The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-06

Maxine is n gloriously handsome wo-
man, and never had she been most
striking, more wonderful, than at that
moment, wher her dark eyes laughed
| ont OF her white face, and her red
| lips smiled as If neither they, nor the
great eyes. had any secret to hide.
Look at me-" she said, throwing
back her arms in such way as 10
| bring forward her slender body, in the
| tight black sheath of the dress which,
was of the fashion which. / think, wo-
| men call Princess" 1t fitted her AZ
smoothly as the gloves that covered
| her arms to the elbows.
do you think there is much chance
for concealment In this drcss?" she
asked. II haven't pocket, you see.
No self-respecting woman could have,
| in gown like this don't know in
| the least what sort of gift my old
| friend Is supposed to have brought me.
| Is 1t large or small? I'll take off my
! gloves and let you see my rings, if
| you like, Monsieur lie Commisaire. for
I've been taught. as servant of tho
| public, to be civil to my fellow-ser-
| wants even II they should be unreal
sonable. No? You don't want to see
my rings? Let me obigc you by taxing
OFF my hat. then. / might have put
the thing-.whatever 1t is--in my hair"
As she spoke she drew out her hat
pins, still laughing in a half scornful.
half good-natured way. She was be-
witching as she stood smiling. with her
black hat and veil in her hand. tho
ruifjed weaves of her dark red hair
| shadowing her forehead.
Meanwhile, fired by her example I
turned out the contents of my pockets:
letter or two; n flat gold cigarette
case, n MATCHBOX. my watch. aud
a handkerchief; also in An outer pocket
of my coat. small bit of crnmpIcd
paper of which I had no recollection;
but as ono OF the gendarmes picked 1t
up from the floor, where 1t had fallen,
and handed 1t TO me without examin-
ing, mechanically slipped II back into
the pocket. and thought no more of It
at the time. There were too many
other things to think of. and I was
wondering what on earth Maxine could
have done with the letter-case. She
had had no more than two seconds in
which to dispose of It, hardly enough.
IT seemed to me. to pass 1t from one
hand TO another. yet apparently II was
well hidden.
Now. are You satisfied" she asked.
Now that we have both shown you
we have nothing to conceal: or would
you like to take me to the police sta
ton, and have some dreadful female
search me more thoroughly stilll I'll
Z =
be !ndiscrcet enough to ask questions
since you seem inclined TO do what
we've no need - do-keep your own
secrets. All l stipulate Is. that II you
wish to take such measures you'll take
them at once. for as you may possibly
be aware, this is the first night of my
new play, and 1 should be sorry 10 bs
late"
The Commissary of Police looked
fxediy at Maxine for moment, as IL
he would read her soul. mo- Made
moiselle.' he said, Il am convinced
that neither you nor Monsieur are con-
cealing anything about your persons.
will not trouble you further until
we have searched the room.
Maxine could not blanch, for already
she was as white as she will be when
she lies in her coffin. But though her
expression did not change. ! saw that
| tho pupils of her eyes dilated. Actress
that she Is, she could control her mus
l.cles: but she could not control the
beating of the blood in her brain.
felt that she was conscious of this be-
travail under the gaze of the police
man, and she laughed to district his
attention. My heart ached for her.
thought of meadow-lark manoenvrins
ito hide the place where her nest lies.
Poor. beautiful Maxine! In spite Of
her pride, her high courage, the veneer
of hardness which her experience OF
the world had given. she was infinitely
pathetic in my eyes; and though L
had never loved her, though I did lo.e
another woman, I, would have given
my gladly at this minute II I could
have saved her from the catastrophe
she dreaded.
CHAPTER v.
Ivor Does What He Can for Maxine.
"How long time do you think I
had been in this room, Monsieur" she
asked, before you-rather rudely.
must say-broke in upon my CONVEX
sation with my friend?"
You had been here exactly three
minutes" replied the commissary OF
Police"
"As much as that? I should have
thought less. We had to greet each
other, after having been parted for
many months; and still, in the three
minutes, you believe that we had time
to concoct plot of some sort, and to
find some safe corner-all the willis
in semi-darkness-for the hiding of,
thing important to the police-a
bomb, perhapsi
tta To he Continued To-Morrow