The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-23

trap into which he had walked so easily.
For. seated at the head OF a shabby table
was olga Palitzin, having on her right
the fierce-eyed old man who had been with
her at the restaurant. and on her left De-
iaVal-Very far from being on his way back
to America. One quick glance round
showed why the house from the outside
appeared to be I'm utter darkness. The
windows were furnished with thick wooden
shutters, which were closed and barred.
Inc trio looked up on Fortescue's
trance, the princess deliberately folding a
map over which they had been porting. Her
first words We're addressed not to her Wis
itor, but to Delaval and Fortescue was
startled TO hear them spoken in crisp Eng
llsh In the train she had carefully con-
cealed all knowledge OF the language, and
THIS open use of il implied that she had
no further need OF concealment before him.
There was further deduction from that
from him.
rs 1t the same?" asked the princess. in
her even, expressionless tone.
II is the same" Delaval replied. re-
gardlng Fortescue with an ugly sneer.
Pray be seated" said the princess,
acknowledging her visitor for the first
time, and pointing to chair facing her
from the other end OF the table There
are one or two questions | would ask OF
you, and after that-yes after that | think
we shall have finished with him. eh. gentle
menu
In response the irish-American emitted
an unpleasant grating chuckle and the
eraybeard nodded his head thrice his
eaverrous eyes glowing fiercer than ever.
fortescue was proceeding TO seat himself
with as great assumption of careless
ease as he could muster when stealthy
iootfalls-not of one man. but of several
IN the passage caused him to move the chair
so that he could see the door as well as
MS lnt"rviewers. Every sense In his body
was ON the alert. and he did not mean
TO be taken in the rear.
Two things, Mr.. Fortescue have COM
Dlned 10 put new complexion on our re-
lations since this morning" began the prin-
CESS .,es IN inc hrst place. | have since met
my friend Colonel Delaval here, and he has
told me some interesting facts about my
KIND KIND Iellow-travelers from Paris. That
they or some of them deprived him of the
hospitality of Baron Won Lindberg al Bres-
lau, for instance"
All this candor had a nasty significance
enough:
The reason for that was sufficiently ex-
planned TO Colonel Delaval at the time. He
readily acquiesced in il. / do not imagine
mat ne was seriously Inconvenience in
having 10 leave that house just then"
The princess waved her hand impatiently.
That may be- she replied. II only cite il
as an instance Of want OF friendliness. /
presume that Coione. Delaval also has TO
thank your party for Interfering with GER
tam property left by him at the Baroness
Really, Princess Palitzin, / don't UNDER
| stand the tone or the drift OF your cross
examination, replied FOrtescue boldly. Il
| heard something about the removal of a
| portmanteau by a German gentleman-a
Herr Winckel. 1 think. was the name"
There was a putting together OF the
| three heads in whispered discussion. Herr
! Wlnckel' was evidently a puzzle.
can you inform me whether Restofski.
! the Russian police agent. took part in the
/ discovery" asked the princess. looking up.
Il have not the honor Of If. Restofski's
/ acquaintance replied Fortescue. glad thus
/ TO learn that Volborths incOgnito still
intact. And now. princess. he added with
a determination 10 test his own position. ''as
i do not seem able 10 give you much in
take my leave"
| Deaval laughed coarsely. and the tall
| old mans eyes blaZed like live Goals, the
visitor rose TO his feet.
| Not SO fast Mr.. Meddlesome English
man. if you pleasc-the house door is well
/ all disguise This is the chief matter
| on winch I desired your attendance. Re-
| store at once the cipher code which you
got from the English pence officer this
| morning also ~ uraft of the telegram
which ] s-oiisnly confded TO you. IL Is use
less TO deny that you had the code. / saw
| the man Melton hand II 10 you, and | saw
! YOU compare IL with the telegram"
| No one knew better than Fortescue that
he was i'm danger of his life. for after this
| they would not dare let him go. but ar
| that moment his uppermost feeling was one
| of irritation with himself al the false step
he had made in not allowing for a recogni-
| ton OF Melton by one or other OF the con-
| spirators. OR IL might be-he hoped IL was
so-that Melton had been recognized from
| DelaVals description, and that the nature
| of the document handed TO him had been
| an after-conclusion. Either way the situa-
ton was the same, and had TO be faced.
ITO BE Continued To-sporroy.l