Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-23

| tie at his throat.
One thing was in his favor. He had
neither beard nor mustache.
A slight growth of hair could be
| seen on his lip. but no more than Nine
| du Barry's own.
Nine. dsl Barry. choking with laugh
ter. since the affair had become so good
a joke. exclusively her own. fastened
some false hair to his head. first tying
| knots in his own to make safe hold
| for the fastenings A bonnet completed
! the disguise. though gloves, a fan and
| other accessories were all at hand
| In point of fact Buckford. after Nine.
du Barry had added a hundred fem
thought Of made younger and hand
somer woman than Nine. du Barry her.
self and with his fairer skin looked
scarcely so masculine as she did.
"And now. madame" he said, "since
your friend Nine. Delatouche. who has
| been visiting you, is about to depart
for her home in another city, you will
accept her invitation to accompany her
for short stay"
"Eh? What is that, monsieur?" she
| faltered. ITS
pardon me. there is no monsieur
here. 1 said come home with me, md
dame"
ooh, but, monsieur mean madame
Il cannot!'
But you mustw
There was no installing the meaning
/ in that voice. Without further remon-
STRANGE Nine. du Barry slowly began
preparing for journey that might
lead her-she knew not where.
you see, madame, 1 am not certain
when our friends will return to this
house. do not intend you shall have
the opportunity to betray me to Van
dali
Curses! He had seen that smile.
But still Nine. du Barry, even as she
ruefully prepared to accompany him,
smiled again.
They left the house, Buckford accom-
plishing a gait that was mincing
enough to satisfy anybody who loved
n mincing gait. He was fascinating
person to Nine. du Barry, who could
scarcely keep from bursting into laugh
ter at the sight of him..
But then Nine. du Barry knew the
secret To one who did not know,
Buckford, or Nine. Delatouche, as he
called himself, was nothing more than
one Of the stout, overdressed females
SO common in the French OF any other
capital
Buckford's first act, so he planned,
would be to go direct to the hotel of
the Prince Of Deneslia and, if that po-
tentate had not already left Paris, tell
him the entire story and ask his as
sistance. If the prince had departed,
nothing then remained but to go to
Trolle, the capital of Deneslia, as
quickly as possible and before the
I plotters reached there, if such speed
coIld be encompassed.
| Buckford was about to call cab
when he made movement that ap-
peared ridiculous in a woman. He
slapped the place over the right hand
pocket in his trousers.
| He had suddenly remembered that
he had no money. Even that given
him by Vandal was in the purse of M.
de Bullion at the Palais de Justice.
What is 1T, mon-madame?" asked
Nine. du Barry, suppressing strong
/ desire to Shrek.
Madame" said Buckford, with some
little show of annoyance in his tones,
II have just discovered that I came
away this morning with no money.
Now, it is well known that you have a
bank account. Be kind enough, there
fore, to come with me to the bank and
draw certain amount shall name"
"Oh, the police have added robbery
to their other virtues, 1t seems"
mo; this is a loan. I borrow the
money, madame, and repay with inter
est. To refuse me, madame, will r,ean
to walk into the Palais de Justice in
stead Of the bank"
Madame shuddered at the mention of
that place, which she fancied she had
so cheaply escaped.
She groaned at the thought of losing
money, but the alternative was worse,
And the idea of police extortlon was by
no means new to her.
On the way to the bank Buckford
was busy with his conscience, which
had for the first time got into the af.
fair
How far am I justified in going
with this creature?" he was asking
himself. "It is surely dishonest act
to take her money, yet If 1 live I can
repay her, with good interest. MY own
Life and the lives of three innocent DER.
sons and the apprehension of four ras.
Gals all depend on my having money.
must have it, and 1 will If am do.
Ing wrong, the circumstances must
plead for me. And this woman is
planning to betray me and is my enc.
my" E5 !
He smiled and continued:
Il will fight my enemies with their
own weapons. suppose both Caspa.
rim and yandal have added to ma.
DANES wealth" u. i
They reached the bank.
How much, monsieur? Will ,hun.
dred francs be sufiicient?" gs&,t,;
ANOl mJlat have q fhOusand sSSSlp Vii