The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-02-07

hint OF making herself heard through
the closed door It was a short mes.
sage. had not understood one word
OF II Though she had raised her voice
almost TO a shout. she had doubtless
spoken in her native tongue. She re-
seated herself complaisantly. offering
me her cigarette case.
Now ] am ready, monsieur, for our
little affair"
"The sooner 1t Is over the better"
said, lrritated that she had stolen o
march on me.
Are you familiar with the hand
writing of Sir Mortimer Brett?"
She had opened a drawer OF the ta-
BILE at which VIC sat | caught the
sheen OF 1apanned box.
mo" / said pretending that / had
not seen the box. IL the proofs of
Sir Mortimer's dlshonor were In that
dispatch box 1t would not be many
minutes before had destroyed them,
''If that is the case, a copy Ia az
useful as an original" she said coolly.
and, placing the box on the table, she
unlocked it with little key that hung
at her chatelaine She took out OF the
dispatch box two envelopes. Their
shape and bulk suggested wildly the
packets that she and DR.. Starva had
been examining in the hotel at Vltznau.
Evidently You think me a very
trusting person." sneered ''No.
madame, | am not quite so callow as
that. A copy may be forged Per.
haps you are as clever with tho pen
as Dr. Starva. Show me the originals
or nothing"
you wrong me-" she protested
mockingly, And YOU wrong yourself
! am not so stupid as to expect you to
take these typewriter copies for
granted. Nor am | so stupid as to
trust the originals In your hands You
might destroy them. for Instance"
Again 1t looks like deadlock. Tho
burden of proof lies with yourself AS
you say. I am not familiar with the
handwriting of Sir Mortimer. Who is
to vouch for its GenuinenessT
"One whose word you Will scarcely
doubt-the sister of Sir Mortimer"
| raised my clenched hand Her
cruel smile made me for the moment
forget her sex, II she had been man
/ think / could have killed her then.
Then, that was your message. You
have sent for herr"
She will be waiting in the music
room below. 1t is for you to say il
she is 10 be spared the ordeal You
VIII cause her the suffering, not l."
/ lowered my hands slowly. II have
laughed at the old doctrine OF the per-
sonality of the devil. l believe it now.
Show me the papers"
Let us understand each other first
In this envelope are copies OF certain
dispatches and notes made by Sir Nor
timer. The originals are In a safe
that IS n the third room yonder You
for you to determine whether Miss
Brett Is to be the final arbiter of Sir
Mortimer's guilt or innocence"
And If l refuse to call on Miss
Brett?"
Sooner or later she shall see these
papers"
What advantage VIII that be to you
waen | have failed to be a partner TO
your nefarious intrigues.
i shall be revenged on you. mon
sieur." Her eyes glittered. And my
revenge will be profitable The Rus
sian or Austrian governments would
nay long price for the papers in the
safe, NJ. Coward"
II will give you your own price for
rem" said hoarsely.
And be robbed of my revenge?
They are beyond price. Come. you
weary me with questions. Are you
ready for tho proofs?"
One moment These dispatches
we're stolen from Sir MortImer's apart
ments that night at Vitznau. You
gained access TO that apartment by
passing me off as Sir Mortimer Where
did you find them? How did you know
they were there?"
Sir Mortimer had hidden them be-
tween the folds of a Venetian blind. q
That they were concealed in his rooms
at Vitznau was told DR. Starva by Sir
Mortimer himself. When he had left
Sofia for Lucerne ne was very i'll He
was accompanied only by his physic-
Ian. his nurse, and his valet. | need
hardly say that DR.. Starva was the
physician; myself, the nurse, and AL
pnonse. the valet But Lucerne SAVIOR.
ed too much of publicity for our plans.
Even Vitznau was not desirable. espe.
cially in view OF the alarming state
of Sir Mortlmer's health. This cha
teau was our rendezvous. But Cn the
way here Sir Mortimer suffered col
lapse.
"Dr Starva remained with h's pa
tient. / returned to Lucerne to throw
off suspicion as to our movements. In
an obscure village In the mouD tains
Sir Mortimer died Or rather. II was
not Sir Mortimer Brett, Minister Of
His Britannia Majesty at Sofia. hut q
Mr.. Stanley Walters, an obscure Eng
llsh tourist
regret to say that before he died
Sir Mortimer felt some mlsgivings for
uio Nbhuu'tt ilb TGdllISu Auit tt.H onu
was near, and that sooner or later
the proofs OF his dishonor wouid be
In his delirlum he Thyed
continually of certain incriminatlng
documents hidden in his room ut Vitz-
nau. His unexpected death illled DR..
Starva with CONSERVATION. He Joined
me In Lucerne. thinking that our
schemes had utterly failed"
In the meanwhile you had met one
who might yet rescue your plans from