Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-16
Spencer. I'm over on very serious
matter, and l want your advice

as though by magic.
Now help yourself and go ahead.
old chap" his host declared. .I'm a
good listener"
He proved himself so, sitting with |
half closed eyes and an air of close at
tention until he had heard tie whole !
story. He did not once interrupt, but |
when Duncombe had finished he asked |
Il question.
What did you say was the name of |
this cafe where the boy disappeared?"
Cafe Montmartre"
Spencer sat up in his chair His ex-
preston had changed.
1.-THE devil!' lie murmured softly.
"You know the place"
every we'll 1t has an extraordinary
reputation. 1 am sorry to say it. Dun
combe. but it Is very bad place for
your young friend to have disappeared
FROM
.Why?"
''In the first place. it is the resort of
a good many of the most dangerous
people in Europe-people who play the
game through to the end 1t is n per-
feet hotbed of political intrigue. and it
is under police protection"
police protection! A place like
that"' Duncombe exclaimed.
mot as you ard | understand it per-
haps." Spencer explained. There Is
no Scotland Yard extending a protect
ing arm over the place and that sort
of thing. but the place Is haunted by
spies, and there are intrigues carried
on there in which the secret service
police often take hand. In return it
is generally hard to get at the bottom
of any disappearance or even robbery
there through the usual channels To
the casual visitor, and of course it at
tracts thousands from its reputation,
1t presents no more dangers perhaps
than the ordinary night cafe of its
sort. but could think Of dozen men
|, in Paris today who If they entered it
honestly Delieve would never be seen
again"
Spencer was exaggerating, Dun
combe murmured to himself. He w !
newspaper correspondent. and he
saw these things with the halo of
melodrama around them. And yet
four nights ago, His face was white
and haggard.
THE boy" he said. could have been
no more than an ordinary visitor. He
had no great sum of money with him:
| he had no secrets: he did not even
speak the language. Surely he would
have been too small fry for the in
| triguantes of such a place."
! "One would think So" Spencer an
swered musingly. You are sure that
he was only what you say"
He was barely twenty-one," Dun
combe answered, land he had never
been out of England before"
what about the girl:"
'She is two years older. 1t was her
4rst visit TO Paris"
| Spencer nodded.
1 The disappearance of the boy IL,
Of course. the riddle" he remarked IF
| you solve that, you arrive also Mt hit
sisters whereabouts. Upon my word
| 1t is a poser. If it had been the boy
alone-well, one could understand. The
most beautiful ladies in Paris are a
the Montmartre. No one is admitted
who is not what they considerable
The great dancers and actresses are
given handsome presents to show
themselves there. On representative
evening it is probably the most bril-
liant little roomful in Europe. Thi
boy. of course. might have lost his
head easily enough and then bee-
ashamed to face his sister But wheI
| x-r foil Of
you confound me utterly. Is she gooe
looking?"
Very
'She would so there, of course. ask
ing for. her brother" Spencer contin
ued thoughtfully. IAN utterly absur(
thing to do. but no doubt she did so
They would know who she was, ant
look here. Duncombe. l tell you wha
I'll do. have my own two news grab
bers at hand and nothing particular
for them to do this evening. III sent
them up to the Cafe Montmartre"
H. ats awfully good Of you. Spencer.
was going myself" Duncombe said /,
little 'doubtfully.
"You idiot!' his friend said cheerful
ly, yet with certain emphasis. ENG
lish from your hair to your boots. you't
go in there and attempt to pump peopl
who have been playing the game al
their lives and who will give you ex
actly what information suited thei
books. They'd know what you wer
there for the moment you opened you
mouth. Honestly. what manner o
good do you think that you could do
You'd learn what they chose to tel
you. If there's really anything seriou
behind all this, do you suppose it woul
be the TRUTH
you're quite right. suppose" Dun
combe admitted, but it seems beas,
~ to be doing nothing"
Better be doing nothing than doin
HARM" Spencer declared. Look roun
!, The other cafes and the boulevards an
: come here at II tomorrow morning
Well breakfast together at Paillard's
CTo be Continued.)