Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-11
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That afternoon the observatory was | finally blinded, a wardrobe having been dSaweA in front of it upon the other side, and while Silas was still lament ing over this misfortune, which he at tributed to the Britisher's malign sug- gestion, the concierge brought him up a ] letter in female handwriting. It was conceived in French of no very rfgor- ous orthography, bore no signature and in the most encouraging terms invited the young American to be present in a l certain part of the BuIlier ball at Ii o'clock that night. Curiosity and ti- 1 nidfty fought a long battle in his heart | Sometimes he was all virtue, some times all fire and daring, and the result of it was that long before 10 MT. Silas | Q, Scuddamore presented himself in l unimpeachable attire at the door of the Bullier bathrooms and paid his en- try money with sense of reckless dev- iltry that was not without it's charm. It was the carnival time, and the ball was very full and noisy. The lights and the crowd at first rather abashed our young adventurer, and then, mounting to his brain with a sort of intoxication, put him in possession of more than his own share of man hood. He felt ready to face the devil, and strutted in the ballroom with the | swagger of a cavalier. While he was 1 thus parading he became aware of l Mime. Zephryine and her Brftisher in conference behind pillar. The cat like spirit of eavesdropping overcame him at once. He stole nearer and near or on the couple from behind. until he was within earshot.
 ''That is the man," the Britisher was saying. '"Thsre-with the long blond hair speaking to girl in green"
 Silas identified very handsome young fellow of small stature, who was plainly the object of this designa- ton.
 sTt is we'll" said Mime Zephryine. 'T shall do my utmost. But, remem- Der, the best of us may fail in such a matter"
 ''Tutw returned her companion. "1 answer for the, result. Have I not chosen you from thirty7 Go, but be wary of the prince. I cannot think what cursed accident has brought him here tonight. As If there were not a dozen halls in Paris better worth his notice than this riot of students and counter jumpers! See him where he sits, more like reigning emperor al home than prince upon his holidays.'
 Silas was again lucky. He observed person of rather a full build, strik- ingly handsome and of a very stately and courteous demeanor seated at table with another handsome young man, several years his junior, who ad- dressed him with conspicuous defer ence. The name of prince struck grate- fully on Silas' republican hearing, and the aspect of the person to which that name was applied exercised its usual charm upon his mind. He left Mime Zephryine and her Englishman to take care of each other and, threading his way through the assembly, approached the table which the prince and his con. hdant had honored with their choice.
 'I tell you, Geraldine" the former was saying, "ths action is madness Yourself, am glad to remember it chose your brother for this perilous service, and you are bound in duty tc have a guard upon his conduct. He has consented to delay so many days in Paris. That was already an i'm prudence, considering the character o1 the man he has to deal with, but now when he is within eight and forty hours of his departure, when he ii within two or three days of the de cisive trial, I ask you is this place for him to spend his time? He should be in gallery at practice; he should be sleeping long hours and taking mod crate exercise on foot; he should be o1 rigorous diet, without white wines or brandy. Does the dog imagine VI are all playing comedy? The thing fl deadly earnest, Geraldine"
 ''I know the lad too we'll to inter fere," replied Colonel Geraldine, "ant well enough not to be alarmed. He il more cautious than you fancy and Q. an indomitable spirit. If it had beer woman, should not say so much but I trust the president to him ant the two valets without an instant's ap prehension."
 "I am gratified to hear you say SO, l replied the prince, "but my mind is no { uI GVSt~ 4hCSO SCIN dALS dlS W CAA tAdAACS spies, and already has not this mis creant succeeded three times in elud ing their observation and spending sev eral hours on end in private, and mos likely dangerous, affairs? An amateu might have lost him by accident, but i Rudolph and Jerome were thrown of the scent 1t must have been done ol purpose, and by man who had a co gent reason and exceptional resources
 q believe the question is now on between my brother and myself" re piled Geraldine, with a shade of of fense in his tone.
 "T permit 1t to be so, Colonel Gerald inc, returned Prince Florizel. "Per haps, for that very reason, you shoulC be all the more ready to accept ID. cotmsels. But enough. That girl il yellow dances we'll"
 And the talk veered into the ordinar, topics of a Paris ballroom in the car nivai.
 Silas remembered where he was ant that the hour was already near at han' when he onrht to he nnop the scene O HIS aSS1gnaJ1on. Ine more ne reuecteC | tho lnsa h0 1ikad %hM ur0sfannf and as aI