Evening star., 1901-08-10

| Frenchman, struggling his shoulders, one
| higher than the other.
gloomy ibrows. -at s,a.
| Nay" he said. this is serious need
your help. Do not fail me tonight. and
help me to find Mortimer. I had not the
smallest intention of intruding upon you
| 1t Is not for myself" and forthwith, in a
low voice, told his tale the Frenchman
asserting with nod of the head as each
| point was made clear to him.
| Unconsciously they had strOlled out of
the village in the direction of the Convent
Of the Holy Innocents, and they were al
most under its walls when the little
Frenchman, looking up suddenly, recog-
led.
Let us turn back" he said, hastily. II
have forgotten an engagement
They had not left the white walls of the
convent behind before they were hailed in
English by q stentorian voice.
Here, you fellows" it said "here's a
whole storehouse of onions as big as a fac
tory-strings and strings of 'em. I wanted
to go inside to make an offer for them, and
the old witch at the gate slammed it in
my face"
Looking around they saw John Morti-
mer standing on one leg to exc out his
stature and squirting through a hole in
the whitewashed wall.
Just look there!' he cried eagerly, "did
you ever see the like of that-a hundred
double strings hung from the ceiling to the
floor right across. And the factory nearly
100 yards long. There's a shipload Of
onions there-a solid cargo, tell you. and
| want to trade :! believe that could
make my thousand pounds quicker that
way. and onions are as good as wine any
day! Look in-iook I'M"
To satisfy his friend, Rollo applied his
the convent buildings was indeed filled with
onions. as John Mortimer had said.
"A thousand pounds, Rollo," moaned
John Mortimer. "and that old wretch at
h0 1Ok % had
ped the catch in my face"
Rollo took his friends arm and drew him
| away.
~ This is not the time for It," he said
convent tonight The mother superior has
permitted the lady on whose account we
| are here to be removed there after dark.
and We want your help
Can I speak to the old woman ahout
the onions. then?"
Certainty. If there is an opportunity"
"Very we'll, then," said Mortimer. 'rm
your man. I don't mind doing a ,,ttIa
cloak-and-dagger for trimmings-but busi-
ness is business"
The three friends proceeded ventaward,
and just as they passed the octroi gate a
muleteer went in before them, And as he
entered he tossed his hand casually toward
Casper Perico, who sat in the receipt of
custom calmly reading an old newspaper.
mer: that fellow had a red and white
| cloth in his hand. And all the time when
was skirmishing about after those onions
in the nuns warehouse, they were waving
red and white flags up on the hills over
there-wigwag, like that.'
And with his hand he. illustrated the ir
regular and arbitrary behavior Of the flags
upon the hills which overlooked the village
of Sarrfa to the south.
And at the sound Of his words Rollo
| started, and his countenance changed. II
was then no mere delusion of the eve and
brain that he had seen when he entaraS
the precincts OF the Mill House Of Sarria
as La Giralda, would fafn have nersuade1
him. The thought started doubt in his
mind.
who was that old woman? And what
cause had Ell 6arria for trusting herr
None at al, as 1ar as Rollo knew, save
that she hated the Tia Elvira. Then that
flicker Of red and white on the hillside TO
the south among the scattered bolders and
Juniper bushes. and the favor of the sama
color in the muleteer's hand as he went
through the gate!
Verify Rollo had some matter for ref,ac-
tion as, with his comrades on either hand
OF him. he strolled slowly back to the Ven
ta.
And outside. though they knew 1t not,
the red and white pennon was still fiyfnr
from the roof Of the Mil House of sarris
and on the hills to the south, through fhs
white sun glare, fickered at Intervals az,
answering signal.
Meanwhile In husl1ed chamber the out-
law sat with his wifess hand In his. ana
thought on nothing, save that for him the
new day had come.
CHAPTER xX.
The Butcher NJ Tortoaa