The Jasper weekly courier., 1907-08-09
FIXING OF The COST

" AlAh fNh ~ Nt"fN'-
'arfain Forbes no doubt
who has a greater right 10 "' :,
eturned Locke coolly ;
But he had not returned " 10 =
Forbes; was sure OF that Locke ,
was a new spaper man trained In the ,
school Of modern journalism. lie had
determined on a grand coup for MS
paper. II the sealed dispatch prom
ised 10 be OF assistance to MIN he
wSild break the seal
That would not suit me az AL. Ny
task was TO hush up the scandal OF
Sir Mortimer Brett and his mistress
Locke was determined 20 give IL the
fullest publicity Our ends were ul,eI
" AT variance. Every sentence OF MS
recital made me see that more clearly
saw too. that the object oi MS
story was 20 overwhelm me win inc
certainty that must make run con-
fession TO him or suffer those cohse
ouences My one hope was 10 avert
those con sequences until my inter-
view with Madame de warmer
hoped everything from that
For the present | need fear notnlng
,ro,, Forbes. Helena had given me
her word that she would trust me uh1ii
midnight. But the silence OF Helena
ord Forbes was useless unless Locke
also was silent. awaited the rest OF
HE narrative with anxious concern.
..The next morning I besur mysei
carly YOU may be sure OF thal zap
tain Forbes rest had been equally
nar,urhed Together we discover lhe
startling fact that. early as we hau
aroused ourselves, our pauent Win
his nurse and physician had peeh eve u
moro energetic. But my discovery Is
of a nature more dramatic than that o'
the kings messenger. lie lrnaglhes
,ba, II Is Sir Mortimer who mas heu
am forced to the reluctant conciu
sion that IL is Mr.. Ernest iauuoh
American tourist. masqueraoihg a
| the diplonatist. Sir Mortimer bre''
| Is /, necessary that enter into eN
i nlanations for this discovery. or shai
| I'VE take the fact Tor granted
| Take IL for granted by all means
4 since YOU have already taken 80 niu~
for granted. ,oo
i captain Forbes and myseH 10.
q forces I needed but one argument
nersuade him 10 do that Nhe
l whore Madame de varnier and her it
Il 10, consnirators were bound; CAPITA
Forbes did moi"
i And Mrs. and Miss Brett-did y
reveal vour suspicious TO them!
go far" Locke looked at me 3
,,ecantlv 81 have revealed them TO
one We arrive at Alterhonen, 'ne
the four of us Captain Forbes inS,s
an stormfng the chateau. Win WI
. s,,,I, vo,, know better than /. AS
myself | prefer to keep my couns
and. first Of all. to give my me
uaddon a friendly hint briDe one
,ha servants at the castle to convey
rote to him requesting the honor
an interview at ten this mornihs'
friend Haddon denies me the nonoi
ON interview. Then II the moun''
n;1l no, come 10 Mohammed. Mona
med must go TO the mountain
u am directed to the castle oy
..,rwov that leads 10 the Vllls
s,raet I have not descended uo'
s,a,s of the gloomy stairway whe
'~ sor,.. one coming up them In
r,ous haste Naturally. J pause
ouite as naturally | take the prec
,s. ton Of placing my hand on the re
~ - ,n my hin pocket. which ca
.,,h mo remem bering the tate OF
~ acquaintance. Captain Forbes.
..To nv surprise the person IN
,.,aordinar haste cOnceals MN
- ,ho littIe glass-covered room az
,,har angle OF the stairs uesSenu u,
s,ons cautiously and curiously- II
ore other surprises in store TOT
~, ~ all see a second figure 81
- eat against the wall. AS my
,a.ome accustomed a. to the dark
7 am startled to discover mat 'he
49,. concealed in the lodge has rev
IVY !. n,s hand. For the moment
,oa, he is lying in walt for mysei..
almost inn mediately hear steps
an" below There is a click as the u,
ies a. cooked. | am ayerse 10 ploou
N oo ,yar the killing Of a would-De
lhesse aarer I fire. not at him. but 10
y .nu II ter the pane Of glass and diver
90, or aim. r,
cal o' Now for my last surprise. II
sassin. rather tardy must say
?. lie heen rappled with BY the man
nnders had concealed himself agalns
res an w,lI and was apparently awaiuI
Mt OBJ velopments. But the would-oe
st him Gin has succeeded in freeing n
makes from this very fainthearted ass
made nursue the assassin; he e'uoe
ture. return ruefuly TO the nc
up his and-my friend Haddon receiVi'
Of his warm thanks of the heroine tor
ha'uie her life. ,.,o
we'll. he a great deal Of this is ancie
blind ,orv" said. my voice tremblin
a inter sbame and rage, such OF II as
lis way action. You return then, to U
cquired the would be hero. And now W
stances And now said Locke In
an ugly voice. his face thrust close to
believe u want to know this; why We
y to be hiding in that stairway Why
stand there passively while u
that he was committing the act OF mui
in offer fore your eyes? Why did you