Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-01-01
them hothuo cried Yanna1.

ANSpet Siuppeu MS ieS.
Good! 1t was worth 5000 francs
to us for him to escape. We will run
him down and earn the reward"
MY friend, you are quick to think,
but you invariably think the wrong
thing. We shall do nothing of the
kind. We will run him down, but the
police shall never see him"
"oh, as to that, you are able to pay
the 5000 francs"
"And will. Now get some rest. We
must be early astlr."
They obeyed him, and early in the
morning they were ready and eager
for the chase.
1t proved to be far from difficult tt
trace Mime. du Barry. She was well
known in that quarter.
1t was soon learned by persistent
questioning on the part of Vandal that
Nine. du Barry, in company with an
other woman, beautifully dressed"
had been seen on the street. No one
knew the other woman.
Bit by bit they traced madame, and
finally the clew led to the bank.
cit is surely an elopement," said
Vandal. "She has drawn her money"
"Then they are on the way to Ameri-
ca" said Reber.
| The trail ended at the bank. 1t was
In quarter where no one knew Nine.
du Barry. They returned to the house
| much discouraged. 1t was imperative
that the American be found before he
| had time to warn the Prince of Denes-
lila of the plot against him.
At the house they found telegram
from Nine. du Barry at Strassburg. 1t
was addressed to Vandal:
II am in Strassburg without money
Have been the victim of n police
agent"
What mystery is thisw demanded
Casparin. Have the police regained
possession of the American? He may
be dead, after all. Come, things may
not be so bad. We must go to Strass-
| burg"
ITO strassburg? Why not send mon
| ey to madame to returnT'
''Such would be the thing If we were
certain the man was dead. But we are
| in doubt. IL he is alive, as indeed
| seems probable, he is either in the
hands of the police or in Strassburg
with madame. In the first instance,
| we must take ourselves out of Paris
at once, and, in the second, we must
get to Strassburg as soon as possible.
You see we kill two birds with one
stone. We must go to Strassburg."
The four were soon in a train bound
foc Strassburg. Yandal had the tele-
gram from madame. 1t bore the name
OF no hotel. 1t had been sent from tho
railway station.
Having reached Strassburg they went
no farther than the station to begin
their search.
They found madame asleep on one Of
the benches with two Infatuated en-
ployees angrily ordering her to sit up
or they would call the police.
She opened her eyes, saw yandal
and leaped to her feet with a cry like
that of a tigress.
"Oh! All! You have come, thenw
she said. Have you brought knives
and pistols to kill beast? Well, that
is what you must do. have sat here
since last evening. am nearly dead
with loss of sleep and my awful hun
ger. For the love Of the good God, get
me something to eat"
Vandal obediently took her to the
cafe, and she attacked her meal with
the eagerness of the furnishing.
"And now," said Casparin, while
you are eating, madame, please tell us
what happened to you, and why an
agent OF police brought you here"
Bah! Those police. was asleep
in my room. l woke to find young
man there. He ordered me to be quiet.
He said he was an agent of police in
search of u prisoner. He declared he
had searched my house and was as
|, sured the prisoner was gone. knew
he had not found that little room up
stairs where the-the prisoner was.
Well, he then had other fish to fry.
He was after some spies against the
government. You were one, Vandal;
you, your highness, We're another. He
commanded me to obey and threatened
You all know whether that would be
agreeable. l obeyed. He made ME
dress him as a woman. Oh, laughed
when disguised him! gave him
that fine silk gown you gave me, Van.
dal-that one with the flowers ON it.
Well, you will know that madame
when you meet her. She has on that
gown. Then we went to the bank !
drew thousand francs, and he took
oil f, Il
here am. Where the agent of police
/, is do not know. When we arrived
! here, he told me to remain here while
he went to engage carriage. That
! was the last saw of him or my thou
sand francs"
Reber and Robello gazed wondering
, ly Nandal looked at Casparin for the
solution of this great mystery.
"AIy friend, you have been badly
!, solo, said the prince. THE supposed
: agent of police was no other than oul
prisoner. He climbed from his room tC
> yours. He assumed the role of police
.. to brighten you into obedience. He
!. had no money, of course, just coming
from the Palais de Justice. You kind
:. ly accommodated him with thousand
francs.
HE brought you here and left yor
:. without money in order to prevent
; your telling us until he had had time
to escape.
"This matter is more serious than II
! seems. 1t proves that this American
instead of being. as we supposed, {
. youth who was easy to dupe. is shrewt
J. and farseeing. He will be an enemy
Z worthy of our steel"
But undoubtedly he is now on thu
way to America" said Reber.
"Nonsense. One scarcely goes from
l. Paris to America by way Of Strassburg
He had but thousand francs Ii
would not carry him there nftcr hi.