Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-21

away. Had he indeed seen through
my artiAce? In attempting to blind
him had I merely uncovered my own
plan, Grand my cheeks burned at the
thought - was he SO we'll intrenched
that he had no fear OF me? Were his
plans so we'll laid that 1t mattered not
to him whittier went or what 1 didY
passed a moment Of heartrending
uncertainty. I saw quite clearly what
q little, little chance of success we had.
But shook the feeling OF, sought the
lower deck and inquired again for
dartigny. At last the ships doctor
told me that he had seen the sick man
safely to carriage and had heard him
order the driver to proceed to the Hotel
Continental.
And frankly, Mr.. Lester" added the
doctor, II am glad to be so we'll rid Of
him. 1t Is most fortunate that he did
not die on the voyage
l turned away with lighter heart.
From a dying man there could not be
much to fear. SO ! hunted up Mr..
Royce and found him. finally, endeav.
pring to extract some information from
q supercilious official.
1t was, 1t seemed, a somewhat com.
plicated proceeding to get to Etretat
In half an hour train would leave
for Bonneville. where we must transfer
20 another line to Les Ifs. There u
second transfer would be necessary be-
fore we could reach our destination.
How long would 1t take! Our in
formant shrugged his shoulders with
fine nonchnlance. 1t was impossible to
say. There had been heavy storm
two days before, which had blown
down wires and damaged the little
spur Of track between Les IFS and the
sea.
Amid this tumble Of uncertainties
one definite fact remained-a train was
to leave in half an hour, which we
must take. So we hurried back 10 the
boat, and finally were shut into u
compartment two minutes before the
hour
Then. in that first moment Of mac
fivity, the fear of Martigny came back
tel: Had he deemed us not worth
watching. or had he watched? Was
he on the train with us? Was he able
TO follow?
looked out cautiously from the win.
dow, up and down the platform. but
saw no sign Of him, and in moment
more we ratified slowly away over the
switches.
An hours run brought us to Beuze-
willie. where we were dumped out to-.
gether with our luggage, in a little
frame station. An official informed us
that we must wait there three hours
for the train for Les Ifs. Beyond that
he could not say.
How far is Les Ifs from here?" in
puired my companion.
about twelve kilometers, monsieur"
"And from there to Etretat:"
us twenty kilometers more
''Thirty-two kilometers altogether"
said Mr.. Royce. That's about twenty
miles. Why can't we drive. Lester?'
Certainly 1t seemed better than wait
Ing on the uncertain railway. and we
set at once about the work of finding
a vehicle. could be of little use, since
H1uSlISu wac I'LL uukuOWu tOuSuc dt
Bonneville. and even Mr.. Royce's
French was sorely taxed but we sue
ceeded at last in securing horse and
light trap. together with driver who
claimed to know the road.
The road was smooth and level. and in
an hour and half from Bonneville we
reached Les Ifs. and here we stopped
for light supper. We had cause TO
congratulate ourselves that we had SC.
cured a vehicle at Bonneville, for we
learned that no train would start for
Etretat until morning. The damage
wrought by the storm of two days be-
fore had not vet been repaired
Luckily for us. the moon soon arose
SO that we got forward without much
difficulty, though slowly, and an hour
before midnight we pulled up trium.
phantly before the Hotel Banquet, the
principal inn of Etretat.
fro BE CONTINUED