The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-20

cured"
 At that moment the door of the equare tower opened, and Walter, Old Bob's faithful servant. appeared. His face was pale, and he seemed very nervous.
 "Oh, Mime. Edith,' he cried out, "he is covered with blood. He doesn't want anything to be said about it, but he must be snved.''
 Edith had already rushed into the square tower. As to us, we dared not utter a word. Soon the young woman returned.
 "Oh.' she sobbed. "it is frightfulI Ills whole breast is torn openi'
 Rouletabille reached the castle about an hour after these events, He cut short my demands for an explanation and asked me immediately if I had made a good catch.
 ["Oh. yes: a very good catch! fished up Old Bob.''
 He started violently. I shrugged my shoulders. for I believed that he was counterfeiting surprise, and I went on:
 "Oh, you knew very we'll what kind of fish I should find when you sent your messager
 "You certainly must be unaware of the purport of your words, my dear Sainclair, or else you would have spared me the trouble of protesting against such an accusation"
 "What accusationT" I cried.
 "That of having left Old Bob in the grotto of Romeo and Juliet, knowing that he might be dying there."
 E IL is far from dying. He has a sprained foot and a broken collar bone, and his story of his misfortune is perfectly plain and straightforward He de- ciares that he was trying to steal Prince Galitch's skull"
 What funny idear' exclaimed Rouletabille
 Do you believe that story? And and that is all? No other injuriesT
 Yes" I replied There is another injury, but the doctors declare that it is not at all serious. He has a wound in the breast
 And how was this wound madeT
 We do not know. None of us has seen it. He would not even permit his coat to be taken off in our pres ence."
 As soon as we came to the chateau we encountered Mime. Edith, who ap- peared to have been watching for us.
 My uncle won't have me near him. she said. regarding 'RouletabiIle with an air of anxiety different from anything had ever noticed in her be- fore. Its incomprehensibler'
 'Ah, madame" he replied, 'I assure you that nothing in the world is in- comprehensible when one is willing to take a little trouble to understand it" And he offered 1ler his congratulations upon having had her uncle restored to her at the moment when she wasready to despair of ever seeing him again.
 Here we were joined by Prince Ga Hitch. He had come to ask for news of his old friend Bob. of whose mis- fortune he had learned. Mime. Edith treasured him as to her uncle's condi- ton and entreated the prince to par don her relative for his too excessive devotion to the oldest skulls in tine history of humanity The prince smiled graciously and with the utmost kindliness when he was told that Old Bob had been attempting to steal his skull.
 The prince asked for the details. He seemed very curious about the affair, and Mime. Edith told how her uncle had acknowledged to her that he had quilted the Fort of Hercules by way of the air shaft which communicated with the sea. As soon as she said this recalled the experience of Rou- letabille with the flash of water and also the close iron bars. and the false hoods which Old Bob had uttered as- sumed gigantic proportions in my mind, and was sure that the rest of the party must hold the same opinion as myself. Mime. Edith told us that Tullio had been waiting with his boat at the opening of the gallery abutting on the shaft to row the old savant to the bank in front of the grotto of Ro- meo and Juliet.
 "why so many twists and turnings when it was so simple to go out by the gateT' I could not restrain myself from exclaiming.
 Mime. Edith looked at me reproach- fully. and I regretted having even seemed to have taken part against her fin any way.
 And this is stranger yet" said the prince. Day before yesterday the 'hangman of the sea- came to bid me adieu, saying that he was going to leave the country, and I am sure that be took the train for Venice, his na- i've 'ity, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. How then could. he have conveyed rou, uncle in his boat late that night2 In the first place, he was not in this part of the world; in the second, he had sold his boat He told me so, add ing that he would never return to this country"
 There was a dead silence, and Prince Gslitch continued:
 "All this is of little importance, pro vided that your uncle. madame, recov- CTS speedily from his injuries and again. he added, with another smile more charming than those which had preceded it, If you will aid me in re-