The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-06-25
CHAPTER XVIII


The Scarlet Auto Leaves the
Gateway of the Elysee.
The Duchesse des Reeves mind
was still preoccupied with the
events of the evening as she
stepped lightly into the scarlet
auto and sat down, somewhat
YEARLY. beside Fanchette who
had faced about and was FUN
bling with q drawn blind. And
neither had anything to say un-
It'll, as the car moved forward
the duchesse suddenly felt q wise
like arm thrown about her, 9
cloth was clapped to her lips sc
that she could not utter a sound
When she opened her eyes
again Fanchette was bending
over her, with white, horrifed
face.
What has happened, Fan,
lchette?" she asked brokenly
conscious of an overpowerins
llanguor, q sick sensation of help
Ilessness. She was lying on {
low couch. in a room she could
mot recognize, and when she tried
to raise herself that she NIGH
look about her she had not the
strength. At the sound of hel
voice Fanchette's eyes filled will
tears of thankfulness.
"Oh, ma'mselle!" cried tn,
woman, her mind divided be
TWEEN relief and despair, still
using the old, familiar form O.
address, although her young mis-
tress now wore a wedding rims
openly.
"oh, ma'mselle! 1t is that W,
have been kidnapped. First. !
then you. l do not know fol
what purpose, nor where we are
They brought me here instead o
to the Elysee, in M. lie Dues owl
auto. They drugged me also. bu
l had partly recovered befor,
they carried you in, and-I wa
afraid you would not. Oh, nam
selle! what shall wei
Help me to sit up" tn
duchess requested, the cloud
clearng from her brain under tn
shock of such strange intelli
|gence.
The chamber which, IL wha
Fanchette said were correct, wa
their prison, was an old-fashion
ed studio with faded furnishings
1t looked very gloomy then, wit
only the light of single lam
Iset on a rosewood table besid
her, but lofty skylight Shove
that 1t would not be dark in tn
daytime. The walls were bare
broken by but one door withou
bolt or handle, and that wa
closed. She could hear a cloc
Ticking.
"One of them wore your cloa
in the car" said the duchess a
recollection came slowly back I
her. "He seized me, and
could not cry out"
She took turn or two roun
the room, leaning heavily on FaI
chette's arm, scanning every col
liner. Soft footsteps sounded will
out: someone knocked at tn
ldoor. They shrank back benin
1.-THE table, but the duchess curbe
her alarm sufficiently to answer
I"Entrez." 1t would be we'll t
llearn the worst at once. She onl
that she had so latel
abandoned her habit of carryin
farms. But she had thought the
lher troubles were all at an en-
when she had accepted her. hu.
bands protection and the street
'lof Paris were not like the lionel
Iroads on Long island.
i The door opened slowly, an
lDirck Arendsen appeared on tn
Threshold. He looked relieved q
lsight of the two women standin
There, and spoke with smoot
lgeniality.
I'm glad to see you looking s
we'll, Miss Lorraine" he SAT-
4 ignoring all that had gone b,
fore, and meeting her stormil
anxious eyes with a bluff affects
ltion of openness. i've bee
looking forward to introducir
5our cousin to you-here he Il
Stephen, this is Miss Dagms
lorraine, of whom you hav
spoken to me. It's great priv
lege to be the mean sof brini
ng you two together"
He motioned his confederat
onward, and Seager entere
auntily, striding up to her wit
utstretched hand, his coarse
andsome features lit up by whit
e meant to be a frank smile.
This is a pleasure I've Ion
ooked forward to-" he said wit
n lorid effusion. at would ha'
,aved us a whole peck of troub'
il I'd only known, the last tin
I, met you, that you were Mil
Quaintance's daughter"
| He stopped, confronting he
where she stood beside Fanchett
] both hands behind her, her hea
back, looking him over with