The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-02-01

anco with Madame nem pAn 49, re-
cent one1"
.Why." Be- answered, boldly. you told
me 90 yourself. You look surprised.
Don't give me credit for being too great
4 seer. Rather impute to me an excel
lent memory"
ut il great gift said the vicou-
tesse, laughing. DO you know, an Idea
occurred to me a. you spoke just now,
and it was such funny one, that you
might be someone had known once, and
were masquerading in disguise"
What . funny idea, to be sure" re-
piled NJ. Lazare, also laughing. 1T
would not be bad one, would It? Ha,
madame, you should try your hand at
romance. Something from your pen,
am convinced, would make sensation"
They went sin together, laughing mer-
rily. The first person they encountered
was DAuburon.
"Ha, Monsieur D'Auburon," cried the
vicomtesse, here Is your friend saying
/ might write boow. Let me give him
some coffee, If we can find some"
Half an hour later DAuburon and his
friend NJ. Lazare took their leave. On
their way home to the Hotel de rAthene,
where D'Auburon, in order to keep up
appearances, had engaged apartments for
his friend NJ. Lazare, the latter re-
marked:
"Quite deal of progress for the first
evening. Several things are quite clear in
my mind"
what are they, pray?" inquired
D'Auburon.
Beyond doubt Madame Helene Col
bert Remplin is the Helene who married
Henry Graham. and who consequently is
the mother of Philip Graham, alias
Philip La Seur."
"How do you know that?"
"Well, we have followed the track
too closely to be mistaken, haven't we?
But, in addition, there are family traits
in which l cannot be deceived. The high
forehead, the peculiar expression of the
mouth, the general con6guration, all
point irresistibly to the same conclusion
And when we have found Philip Ora
hams mother, where shall we look for
Philip Graham himself? / tell you you
are wrong now in not doing as l said.
Your wisest course would have been to
have installed yourself in the household
of Madame Colbert-Remplin. You will
not learn of her sons whereabouts until
you do"
you seem persistent on that point"
replied Cassagne, somewhat testify. If
you are SO anxious that someone should
go and play footman to Madame Colbert
Remplin, go and do it yourself. tell
you | shall remain where am. prefer
to study the situation as the guest Of
Madame la Vicomtesse de Valiar.'
"And mark my words, nothing will
come of it," retorted D'Auburon. For
once you are on the wrong track"
The detective smiled broadly.
Don't get so excited, Charles" he
said. Before a week is over, you will
be kicking yourself to find how greatly
you have been mistaken"
CHAPTER XXI.
Two weeks passed, during which time
NJ. Cassagne, in the character Of the
its to the de Valiars. He was now but
rarely accompanied by D'Auburon, who
adhered so closely to his contention that
the detective was simply wasting his
time, that, as he put it, he considered it
altogether wrong to encourage him in his
obstinacy.
These detectives, after ALL" thought
D'Auburon, ''are only human. He is fas-
cinated by the vicomtesse. Every one
falls into that net. / suppose one can't
blame him-she 10 handsome"
h CooSo unn ho n orro k1v n, la rp~oot
strides in the good books of de Valiar.
He spent his mornings in the Office of the
Mutual Credit and Loan Company, where
he gave really valuable advice concern
ing the floating of the Consolidated Dock
enterprise.
He passed his afternoons seeing Paris,
with the vicomte and Chabot and his
evenings he divided between the vicom-
Jesse and the card table. In a house
where high play was the principal event
of the evening, it was impossible not to
come more or less within it's influence.
Certain it is that the vicomtesse had
taken a more than ordinary interest in
her foreign guest. Perhaps he was
good listener, which is the sincerest fat
terry to your brilliant conversationalist.
Anyhow she insisted upon accompanying
NJ. Lazare to the table upon the first
night, and by her presence prevented the
stakes running unduly high.
She need not have been so solicitous on
the Swiss gentleman's account. The
first night or two he lost quite a con-
siderable sum, to be sure; but they had
hardly been playing a week before de
Valiar and his friends discovered that NJ.
Lazare knew as much as they did.
De Valiar particularly was nettled to
see this quiet, transformations foreigner
come in and walk away with his money.
To tell the truth, pending the floating Of
the Consolidated Dock Company, that
article was rather scarce with him.
A boom In some Of his Argentine Re-
public securities on the Bourse had given
him, however, welcome lift. It was
quite sum. Three hundred and fifty
thousand francs had been placed to his
account with the Credit Foncier. That
very evening he drew half Of it in cash,
and came prepared to pit his fortune
against that Of NJ. Frederic Lazare.
But M. Lazare would not play. From
an early hour In the evening it was OBJ
served that he kept in the outer salon.