The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-10-24

him Of an hallucinatlon when sne nap
pened to cast her eyes upon the bureau,
where she had left her jewels.
They were gonel 1t had truly been
robber!
The laughing suddenly ceased, and
they looked at one another III consterna-
ton.
All at once another cry was heard,
piercing shrek coming through the still
ness of the night 1t appeared to ema-
nate from Miss Haw thorne's chamber.
There was a rush for her apartment.
and the English lady was found stand
ing in the middle of the room, with
frightened eyes.
'There, there' she cried, pointing
to the window. "A man! He escaped,
but recognized him. y
who was it?
"Dr. Cornabuc!'
The doctor againl This time nobody
laughed. Cornabuc was looked for
among the persons who had been at
tracted by the excitement, but be was
not there. He was the only occupant OF
the chateau who was missing.
Come, let US 60 to the doctors
room," said the marquis, knitting his
brows. He will doubtless solve the
mystery for Us. y
All followed Kerdall, the men half
dressed, the women in their white night
robes, all carrying candles-a weird
procession Upon the entrance of the
himself in the bedclothes, his wrinkled
countenance alone being visible over
the top, and this convulsed by anger in
to comical grimace. The candle light
was reflected from his bald pate, which
shone like old ivory.
us this some i'll timed joker he
stormed "What is going on? Is the
chateau Oil fire? | heard terrible out
cry and was about to inquire into it. y
"You must come and join us, doc
tor, " said Kerdall
And how shall | do it?'' cried the
doctor furiously. "Some rascal has run
off with my clothing and in exchange
has left me this, and he savagely hurl
ed white object into the middle of the
ROOM
My corsets!'' murmured Miss Haw
thorne, modestly lowering her eyes.
And thisI' continued the doctor.
wildly brandishing another article.
my hail" cried Nine de Lartigues
'This railery passes all bounds,
howled the doctor, whose shining head,
with one final grimace, ducked beneath
the bedclothing, like the clown going
through a trapdoor in the 4narionette
theater.
They knew not what to think. The
mystery was growing more complicated,
1t certainly looked as though a robber
had entered the chateau perhaps a
whole band Of burglars and assassins.
Mime. de Lartigues imagined troop Of
brigands armed to the teeth.
Let us hope they have no guns, !"
said the marquis, to raise the hopes OF
his guests
There was no echo to the pleasantly.
Suddenly strange sound was heard
coming from the ground floor. 1t was
certainly the piano in the reception
| goblin fingers, and SO furiously that it
seemed as though the keys must be bro
| KEN
This is too muchr' cried the mar
quis, rushing toward the staircase, with
all the crowd, except DR. Cornabuc,
close behind him.
They hastily penetrated the salon. 1t
was empty. The mysterious visitor was
gone, but he could not be far away. The
crash of china and glass announced his
presence in the dining room. Everybody
rushed thither, and the marquis, who
was in the lead, dimly saw form es-
Gaping through the window into the
garden.
'This time we've got himr' he cried
The men seized guns and knives from
a hunting rack in the vestibule and start
ed across the garden and park in pur
suit of the fugitive, while the women
barrlcaded themselves in the salon and
anxiously awaited the result of the
chase. 1t was about an hour later, in
the uncertain light which precedes the
rising of the sun, that servant discov-
cred the mysterious stranger ensconced
| among the branches of a large oak. AT
his call the marquis and his guests has
tened to the spot.
Come DOWN. commanded NJ de
Kerdall, but the bandit only settled
| himself deeper among the foliage and
made no response.
Come down, or will shoot!'
And, as there was still no reply, he
lifted his gun and already had his fin
| ger upon the trigger when the domestic
huriedly pulled his arm and said:
do not fire, monsieur 1t is DR. Cor
nabucl'
And, sure enough, the blond wig and
long redingote could now be seen among
the leaves. But at this moment the first
ray of sunlight CLEANED in from the
east, and the oak was illuminated The
marquis suddenly broke into fit of ex
plosive laughter and, as his guests gazed
up into the tree they could not keep
from following his example
1.-THE APPEL"
Everything was explained. The ami
NAL had escaped from his cage the pre-
vlous evening and had managed to eff
feet Ian entrance into the chateau. Ami
mated By his instinct of imitation, he
had first attired himself in the doctor g
effects and then wandered over the
house at his own free will. He was put
back into his prison after some little
trouble, and at breakfast the party en-
| Joyed hearty laugh at the adventures
of the night.
But DR. Cornabuc did not appear at
| the table. He left the chateau at an