Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-28
CHAPTER X.



Marie than they would have been at the
wreckage of all the nations OF the earth in
mutual war.
On the night Of its discovery. there was
long secret confabulation, wonderment, sug-
gestion, invective, till near morning. Here
was an unexpected complication OF the mar
riage problem left them by their uncle.
What II She the petite. the despised, car
fled off the fortune without knowing 1t.
And what could they do to avert the trag-
edy? They could beat her till she sickened;
Jeanne actually proposed it. They could
lock her in a room, and never let her out
till after things were settled. These were
the obvious. brute remedies for the situa-
tion.
But that they would not do. Agnes felt
chat the child would be missed from her
work; there would be inquiries. There re-
mained but one thing; to watch her, wait
ing, hoping in luck, and in what might turn
UP. Jeanne undertook the charge.
Again, on the next night, the night OF
Vansittart's spill from his brougham, the
lovers met at the Buttes- -Chaumont. while
5eanno lurked and listened.
Almost Immediately after the first rhap-
sodies Marie began to question him about
"the invention" 1t had filled her mind all
day. She had a profound faith in its won-
der-working powers. What could not her
love do? He was the hero of the world, the
great magician.
"And the model" she said. "Have you
finished it,"
II have been seeing to it-and 1t is fin
ished.'
"And you yourself think It good? 1t will
Do what you meant 1t to do?"
TT will kill something like 1000 men at
one attempt"
How wonderful you are. And is it big.
this model?'
big enough to nearly fill my ROOM"
20. the model! Don't think OF that. 1t
Is OF no Importance"
$50 that We shall always remain poor,
and not be married, and be practical?"
He caught her to him.
"Yes, soon, soon. But-do you know
what shall do? shall go to the king, or
to Mr.. Vansittart, and tell him-really."
Then you must write to some one, and
tell them about the invention. Promise me.
One should be serious, and see to things.
Promise"
III have Is centimes to buy stamp"
Il will give you. Promise"
And SO the promise was made.
At about the same time. Folliet was turn
ing key in the door Of Jeanne's room at
No. II rue Pigalle. He had been lurking
throughout the evening near the gate, and
had seen the setting out Of Marie to meet
her lover Then crouching behind her,
Jeanne; then. half an hour after, Agnes
The house, he knew, was now empty Of its
female occupants, his opportunity was
come. He entered the court yard and the
house. He had sworn not to sleep until he
had in his hands the threads of the con-
spiracy which menaced the safety OF the
country.
On the previous day he had taken care
1ul note of the rather intricate way to
Jeanne's triangular room. He was able to
reach 1t in the dark. In his pocket were a
number of keys and implements
He entered the room and listened. No
sound. but the occasional scratching of a
pigeon against its cage in the next apart
ment. ALI was dark. Folliet turned the
key In the lock which shut him from the
pigeon room; he had provided himself with
duplicate, in case it should lie removed.
but the original key was there. Then, he
softly took on his shoes, laid them behind
the bed curtains, and stepped through the
open door. He was in the enemy's
territory.
The room in which he found himself was
small. There, at the one window, was a
man. looking out, his elbows leaning on
the sill. The faintest sound now would
have betrayed Folliet.
But he did not make it. No sooner had
he discerned the dim and silent figure than
his revolver was in his hand. Then. with
eyes that had acquired the faculty of seeing
IN the dark, he looked about the room. In
corner spot Of perfect blackness caught
MS eye; 1t was the cupboard in which on
the previous day the two men had hidden
from Jeanne But 1t was perilously near the
window and the motionless man. It was.
however, the only apparent hiding place.
When q thing had to be done Folliet was
not q man to hesitate. With concentrated
alertness he stepped nearer and nearer 10
the vague, broad back at the window, ready
to shoot II 1t stirred. Then he touched the
open cupboard door; in an instant he was
within the aperture. He drew himself cau-
tiously inward.
once, the man at the window lifted him.
self and paced three or four times round the
room. muttering few inaudible words in
his beard. Two Of them only could Folliey
make out. The man had said: "No mes
sage! No message!" Then he resumed his
place at the window, and the dead silence
recommended.
SAoih MI uouE LoTe, anu IOOtStGpS were
heard outside the door. Then four men en-
tered.
Altogether-in one breath--they cried
cut
"News! Is there any news?"
They spoke In German. Folliet held his
breath, noting every word with straning
ear. The man at the window turned and
said:
"Not word. Been looking out all the
evening. It's sure to come, suppose"
Some one struck a light and lit a candle
IN q table in one corner.
For time there was silence; the men,
Il was clear. had been walking much. or
working. They were tired. But Folliet
said to himself This is the height of
luck. Presently they will start to jab-
ber."
He had not to wait very long. One said:
"Well, Karl, my boy, so far everything
has run pretty well for us. think"
"Grand!" came the answer. I'VE didn't
want to kill the man, after all. but only to
keep him Q prisoner in Paris for day or
.wo. And that's what we've DONE