The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-07-01

ss"'"s- islilIlI lIuIIl.uilD
Seager and Arendsen of the con-
cealed weapons they carried.
Now stay where you are. You
OF you who makes the slightest
movement otherwise will make no
more. Understand
Seager nodded. He was breath
ing stertorously, through set
teeth, eyes dilated, unable to COM
prehend what had happened. Ar
endsen nodded also, against his
will. in answer to significant
crooking of his questioner's trig-
ger-finger.
Keep an eye on them for a
moment, O'Ferral, and you, too, ].
j." said the same speaker, and
turned to where the duchesse and
Fanchette were still standing in
almost equal amazement.
Your pardon" he said, bowling
courteously, and both recognized
him at the same instant. He was
the same man whom the duchesse
had met first at Martins, then on
u
lastly, at the Elysee, the same to
whom Fanchette had sold her
mistress runabout, whose car she
had Communicated. Your par
don," said he, but we've over
heard all that's passed. We were
waiting outside-at your service.
You have nothing more to fear
from these fellows, and"-
He sprang forward, caught at
the duchesse or she would have
fallen. Her overtaxed strength
had failed her, and she lay help
less in his arms for a blissful mo-
ment ere he carried her to the
sofa.
Fanchette, scarcely less over
come, flew to her, and for a brief
space they mingled their tears,
sobbing without restraint since
the most hurtful strain of the ter-
ror they had undergone was thus
lately relieved. And the chief of
their rescuers stood staring wick
eddy at their aggressors until the
sobs ceased, the duchesse looked
up woefully, and met his eyes
again, so that their anger died
and there was only left in them
a look of longing, at which she
flushed, so family that he did not
notice it.
| TELL me what has happeneds
! please, Mr.. Newman" she begged
piteously, ignoring all else in her
stress of mind. 81 have been held
prisoner here for "a hours, and
III don't understand.
II must tell you, to start With"
said Quaintance quickly, land I
must ask you to believe all l SOY
without question meantime, that
my name isn't Newman. I'm Stb-
phen Quaintance, Miles Quaint
ance's nephew" Il
you're a damned liar" cridd
Seager from the background, fu1iI
ously, on the impulse of the NIB
ment. I'm Stephen Quaintance,
not you. And l can prove what i
say. Don't believe him, Dagmar.
He must be mad!"
Quaintance wheeled toward him
with look which BODIED him i'll.
You ring off," he ordered i'm
peratively. Break his head with
the butt of your gun, O'Ferral, If
he opens his mouth again till he's
told to-"
O'Ferral made as IL to obey
him, and Seager subsidized, glar-
ing, his mind in ferment.
Il changed my name because Of
my uncle's will, and SO that you
shouldn't have to marry me. You
ARE Dagmar Lorraine. aren't
your"
She nodded.
"And Duchesse des Reeves" she
said drearily, oppressed anew by
the knowledge that neither man
nor woman may safely interfere
with the dictates of fate. II mar
Iried the Due des Reeves as soon as
heard of Mr.. Quaintance's death,
to escape"-
ITO escape me-" Quaintance
supplemented, as she paused, at a
loss to explain herself without
hurting his feelings. He lowered
his voice.
II made the mistake of my life
when I discarded my own identity,
Dagmar. But l did 1t for your
sake. that you might have my
uncle's money and your own free
DOM"
Her eyes fell again before his
and the story they told her. Her
face was suffused now. But she
would be honest with him at all
costs. 81, too, made great mis-
take" she said, very gravely in
a low whisper, and Fanchette, an
arm about her, fondled her trem-
bling hand.
1--WE have both paid very dearly
for our independence" commented
Quaiptance in a grieyous voice,
''but-you are safe now at any
rate"
They tell me my husband is
dead" she said, starting up, sud-
denly recalled to the actualities of
her position. "They say he's dead
here, downstairs.
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