Idaho Springs siftings., 1902-09-13


others heels.
Charlie, while abroad, had seen
something that gave him quite a start
This was nothing more nor less than
a lovely woman with golden hair and
blue eyes in carriage, taking an air
ing, while at her side. stiff and stern
looking, the baron sat.
Charlie bowed politely The coun-
tess gave him look of curiosity and
one of her ravishing smiles.
So she passed out of his life-lucby
man.
The sight of Charlie recalled to the
baron's mind the promise he had made
with regard to Capt. Brand.
Accordingly he took advantage of
his first hour off to set the wires in
motion, and learn certain facts regard
ing the worthy captain.
Charlie, relying on the baron to cor
raj the captain, had made arrange
ments for sailing upon the next trans
Atlantic steamer
He had engaged passage for Airline,
her companion. Artemus and himself.
The captain, having paid man to
keep upon Stuart's track, found out
what was in the wind.
He learned that the crisis had ar
rived. Whatever he proposed doing
must be put through with all possible
speed, since, ere many hours elapsed,
those against whom his schemes were
directed would be upon the sea, and,
mayhap, beyond his reach
Artemus had heard enough to know
the three schemers were planning to
do his friend an evil turn, but, strain
his ears as he would, he had not been
able to catch the particulars of the
game, owing to certain sounds in the
hotel that muffled even the bold voices
of Captain Brands champagne-bibbing
friends.
All he could do was to warn Stuart
on general principles, and it can be set
down as an assured fact that he car
ried out this dramatic little episode
quite to the queens taste.
1t would not have been Artemus 9TH
erwise.
Charlie promised to keep his wealth
er eye open for squalls.
He hoped his early departure from
Antwerp would serve to entirely dis
concert the beggarly plans of his enc
mics, and leave the fellow in the
lurch.
About this time there was consider
able hustling being done among the
various forces circling around Airline
Brand, Just as the planets whirl about
their central sun.
The baron tried to drive from his
mind the Startling phantoms that had
been conjured into being by the mys-
terious power of Isolde, Countess of
Brabant, and, as this could only be
done by means of work, he gave him
self up to the mission of the hour
with redoubled zeal.
It was really a question what the
scramble would result in-whether
Charlie or the redoubtable captain
would come out of it in creditable
shape, and how Artemus might fare in
the shuttle.
Lady Airline had an interview with
her alleged papa, during which she an
nounced her determination of crossing
the Atlantic on business, and that she
had provided literally for him during
her absence, as he would find upon ap-
plying in person to her banker in Lon
don.
The interview was possibly not de-
void of dramatic features. Artemus
was on guard near by. and heard the
old sea dog clustering more or less in
his usual way.
But he had evidently lost much OF
the power he formerly possessed over
Lady Airline. He came forth from the
rooms looking like an enraged hyena,
because diplomacy had forced him to
bottle up his wrath.
To Artemus Charlie delegated the
tas4 of seeing Lady Airline and her
maid aboard the ocean greyhound,
where he would join them later.
II was night again.
Time and tide wait for no man, and
ocean steamers have to put out very
frequently at unreasonable hours, in
order to cross the bar on the food.
The baron and Captain Brand played
a game of cross-purposes, as it were,
for, while the ex-sailor shadowed Char
lie with intentions that were both dark
and desperate, he was, at the same
time, under the surveillance of Peter
hoff's emissary-the baron himself be-
ing too busily employed catering to
the comfort of his fair prisoner-in
reality his captor-to personally inject
L Il. sxndtxvid,,alitv into tha uano