The Elbert County tribune., 1902-09-11

| Charlie, while abroad. had seen
| something that gave him quite start
This was nothing more nor less than
lovely woman with golden hair and
blue eyes In carriage, taking an ar
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-lucky
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 oil
his first hour on 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 a man to
keen upon stuarts track. found cut
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 schemcrs 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 mufled even the bold voices
Of Captain Brands champagne'bibbins
friends.
All he could do was to warn Stuart
on general principles, and IL can be set
down as an assured fact that he car
ried out this dramatic little episoue
quite to the qreen's taste.
1t would not have been Artemus 9th
crwise.
Charlie promised to kee1 his wealth
er eye open for squalls.
He hoped his early departure from
Antwerp would serve to entirely dis
concert the beggariy 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-
nf
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
1t was really q question what the
! scramble would result in-whether
Charlie or the redoubtable captain
would come out of 1t 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 liberally for him during
her absence, as he would find upon ap-
plying In person to her banker in Lon
don.
/ Inc interview Ndo DooatOiJ 49, ~
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
task of seeing Lady Airline aid her
maid aboard the ocean greyhound.
where he would join them later.
1t 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 flood.
The baron and Captain Brand played
game of cross-purposes. as 1t 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
his Individuality into the game.
Captain Brand knew he was fol
lowed. and perhaps could give rough
guess as to the why and wherefore.
But It was not his nature to be de-
spondent.
He believed in utilizing whatever
came in his way as one of the TO. -es
that might bring success.
When man can thus twist threat
ening disasters into favoring factors
he is indeed hard to beat in the game
of life.
Charlie was feeling unusually bold