The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-01-03

he may deny his very Identity"
Which is his room?"
Captain Forbes, / forbid It, 1t is
impossible warn you"
Madame de Varnier opened the door
Of the bedroom quietly.
'Jl the gentleman insists on awak.
ing Sir Mortimer we are powerless, q,
she said gently. But at least let him
not be excited more than necessary,
sir"
Il shall endeavor to follow your IN.
struct!ons. madam" said Forbes stiGly,
He strobe to my bedside. ] could
imagine with what brcathless anxiety
the cdyent1rers watched him. Was
he sufficiently intimate with Sir Nor
as an impostor?
Your EXcellency!" he said gently.
Your EXcellency,'
The immediate danger Of discovery
was past AZ least he had not de-
tected the deception so far. He called
me again; he shook my shoulder re-
spectfully. l opened my eyes
What is it?' demanded. bewildered
am horrlfled to-day when 7 think OF
the facility that was mine in playing
this game of intrigue, / looked Ian.
Guidly from Captain Forbes to Madame
de Varnler, who had resumed her scat
at the bedside. The question was ad-
dressed to her.
She took my hand. This is Captain
Forbes. a, kings messenger He has
brought you dispatches of impor-
tance"
All yes / said wearily, and looked
at him with dull eyes.
II am sorry to arouse you. sir"
Contempt for the man struggled with
respect for his Office. But my orders
at the Foreign Office were to give you
these papers at the earliest possible
moment. The business is urgent May
| suggest that you read them at once?"
Ny eyes unconSoiously turned to
Madame de Varnier for guidance. She
stroked my hand gently
do you not sec that he is in no
condition to be disturbed to-night7 ?"
she asked Indignantly.
For the first time Captain Forbes
hesitated He placed one sunburned
hand on his breast as If TO guard jeal-
ously the dispatches he bore. That he
should hesitate at all seemed to me
incredible. But Captain Forbes
seemed fair example of that type OF
Englishman who performs his duty
with the stubbornness and obstinacy
OF fool as well as hero. Chance
often determines which Of the two
characters he shall assume 1t is true
he had not the remotest suspicion that
| was not Sir Mortimer. But surely
he must see that | was in the power of
these Adventures.
All my fears reached a climax,
when. looking steadily at me a mo-
ment, he turned TO the others:
81 must speak to Sir Mortimer
alone
| saw Starva grasp the revolver con-
cealed beneath his coat Madame de
Varnier silenced the protests on his
lips with a meaning glance. She real
lied the uselessnesS of further resist
ance.
You will not excite him more than
And you must not be surprised to
find his mind still confused as a result
of the opiate given him"
Il shall spare him as far as posi-
BILE Forbes replied with some stern
ness. Drawing himself erect, his arms
folded. he waited until the door had
closed behind them
My first impulse was to put an end
10 this farce. But again l hesitated
They were listening outside that door:
every suspicion was alert, the slight
est cause would fan the suspicion to
a flame.
And then. what? ] should have
made myself ridiculous to no purpose.
had gone far in my reckless venture
too far to risk all by attempting to
warn Captain Forbes at this crucial
His brain worked too slowly
he was too deficient in imagination
too much lacking in subtlety and
inesse. I refused-recklessly II you
VIII, but deliberately-to risk the sue
,ess of my scheme by drumming INTO
he dull brain OF Captain Forbes the
rue state of affairs. 1t would have
AIKEN him good quarter OF an hour
o grasp merely the facts At that
ime he would understand just enough
u them to be stubbornly convinced
hat l was equally involved with the
,ther two, but he would think my
lerve had failed me and that | was
attempting to purchase my own free
lom from punishment at the expense
# the others. And certainly they
would drag me down with them. IL
or no other purpose than revenge.
80; this was not the hour for conf
.onces; Captain Forbes was not the
nan TO be made confldant at such
n hour.
He looked down at me with cold re-
pect OutwarGly | met his steady
ook with something Of fortitude and
omposure. but beneath the clothes
ny two hands were clenched rigid
From a silk bag suspended about
rs neck he produced two envelopes.
lie weighed them in his hand mo-
lent, then he placed the bulklor of
he two in its silk case. The other
e held toward me
The Foreign Office sir. has intrust-
d to me two dispatches, My orders
re TO place them in your hands at the
arllest opportunity. But one of these
ispatches | know TO be Of great i'm
/ shall therefore keep 1t for
he present, unless you demand IT"