Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-01-21
MADAM'S FRIEND.

! looking up at her friend DeSeeclingly
as he was preparing to depart.
you must leave that to me-" replied
Dick Halston. You must trust me i'm.
plicitly. We will seize therfirst favor
able opportunity, of course. More than
that | cannot tell you now. We must
conceive some pretext for rc.novir i;
your husband beforehand, until when
my visits to you must be an inviolau.l
secret, or our plotting will revert to
our own destruction. And now | will
be going-in case monsieur turns uD
unexpectedly"
You will come again tomorrow
Dick? Do!' she pleaded. 81 feel so
nervous and apprehensive when you
are gone until you return. You will
( come, DickY'
wisdom advises No, but | will.
Goodbye, Winnie!"
Madame was reclining, looking pale
and detected. She sprang to her feet
as her husband entered.
'Victorl Is it you, dear! How early
you have come home todayr"
Monsieur looked fixedly at her while
he woye his own Interpretation around
her remark, then he said:
yes; l am earlier than you ex-
pected."
The constralnt in his manner and an
inferential something in his voice
pricked her sensibility to danger.
What is the matter?" she inquired.
rs anything wrong, Nictor?'
N-.NtI L.,
Nothing that | know Of"
Then he sat down and perused q pa
per. to give his wife an opportunity to
explain, but she remained silent, with
her fears and misgivings and her long
Ing for the morrow and Dick Halston $
protecting presence.
Monsieur Girardn was jewelcr,
with shop in the Rue de la Paix and
a luxurious second floor apartment in
the Rue du Faubourg st. Honorc, the
other side of the Madeline, close by
the English embassy and the English
church, for Monsieur was a Protestant
and his wife an English woman who
had brought him n considerable for
tune. His business, ever n failure be-
fore his marriage, took prosperous
turn Immediately his wlfes money as.
sisted him in opening the shop in the
Rue de la PaiX, and had flourished
ever since.
Now, monsieur had glided into the
habits of clockworI regularity, leay-
ing for business Immediately after
breakfast, taking his lunch at a neigh
h0rinrr ,.nt,
rour In the afternoon for a read, Cos
sip, a little shopping or an idle stroll
with his wife along the boulevards be-
fore dinner. Whatever had pronpted
him on that particular day to break
through his established routine was
quite obliterated from his mind the
Following day, when he sought for
pretext to do likewise, and he left his
shop two hours earlier than was his
custom with an excuse that drove til.
blush Of shame to his cheeks. He was
going TO play the spy upon the one wo.
man he ever loved, and whom he had
honored and trusted before all others.
AS he reached his house in the Rue
du Faubourg st. Honore the blush of
shame was suddenly overwhelmed by
flush of anger when he saw a man
issue from the house, spring lightly
into waiting cab and drive away at
full speed.
1t was madame's English friend.
One DAY messenger knocked at
madame's door, handed in a note from
Dick Ilalston and departed. Madame
tore open the message and read the
message; then in haste she sat down
and wrote upon n blank telegraph
form which she had in readiness for
this emergency:
Meet me tomorrow at Metz. Best
to travel separately WINNIE"
She directed it to Dick Halston. and
walking 10 the window glanced up and
down the street. Satisfied with her
Inspection, she descended the stairs to
the street door, and waved her hand to
attract the attention of a man whom
she had observed from the window.
The man answered her signal with
alacrity.
"Will you take this to the telegraph
Office for me?" she asked. 1T is very
important and urgent"
She gave him some coins, and told
MIN to pocket the excess for his trou.
bic. Then she returned to her apart.
mcnts and began to pack a small bag
with the necessaries for a short Jour
ney.
The man. having glanced at the
writing. walked briskly down the
street, but instead of entering the tel.
egraph Office he continued his course
along the Rue st. Honore. though the
Place Nendome into the Rue de Ia
Paix, and turned into a jewelers. shop.
Monsieur Girardin was in his pri.
vate Office alone, and the man present
cd him with the telegraph form with.
out comment. Monsieur recognized his
wife's handwriting, and his brow
clouded onlinously; but, having read
the dispatch, he directed the man ia
send il from the nearest telegraph of
fee without delay.
lie made arrangements to be absent