The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-26
CHAPTER VlII.-Continued.

Il am in your hands, gentlemen" said
he in a tired overwrought voice. do
as you will. One thing only l insist upon.
am here in Paris. wisely or fooishly.
as you like and here l stay till ! have
seen my wife and made myself known
TO her. till we have come to an under
standing. I shall not go back to Novod
MIA till all this mystery and uncertainty
Is cleared away. till I know that the
Princess Eleanor will follow me when she
is able
But that. sr-' cried old Mackenzie,
and bit his words sharply in two when
Won Altdorf raised a warning hand.
why then, with that We must be con-
tent said Altdorf, save that the
Princess Eleanor is in no state to be told
the truth or to receive you at present
slr' We must wait and guard your per
son meantime with all care--God send
no i'll fall upon Novodnia while YOU are
absent"
Denis Mallory had been standing by the
window that looked out over the grass
plot and Shrubbery to the narrow little
rue Bossonade. He was screened from
without by the white lace curtains that
hung before the window. .+-
lie turned and beckoned with his eyes
to Colonel Won Altdorf. who, after a mo-
ment. yawned and strolled nonchalantly
across the room.
There's a pair of shabby looking chaps
nave been lettering about in front of the
studio for half an hour whispered NAL
lory They're gotten up to look like
Italian models out Of work, but l don't
think they're models unless they're new
comers. I've never seen them before.
They act PECULIAR
Won Atldorf peered through the window
and waited till the faces of the two men;
came into view. Then his own face went
suddenly crimson with the effort to keep
down the cry that rose to his lips.
BY heaven. l said they'd Gomez he
whispered 'One Of them's Baron Won
Steinbucke and the other is a rascal in
his pay. Won Steinbucke. eh? The vii
lains after big game he'd never come
himself. He'd send others. He's a rem
egade Austrian driven out Of Vienna by
card scandals and attempts at blackma il
against some of the court set, and he's
Georges right hand-worth two of George
at that. blackguard though he is. But
they must be driven off. somehow before
the prince leaves the house. Creighton,
man. come here a moment.
l went over to the window and Won
Altdorf told me briefly what he had Just
told Denis.
Il think they'll be off if any one goes
out SAID he. DO you try it. They
mustn't see the prince"
L took my hat and stick and went out
into the porch and slowly down the path
to the high iron fence and the little loge
of the concierge. The two loafers out
side moved a short distance away and
watched. 1t seemed that they were not
easily to be frightened off. l went into
the loge and brought the concierge out
from the preparation of her dinner fat
gray-haired and merry old woman with
CHEEKY word for every one.
L pointed out the two men in the street
taking good that they should see me
doing it, and told her that M. Mallory
believed them to be certain thieves
who had robbed a friend of his some time
since, and were no doubt meditating an
attack in the rue BoissOnade This the
concierge opined. Srimly. would be made
difficult, not to say disagreeable. for them,
so long as she retained her health and
strength. She retreated to the lodge. shak-
ing her great wooden spoon threateningly,
and muttering to herself '''
Herr Won Stenbrucke and friend won't
have precisely an easy time of 1t. spying
about here said l 1 went out into the
impasse.
The two men moved IF ahead of me TO-
ward the Boulevard Raspail glancing bac,
over their shoulders sulenly enough, every
moment or two At the boulevard they
suddenly hailed a passing facre. and
jumping into it, went off down the street
at great pace. / was after them imme
diately In another cab, not that there was
anything to be gained by following them
but because | was in mood to give tn :r
a. iIlSut etllu tedcH lnc1n Il lesson. more
over. I wished to leave them as far as
possible from the rue Bossonade.
They turned at the Boulevard Montpar.
nasse. and drove at a gallop toward the
gare. then down the rue de Rennes to the
Boulevard st. Germain and so to the Flace
de Ia Concorde across the river
Here, in a great throng Of vehicles sc
thick that they could not have distin.
guished mine. 1 bade my cabby turr
round. and drove back laughing to the
rue Boissonade.
"Egad!' said l. They'll be in panic
at every fiacre that comes up behind then
for the next hour They'll be all owe
Ihris before they dare STOP
CHAPTER TX.
"Why. yes, of course" sa id Miss Jessics
Mannering. "Show Colonel Altdor
In at once
II SEEM" said Colonel Won Altdorf to
small slender and very white hand, 50
seem to have fallen into the habit of com
ing here"
IT'S never too late observed tn
hands proprietor, "to form good habits
Besides-'' she puckered her brows il
medita ton and counted upon the finger
of that same hand
'rYou've been here but three times be
i fore" she announced
"'Three?" he questioned. Il should hav
thought it was many more. do you know.
q "Thank YOU, said Miss Mannerin.
4 haughtily.
Dear me- murmured Colonel Won Alt
! dorf, blinking placidly. Il seem to hav
( said something unfortunate. You Loo
annoyed. Whatever it was. I'm sorry 70
it, mademoisele. Alas, I'm unused to tn
society of ladies. l don't know what t
say to please them. They're strang
things. mademoisele. passing strange
and sweet, upon my faith, passing sweet
Still, don't know what to say to pleas
them
And you a diplomatist! shifted Mis-
NIannerng.
THAT, mademoiselle, is my misfortune