Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-01-09
"Ars You familiar with the hand

sheen of a japanned box.
Ne" | said. pretending that | had
not seen the box. II the proofs OF
Sir Mortimer's dishonor were In that
dispatch box 1t would not be many
minutes before I had destroyed them.
"lf that Is the case, a copy is as
useful as an original" she said coolly,
and, placing the box on the tah'a, she
unlocked 1t with a little key that hung
at her chatelaine. She took out Of the
dispatch box two envelopes. Their
shape and bulk suggested wildly the
packets that she and DIR. Starva had
been examining In the hotel at Vitznau.
"Evldeltly you think me a very
trusting person." ! sneered. "No,
madame, I am not quite 90 cailow as
that. A copy may be forged. Per.
haps you are as clever with The pen
as DR.. Starva. Show me the originals
or nothing"
"You wrong me-" she protested
mockingly. And you wrong yourself.
| am not so stupid as TO expect you TO
take these typewriter copies for
granted. Nor am | so stupid as To
trust the originals in your hands. You
might destroy them, for instance
Again II looks like a deadlock. The
burden Of proof lies with yourself. As
you say, | am not familiar with the
handwriting Of Sir Mortimer. Who ia
TO vouch for its g~enuineness?"
"One whose word you will scarcely
doubt-the sister of Sir Mortimer"
I raised my clenched hand. Her
cruel smile made me for the moment
I think | could have killed her then.
Then, that was YOU message. You
have sen for herr"
She will he waiting in the music
10 below. II Is for you 10 say II
she Is to he spared the ordeal. You
will cause her the suffering, not l."
lowered my hands slowly, 81 have
laughed at the old doctrine of the per.
sonality Of the devil. | believe II now.
Show me the papers"
Let us understand each other first.
In this envelope are copies of certain
dispatches and notes made by Sir Nor.
timer. The originals are in a safe
that Is in the third room yonder. You
will examine these copies. It will be
for you to determine whether Miss
Brett is to be the final arbiter of Sir
Mortimer's guilt or innocence"
And If | refuse to call on Miss
Brett?"
Sooner or later she shall see these
papers,
What advantage will that be to you
when | have failed to be a partner to
your nefarious i%ntrigues.
81 shall be revenged on you, mon.
sieur." Her eyes elittered. And my
revenge will be profitable. The Rus.
sian or Austrian governments would
pay a long price for the papers in the
safe, NJ. Coward"
y will give you your W price for
them | said hoarsely.
And be robbed Of my revenge?
They are beyond price. Come, you
weary me with questions. Are you
ready for the proofs?"
One moment. These dispatches
were stolen from Sir Mortimer's apart
ments that night at VitZnau. You
gained access to that apartment by
passing me of as Sir Mortimer. Where
did you find them? How did you know
they were there?"
Sir Mortimer had hidden them be
tween the folds of a Venetian blind
That they were concealed in his rooms
at Vitznau was told DIR. Starva by Sill
Mortimer himself. When he had left
Sofia for Lucerne he was very i'll. He
al accompanied only by his physlc
ian, his nurse, and his valet. | need
hardly say that DR.. Starva was the
physician; myself, the nurse; and AL
phonse, the valet. But Lucerne SAVIOR
ed too much Of publicity for our plans
Even Vitznau was not desirable, espe
cially in view of the alarming state
Of Sir Mortimer's health. This cha
teau was our rendezvous. But on the
way here Sir Mortimer suffered a col
lapse.
Or. Starva remained with his pa
llelli 1 ItlulHtu W IauteIht W tnlb "
of suspicion as to our movements. II
an obscure village in the mountains
Sir Mortimer died. Or, rather, 1t wa:
not Sir Mortimer Brett, Minister o.
! His Britannia Majesty at Sofa, but {
Mr.. Stanley Walters. an obscure Eng
lish tourist.
Il regret TO say that before he dieC
Sir Mortimer felt some misgivings foI
his conduct. He realized that the enc
was near, and tina: sooner or late
the proofs of his dishonor would b,
discovered. In his delirium he raI et
continually OF certain incriminatins
documents hidden in his room at Vitz
nau. His unexpected death filled DR.
Starva with CONSERVATION. He JOINED
me in Lucerne, thinking that GU
schemes had utterly failed"
In the meanwhile you had met on,
who might yet rescue your plans from
failure. The rest | can guess, Secret
ly you had the body of Sir Mortime
conveyed to this chateau. Provided
your tool could be coaxed or brow
beaten into submission Enough o
this horrible story. Show me the pa
pers."
Co BE CoNTINUED.)
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