The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-09-18

flashed his light full on my face with
little grunts of satisfaction.
cit is certainly the vicomte, Jules"
he remarked, to the hairy giant who
had so ably assisted him; cit is the
vicomte. Our first effort has met with
the happiest success"
Blinking at them savagely, I sat up.
I was bruised and sore from my tussle
with the giant who, finding desperation
made me unpleasantly strong, had re-
quested the fat man to use his club.
The latter, who had been worrying my
coat like a puffy, pursy terrier, had
complied with such good will that the
blow on my head stunned me for sew
eraI moments. When clarity of intel
Iigence returned, I was bound hard
and fast and lay on the floor of the
little inn, a vine-covered, tiny building
situated in the heart of la belle
Frances most troubled province in
those days of IS.
eyes, mon ami, the happiest sue
cess!" repeated the fat man.
eff your success rests on my being
Vicomte,' I said. sneeringly, you may
reverse the word. No Vicomte am I,
but simple Captain in my Emperor's
army-Neys division
The fat man smiled in a superior
manner.
"You are the vicomte Charles Henri
Lorraine. brother of Mademoiselle
Alix''
Brother of the devil!'' said. rudely.
eI am the brother to no one but my
self. My family were all exterminated
in the late discriminating efforts of
certain Monsieur Robespierre. am
alone in the world, with no title and
no sister-so loose me, and I will
promise to let you both off from the
drubbing you so richly deserve
Jules, the giant, grinned and said
calmly. I'VE know you well, Vicomte.
And your nice brown curls are as pref
ty as ever"
"If my hair got me in this mess" I
said, angrily, that's soon remedied,
idiots that you areI I am wearing
wig. Under it you will find my own
crop of short black covering"
They made a hurried investigation.
< est NIdl, Sdiu Tie lat HIGH, 0Ao-
mally; cit is not our man at ALI"
And why was monsieur wearing a
wig over his own hair?" inquired the
giant, in his thin little voice, absurdly
out of proportion to his size.
Its none of your business I re-
torted: yet, that you may not make
a mountain out of a nolehfll, will
tell you that wear it because was
at a fancy ball last night in *, and
finding myelf so changed by this wig,
and for the better, too, / resolved as
a boyish joke to keep it on and see II
my comrades at Paris would know me.
I had no desire to resemble your Vi
comte, I can assure you'll"
yet the resemblance is there to a
very wonderful degree" observed the
fat man. thoughtfully. Jules, he
might do quite as well as the original
for Our purpose"
For what purpose? ?" I inquired,
blankly There was calm assurance
about the speaker which I did not like,
a sort of greasy certainty that his own
ideas were capital conceptions.
He did not answer me.
..Eh. JuIes?" he Queried.
why not?" said the giant, laconical-
1y
For what purpose?" I shouted.
GLOW dare you discuss me in this
manner
Monsieur need not excite himself"
said the fat man, politely. eff mon
sieur will agree quietly to array him
self in the suit which 1 shall bring,
then monsieur shall have an explana-
ton
After some parleying agreed, and
under the cover of a pair of pistols in
Jules hands I disobed completely and
got into a new suit of clothes, begin
ming with the finest body-linen with
an embroidered crest on it, and ending
with a very elegant suit that fitted me
amazingly.
But monsieur is handsome in that
dress,' observed the fat man, rubbing
his palms together. 'Monsieur's hne
figure is set off to perfectioni And mon
sieur should congratulate himself on
that wight is so natural, so absolute
w copy of the Vicomte's admired
curlsi'
s.Curls be damned" I said, suldly.
''Now will you EXPLAIN
Monsieur forgets. returned the
other. civiIly, that he promised to re-
main as he was before. Jules would
much rather tie your hands, monsieur,
than perforate you with one of these
balls. Yet if perforate he must-he
never misses Cut the button, Jules,
from my sleeve here.
He held up his arm with admirable
GOODNESS. and Jules. with yet more
admirable steadiness of nerve, fired.
and one of the under buttons fell to
the floor
After that little exhibition. 1 was
fain to keep the promise extorted, and
allowed my hands to be rebound. There
was no use calling for help The fat
man was the inns Boniface, and hac
the whole lonely little place to wofk
his will in. I trusted rather. u
chance of escape later on. for they
could scarcely intend me serious harm
bv this enforced masquerade. So /