The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-10

good, and for the good of Laura. And it might even amuse me. awho knows?'
 Leonore herself certainly did not know. But the Fates. spinning thetr webs in silence. knew well enough. an.i they smiled.
 CHAPTER XIV. The Great Game. Two months passed by, and Leonoress engagement at the Colonnade Theatre was drawing to a close. An eminent dramatist had completed his Engiish version of the play, and LA Petite Jackson had accepted an offer 70 play the same part in London.
 During these two months John Shil had obtained no news of Laura or Wil- liam Tankerlane. Monsieur Flamieu had easily carried out the task en- trusted to him. But subsequent inqui- ries made at the Hotel Impcrial pro. duced no definite information.
 With the aid of a weli-fiiled purse. John Shil learnt that Madame Tank erlane had left the hotel first, and ed about three hours afterwards with the baggage. Neither, so he gathered from his informant appeared to have been in the best of tenpers. No one knew where they had gone, and, ess- ing to the time which had elapsed be- tween their departure and the com mencement of the search. all clues he'd vanished. 43E John shil. however. still clung tozthe idea that Leonore Jackson knew wa1sere the TankerIanes had taken up -heir residence, and he was frequent vis- itor at her house. His attitude toe wards her was that of an admirer. end Paris had already begun to talk Of the young Englishman's infatuation for the talented actress. He was playing desperate game, and was not over particular fin hts methods. A little ad- miration, a little ove-malxing. ] we'll simulated tenderness in the voice. Nan ardent light in the eyes. what were all these but means that were justi- fled by the end in view. He was dee termined to get Laura's address. and he realised that he had first to win Leonore's confidence. S
 I4eonore. on the other hand, had her own game to play and as it so lap pened. her plans exactly dovetaiied with those of the man she wished to bring to her feet She had rexolved to make John Shil fall in love with her and he appeared to be doing SO at an almost alarming rate. The very clumsiness of his acting deceived her. A consummate actress herself. she looked upon his awkward advances as bearing the hall mark of sincerity The situation contained all the elements uf delightful comeoy. Here were two young people, both for reasons of their own, pretending to be in love with each other, and each under the impression that the other was falling a victim to the wiles and arts of love. Great ip-. sues were at stake. but they remained hidden in the background. The scene Itself was pure comedy.
 And comedy 1t remained until one evening a few days before Leo nore's departure from Paris. Then the grinning mask was torn away, and the stern features of a grim tragedy were exposed to view. ls1
 Leonore had finished her dinner. and was enjoying cup of coffee and a cigarette in the drawing room. In her hand she held the English version of the play which had made her fa- nous. and was smiling at the dexter ity with which the adapter had altered certain scenes to suit the more sober sense of an English audien-e. Then suddenly. like a whirlwind, her maid burst into the room with a newspaper in her hand.
 ''Maria!" said Leonore sharply.
 The girl stopped. white-faced and trembling. Then she dropped the "a. per. and. burying her face in her hands. sobbed bitterly.
 What is it?" exclaimed Leonore. rising to her feet. "What has hap pened?'
 'oh. madame, oh, madame," the girl moaned. "the paper--it is thero.'
 Leonore picked the paper off fbe floor, and glanced through the eol- umns. The girl shrank towards the door as though anxious to escape
 What's all this nonsense" exciaini- ed the actress. Where is 1t? I san't see anything there-take it, ana she thrust the pink sheet into the girls hand.
 "oh. madame, oh. madame" vhirn- pered Marie. fumbling with the sheet Of paper. Tt is here, sea!"
 Leonore looked at the place iHdi- cated by her maid, and her facs grew white as she read the headline: SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO AN ENGLISH
 MILLIONAIRE.
 For few moments the black lines of the newspaper danced and shivered in white mist that had fioated across Leonore's eyes. Then. with an effort, she recovered herself and commenced to read the short paragraph which followed the startling headlines.
 "A serious accident occurred this af- ternoon to MT. John Shil, a weIl-known English millionaire, as he was cross ing the Avenue de Ia Grande Armee. A motor bicycle, driven, we are as- sured. at twenty Kilometres an hcur, collided with the unfortunate gentle man and hurled him against a tree. The victim of this criminal act of care. lessness is suffering from concussion Of the brain. and lies in a most seri- ous condition The rider of the ma chine escaped with A few bruises, and has been placed under arrest. We should not have been sorry if he had broken his neck Our streets are ds perilous as the track of railway. and 1t Is high time that something was done to ensure the safety of psdss- trians, who, at any rate. have right to exist"
 I,eonore stared at the few lines of letterpress as though she did not un- derstand their meaning. Her face was very white and the newspaper trembled in her hands.
 Then there was a knock at the door, and a spruce little man in the uniform of the gendarmerie was shown into the room, He paused. cap in hand and bowed.
 You will pardon my intrusion. mad anne" he said quickly. but Monsieur John Shii-he ia a friend of madame, l