Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-19

the utmost delicacy. that that might
depend upon the lady herself.
Obviously her business In Paris was
i secret, for otherwise she would have
mentioned It, There was too much rea'
son to believe that It might be nihilism
under another namt. But whatever II
was, she evidently desired to conceal
1t. She was not ready to come out into
the open.
"Such being the case," said Darrell
to himself when he had reached this
stage Of his medltations. 81 am In q
place that is we'll defined by the usages
| Of polite society. am called upon to
lie and lie good and hard by all the
principles Of honor. | don't like lying
for its own sake. but I will do 1t for
her sake. and | will make workman.
like job Of It."
When he had purchased the costumes
of the two Americans. It had come into
Darrelps mind that they might be of
more important service than merely to
permit of Vera's entering the hall In
stead of waiting in the carriage. 1t
amounted to personation. since the
costumes must have been noticed by
many persons. including the secret po-
lice scattered about through the as
sembly. Yet there was little chance
that the faces Of the wearers would
be remembered. The monks hood was
nearly as good as mask, and the stain
of beer on the fawn colored domino
was more distinctive than anything
that could be noted Of the lady's actual
personality. AS means for confusing
any possible pursuers, the gown and
the domino might have served well,
though Darrell had not foreseen that
they would be needed as the matter OF
q claim Of alibi.
As to their value in this regard, Oar
ren resolved upon a test. He had 3
theory about the three men In the cab
with him. The one who had conducted
the ARREST" might be an agent of the
district commissary Of police, but Dar-
rell suspected him of connection with
the central bureau de Ia surete (the
detective bureau of Paris. The second
was q man from the precinct in which
Darrell and the Gordons lived. and he
was there for purposes of identif1ca-
tion. 1t was he who haG said that the
ladies We're Mrs. Gordon and Miss Lor-
rimer, the latter Of whom Darrell now
blessed for her haSty and almost secret
| flight from the house. The Paris police
are sure, but slow, though their mill
tary discipline and unquestiOning obe-
dience, combined with excellent organ
ization, sometimes give them the delu-
sive aspect of rapidity. 1t might take
them q week or even fortnight to dis
cover that Vera had replaced Miss Lor
rimer, despite the rigid supervision to
which strangers are subjected.
So much for policeman No. 2 and his
fortunate error. Passing to No. 3,
Darrell made him out to be member
of the force assigned for that evening
| to the Moulin Rouge to watch the mer.
ry students and their guests. He had
been brought along to testify concern
ing the Gordon party. and Darrell wis
pleased to observe that he was snaw.
ing his upper lip and cracking the
joints Of his long and bony fingers.
"Your name, my friend?" cried Oar
rell suddenly. slapping the man on the
knee.
The officer sat up so suddenly that
his long backbone gave forth snap
ping sound as from whip.
Henri Fontaine" he cried. "Why
do you ask?'
Merely from interest" replied Dar'
rell. 81 happened to have seen you
several times this evening. You re
member when the beer was spilled on
| my friends domino?"
Fontaine did not reply in words. but
his face was well worth noticing. a
light shone favorably into the cab. re-
vealing glance full of 81 told you So
directed by Fontalne toward the chief
detective. Darrell knew that he had
made a center shot and that Fontaine
must have already expressed his belief
that Darrell and the lady had been In
the Moulin Rouge at the time Of the
act of which LatliSlOv had complained.
whatever that act might be. OF course
there was no certainty that the black
visaged rascal had sworn to the truth.
The cab stopped. and its occupants
alighted. AS they entered the station
Darrell was annoyed to observe that
the detectives surrounded him with q
somewhat elaborate display Of prccau-
ton lest he should escape. and the
passage of the party through the outer
room excited an audible thrill Of In
terest. They entered private office,
where Darrell perceived gray and SOL
dierly officer seated by a fiat topped
desk. Behind him sat a man who
leaned forward as If buried in thought,
his elbow on his knee, his chin in bis
hand. The attitude and the peculiar
arrangement of the lights made this
mans face a blurred shadow except for
his left eye. which, being turned to-
ward Darrell, shone like jewel.
The three men who had brought in
the prisoner fell away from him, leav'
ing him standing alone before the desk
in q glare Of light. Immediately the
elderly officer took up paper from
the table and began to read aloud in a
hasty but monotonous tone fairly ac'
curate description Of John Darrell,
American. and of his doings since he
had come to Paris.
Sir" said Darrell in his gentlest
tone. this record is very interesting
and surprisingly correct. but 1t does
not seem to explain my presence here
at this time. Would you favor me with