Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-22
CHAPTER VIII,

L am prepared to state that | detest
the French capital. l always make
my visits to it as brief as possible,
then, my business completed, off 1
fly again, seeming to breathe more
freely when 1 am outside its boun-
diaries. 1 don't know why this
should be so, for have always been
treated with the utmost courtesy and
consideration by it's inhabitants, par
ticularly by those members of the
French detective force with whom l
have been brought in contact.
On this visit / crossed with one of
the cleverest Partisan detectives, a
man with whom I have had many
dealings. He was most anxious to
ascertain the reason of my visit to
his country. My assurance that l
was not in search of any one of his
own criminals seemed to afford him
no sort of satisfaction. He probably
regarded it as an attempt to put him
off the scent, and 1 fancy he resent
ed it. We reached Paris at seven
o'clock, whereupon I invited him to
dine with me at eight o'clock, at a
restaurant we kad both patronized on
many previous occasions. He accept
ed my invitation, and promised to
meet me at the time and place |
named. On the platform awaiting
our arrival was my man Dickson, to
whom l had telcgraphed, ordering
him to meet me.
"Well, Dickson" I said, when I had
babe the detective au revoir, "what
about our man."
i've had him under my eve, sir"
he answered. 81 know exactly what
he's been doing, and where he's stay
ing"
That's good news, indeed" I re-
piled. Have you discovered anything
else about him?"
Yes, sir" he returned. 81 find
that he's struck up sudden ac-
quaintance with lady named Nine.
Beaumarais, and that they are to
dine together at the Cafe des Am
bassadeurs tonight. They have been
in and out of half the jewelers. shops
in the Rue de la Paix to-day, and he's
spending a mint of money on her"
They are dining at the Cafe des
Ambassadors tonight, did you say?
AT what time?"
Il cannot tell you that, sir" Dick
son replied. 81 only know that they
are to dine there together Tonight"
And pray how did you fra that
out?"
II made inquiries as to Who she
was, and where she lived, and then
pumped her maid" he answered.
You did not do anything that
would excite his suspicious, hope"
l put in. "You ought to know by
this time what women are"
"Oh, no, sir, you nes6n't be
afraid" he said. 81 was TOP careful
for that. The maid and !. are on
very friendly terms. She believes
me to be Russian, and I've not de-
MED it."
SIT would be safest not t4s do So"
/ replied. IF she discovers shat YOU
are an Englishman, she might chance
to mention the fact to her mistress.
She would doubtless let is fall in
conversation with him, and then all
our trouble would be useless. You
speak Russian, do you not?'
"Ony pretty well, SIR" he an
swered. 81 should be soon bowled
out if l came in contact With a real
one"
well, I think I will be somewhere
near the Cafe des Ambassadors to-
night just to make sure o" my man.
After that I'll tell you what to do
next"
Every good, SIR" he returned. st
suppose you will be staying at the
same placer"
Eyes, the same place." I replied.
IF you have anything to commune
cate, you can either call, or send
word to me there"
I thereupon departed fos the quiet
house at which l usually fake UP nv
abode when in Paris. The big hotels
are places 1 steer clear Of, for the
simple reason that / often have bust
ness in connection with them, and il
does not pay me to become too well
known. AT this little house | can go
out and come in just as I please,
have my meals at any time of the
day or night, and am as well cared
for as at my own abode in London
On this occasion the old lady of the
house greeted me with flattering en-
thusiasm. She had received my tele-
gram, she said, and my usual room
awaited me. l accordingly assembled
to it in order to dress myself for the
dinner of the evening, and as / did
so thought of the pretty bedroom
had seen on the previous day, which
naturally led me to think of the
owner of the house, at that moment
my employer. In my minds eye 1
could see her just as she had stood
on that old stone bridge at Bishop
stowe. with the sunset behind her
and the church bells sounding across
the meadows, calling the villagers to
evensong. How much better it was,
l argued, to be standing talking to
her there in that old world peace.
than to be dressing for dinner at
an uD-tO-date French reSto,,rant