The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-06-11

"Thdt," said the detective, "ts her glopc. y
vitation to the ball must have reached
the princess. These facts were so plain
ly in evidence that the girl was afraid
to speak lest some chance word would
form the connecting link between the
detective s mind and the seemingly pal
pable facts. At last she looked up, the
color coming and going in her cheeks,
as Lord Donal had so accurately de-
scribed 1t.
81 dom think l can be of any assist
ance to you in this crisis, Mr. Taylor.
You have already done everything that
human ingenuity can suggest. y
eyes, have-sverything that my
human ingenuity can suggest. But does
nothing occur to you? Have You nc
theory to put forwardl"
"None that would be of any practical
advantage Is Lord Donal certain that
it was not the princess herself whom h
metz Are you thoroughly convinced
that there was really an impersona-
tion p
"What do you mean, Miss Baxter?"
"Well, you met Prince Won Stein
heimer What did you think of him ?"
81 thought him an overbearing bully,
If you ask me. can't imagine what
English or American girls see in those
foreigners to cause them to marry them.
The prince was very violent-practi-
cally ordered me out of the castle, spoke
to his father in-law in the most per
emptory manner, and could easily see
the princess was frightened out of her
wits. ="
"a very accurate Characterization of
his highness Mr.. Taylor. Now, of
course, the princess being woman
and young woman would naturally
be very anxious to attend the Duchess
Of Chiselhurst' ball, wouldn't sheY'
zone would think SO.
"And, as you have just said, she has
a bear of husband, good deal older
than herself, who does not in the least
care for such things as the function to
which the princess was invited. Is it
not just possible that the princess ac-
tua]ly attended the ball, but, for rea
sons of her own, desired to keep the
fact of her presence there secret2 And
you must remember that Lord Donal
Stirling had not seen the princess for
five years. h"
"For five yearsl' said the detective
sharply. "How did you learn that
Miss Baxter2"
"Well, you know" murmured the
girl, with gasp, "that he met her last
in Washington, and the princess has
not been in America for five years; SO,
you see'-
ooh, was not aware that he had
met her in America at ALL In fact,
Lord Donal said nothing much about
the princess. All his talk had reference
to this lady who impersonated her"
Jennie leaned back in her chair,
closed her eyes for a moment and
breathed quickly.
81 am afraid" she said at last, chat
l do not remember with sufficient mi
nuteness the details You have given me
to be able to advise. I would merely
suggest that Lord Donal met the prin-
cess herself at the Duchess Of Chisel-
bursts ball. The princess naturally
would wish to mislead him regarding
her identity, and so, if he had not met
her for some time-say two years, or
three years, or five years, or whatever
the period may bet is quite possible
that the princess has changed greatly in
the interval, and perhaps she was not
reluctant to carry on a Irritation with
the young man, your client. Of course
she could not allow it to go further than
the outside Of the door Of the Duke of
Chiselhurst' s town house, for You must
remember there was her husband in
the background, violent man, az you
have said, and Lord Donal must have
thoroughly angered the princess by
what you term his rudeness in tearing
off her glove, and now the princess will
never admit that she was at the ball, SO
1t seems to me that you are wasting
your time in wild goose chase. Why,
1t Is absurd to think. if there had been
q real disappearing woman, that you,
with all your experience and all yonr
facilities, should not have unearthed
her long ago. You said at the beginning
that nothing was more difficult than to
disappear. very well. then, why have
you been taffledi Simply because the