The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-18

est so.---. .-.--.-s! i must have been mistaken. But nevertheless did not even strike a match. and as silent ly as I could I ascended the staircase which led to my chamber. When I reached 1t locked myself in and only then began to breathe freely.
 The effect on my mind was so strong that at last I said to myself: q shall . never know peace again until I am certain that Darzac is not Larsan. And shall take means to make my self certain one way or the other on the first occasion-'
 Yes. but how? Pull his beard of?
 Suddenly I threw off the bedclothes, jumped up and cried almost aloud, "Australia-'
 An episode had returned to my mind of which I have spoken at the begin ming of this story. The reader may remember that at the time of the acci- dent in the laboratory I had accompa- nied NJ. Robert Darzac to a druggist While his injuries were being attended to he had been obliged to remove his study coat, and the sleeve of his shirt had fallen back, leaving his arm bare through the entire session with the druggist and placing in full view just above the right elbow a large birth mark, the shape of which resembled that of Australia as it appears on the maps in the geographies. Mentally while the chemist was at work had alIused myself by trying to locate upon the arm in the positions which they occupied on an actual map the cities of Melbourne. Sydney, Adelaide, etc, and directly beneath this large mark there was another smaller one which was situated like the country known as Tasmania.
 And in this sleepless night it was the thought of Australia that came to me. I had scarcely had time to congratu- late myself upon having found means to prove decisively the identity of Darzac and to try to devise some way of bringing it to an immediate test when a singular sound made me prick up my ears.
 Breathless, hurried to my door, and, with my ear at the keyhole, I listened Some one was now ascending the stair case, and some one who desired his presence to be unknown.
 All at once, as I was leaning on the broken baiustrade, I saw the shadow again It was lighted up by the moon beams as though 1t were a 1ambeau. And I recognized Robert Darzac.
 He raised his head and looked in my direction as though he felt the weight of my eyes upon him. Instinctively I drew back. And then I returned to my post of observation just in time to see him disappear into a corridor -txf zr. .l up to the battlements. What could this mean? Was Darzac spending the night In the new castle? Why did he take such precautions not to be seen? A thousand suspicious crossed my mind, and I felt that I must set my spirit at rest immediately. 1 must fol low Robert Darzac and discover Aus ralia.''
 I reached this door, and, finding it ucked, gave three little taps, certain hat he was inside. And I waited. ly heart was beating wildly. All these 0oms were uninhabited, abandoned What should NJ. Darzac be doing in ne of these haunted chambers,
 ''Is 1t you, Sainclair? What is it, ny friend?"
 "I wanted to know what you could be doing here at such an hour?" I re piled, and it seemed to me that my voice was that of another man, so great was my terror.
 You see I am preparing for bed"
 And he lit a candle, which was placed on a chair, for there was no night stand in this dilapidated apartment. A bed in one corner-an iron bed, which must have been brought there during the day-and a single chair comprised all the furnishings.
 ''I thought that you were going to sleep near Mme. Darzac and the pro lessor on t'.~ s-~t @~or of Ia Louye?r
 To be Continued.)