past-lolled and talked with
wide open eyes, making the most of his
position of intimate friend of sorich and
renowned man as the Baron Silber.
ssThe fact is, baron," said he, contin-
uing the subject upon which he was
launched, ''you are or ought to be the
happiest man in Paris today. just think
of it, the pot Of money you've made at a
single stroke-more than I would need
to amuse me whole. long year,
"One would say that fact annoyed
you," Silber returned lazily, without
stirring himself.
"Annoyed me? Not the least in the
world, baron. I'm too much your friend
for that. But when contrast our two
destinies! Why, everything in the world
succeeds with you. Your business, look
at it. 1t goes like confagration. Your
racing, too, which heaven knows why
you took it into your head to try-wheth-
er your own horses win or lose. it mat
ters not-you fnd way to win with
the horses Of others"--
"In word" Silber interrupted, with
some show Of temper Lyon mean to i'm
ply, like the rest, that ! purposely allow
my own horses to be beatenf"
Payzac continued with an imperturb-
able calm and lightly shrugged shoul-
der.
'sBut all of which is as nothing" said
he. ''compared with the fact that not
only are you the legitimate posscssor of
the most beautiful woman in Paris, but
you also know one not less lovely who
lives in a more mysterious quarter Of the
city, \
This time the banker sat erect, as if
pulled with q spring, and looked about
n ma&Iw