Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-08
BY
C. N. and A. M. WILLIAMSON,
Authors OF
THE LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR.

e@N"'AS
with these Others"
Would you be so very kind. SIR" he
said to me. ito beckon a porter. as you
are near the door? I find after all that
shan't be able to carry everything myself.
did as he asked. and there was so much
confusion in the carriage when the porter
came that in self-defense the two friends
got out with their bags. l also descended
and would have followed in the wake OF
the crowd, IL the little man had not called
after me. He had lost his ticket, he said.
Would I be so extremely obliging as to
throw an eye about the platform tC see If
it had fallen there?
/ did oblige him In this manner. without
avail; but by this time he had found the
missing treasure in the folds of his travel
ing rug. and scrambling out of the car
riage. attended by the porter l had secured
for him. he would have walked by my side
toward the boat. had I not dropped behind
a few steps. thinking-as always-of the
contents of that inner breast pocket.
He and l were now at the tail-end of the
procession fastening 'boatward or almost
at the tall for there were but four or five
other passengers-a family party with
fat nurse and crying baby-behind us. AS
| approached the gangway 1 saw on deck
my late travelling companion, the Jewish
man and his friend, regarding us with in
terest Then. just as I was about to step
on board. almost on the little mans heels.
there came cry apparently from some one
ahead: Look out-gangway's falling!'
In IN instant all was confusion. The fat
nurse behind me screamed, the nervous
fellow IN front leaped like a cat intent on
saving himself matter what happened
to any one else. and flung me against the
woman with the baby. Two or three ex-
citable Frenchmen just ahead also at
tempted to turn. thus almost throwing the
little man onto his knees. The large bag
which he aFried hit me across the shlns;
IL his terror he almost embraced me as he
helped himself up; the nurse, she STUN
bled pitched forward on to my shoulder,
and if l had not seized the bowling baby
it would certainly have fallen under our
feet
MY bowler was knocked over my eyes,
and though an officer of the boat cried the
reassurng intelligence that it false
alarm-that the gangway was AL right.
and never had been anything but all right.
l could not readjust my hat nor see what
was going until the fat nurse had
obligingly retrieved her charge, without a
word of thanks.
My first thought was for the letter-case in
my pocket. for | had a horrible idea that
the scare might have been got up for the
express purpose of robbing me of It, But
could feel its outline plainly ever
under my coat, and decided. thankfully
that after all the alarm had had nothing
to do with me.
l had wired for a private cabin, thinking
it would be we'll to be out of the way of
my fellow passengers during the crossing.
but the weather had been rough for day
and everything was already engaged; there
fore / walked the deck most of the time
always conscious of the unusual thickness
of my breast pocket. The little man paced
up and down. too, though his yellow face
grew slowly green. and he would have been
much better off below, lying on his back
AS for the two others, they also remained
on deck, talking together as they leaned
against the rail; but though l passed them
now and again. | noticed that the little man
n ria hon Nv hQfa
he reached their pitch
At the Care du Nord I regretted that I
had not carried my own bag. because If l
had 1t would have been examined on the
boat and all bother would have been over
But rather than run any risks in the
crowd thronging the douane, / decided to
let the suitcase look after itself and send
down for it with the key from the hotel
later. Again the little man was close by
my side as | went In search Of cab. for
ali his things had been gone through by the
custom house officer in midchannel, SO that
he, too, was free to depart without delay
He even seemed TO cling to me, somewhat
wiStEully. and l half thought he meant to
speak. but he did not. ssave for a good
evening, sir, as / separated myself from
him at last He had stuck rather too close
elbow to elbow: but | had fear for the
letter-case as he was on the wrong side to
play any cOnjurer's tricks with that. The
last | saw of the fellow, he was engaging
a cab, and looking uneasily over his
shoulder at his TWO late travelling compan-
ions. who were getting into another vehicle
nearby.
| went straight to the EIysee Palace
Hotel, where l had never stopped before
long drive from the Care du Nord-and
claimed the rooms for which Mr. George
Sandford' had wired from London. The
suite engaged was a charming one, and the
private salon almost worthy to receive the
lovely lady | expected. Nor did she keep
me waiting. I had had time only to give
instructions about sending a man with a
key to the station for my luggage. to say
that a lady would call, to reach my rooms
and to draw the curtains over the windows
when knock came at the salon door. l
was in the act of turning on the electric
light when this happened, but to my sur
prise the room remained in darkness-or
rather. in pink dusk lent by the color Of
the Curtains.
THE lady has arrived. monsieur an
nounced the servant. "As monsieur eX-
pected her. she has come up without wait
ing; but i regret that something has gone
wrong with the electricity all over the
hotel. 1t was but just now discovered, at
time for turning on the lights, otherwise
lamps and plenty OF candles would have
been provided, though doubt the light
will fonctionne properly In few minutes
If monsieur permits l will instantly bring
him lamp"
NO. thank you." 7 said hurriedly for
did not wish to be interrupted In the midst
IF the light comes on. 1t will be all right;
il not. l will put back the curtains. and
II IS not yet quite dark. Show the lady In"
Into the pink twilight of the curtainel
room came Maxine de Renze, whose tail
and noble figure 1 recognized in its plain.
close fitting black dress, though her wide
brimmed hat was draped with a thickly
embroidered veil that completely hid her
face. while long. graceful lace folds fell
and obscured the bright auburn of
her hair.
"One moment" l said. Let me push the
curtains back. The electricity has failed"
No. no. she answered. Better leave
them as they are. The lights may come on
and we be seen from outside. Why as
she drew nearer to me and the servant
closed the door, II thought l recognized
that voice. 1t Is Ivor Dundas."
mo other" said /. Didn't the-weren t
you warned who would be the man to
Gomez
No" she replied. "Only the assumed
name of the messenger and place Of meet
Ing were wired. 1t was safer SO, even
though the telegram was in cipher which
l trust nobody knows-eXcept myself and
one other. But I'm glad-glad It's you. 1t
was clever of-him to have sent you. No
one would dream that-no one would think
II strange IL they knew {as l hope they
WON'T that you came to Paris to me.
Oh. the relief that you've got through
safely! Nothing has happened? You have
the paper?''
Nothing had happened. and have the
M NOV rQo cSt cd hnr Cd, ntytrn a