Rock Island Argus., 1909-02-15

clornes ana sar Gown TO wait for him.
He did not return. I made inquiries and
found that he had left the hotel at 8
o'clock the previous evening. To cut the
matter short. ten days have now elapsed,
and he has not yet returned.
have been to the embassy. to the po-
lice and to the mefgue. Nowhere have
found the slightest trace of him. No one
seems to take the least interest in his dis
appearance. The police shrug their shoul-
ders and look at me as though / ought
to understandable will return very short
ly, they are quite sure. At the embassy
they have begun to look upon me as
nuisance. The morgue-heaven send that
may one day forget the horror of my
hasty visits there! I have come to the
conclusion, Andrew. that must search
for him myself. How, do not know:
. where, 1 do not know. But I shall not
leave Paris until 1 have found him.
Andrew. what I want is a friend here.
A few months ago 1 should not have
hesitated moment to ask you to come to
me. Today that rs impossible. Your
presence here would only be an embar-
rassment to both of us. Do you know OF
any one who would come? / have not a
single relative whom / can ask to help
me. Would you advise me to write to
Scotland Yard for detective or go to
one of these agencies? If not, can you
think of any one who would come here
I! and help me, either for your sake as
your friend. or, better still. detective
who can speak French and whom one
can trust? All our lives Guy and / have
| congratulated ourselves that We have no
relation nearer than India. I am finding
out the other side of it now.
| know that you will do what you can
| for me. Andrew. Write to me by return.
Yours in great trouble and distress.
| PHYLLIS POYNTON.
| She sealed and addressed her letter
and saw it dispatched. Afterward
she crossed the courtyard to the res
/ taurant and did her best to eat some
dinner. When she had finished it was
only half past s. She rang for the
lift and ascended to the fourth floor
On her way down the corridor a sud-
den thought struck her. She took a
key from her pocket and entered the
room which her brother had. occupied.
His things were still lying about in
some disorder and neither of his trunks
was locked. She went down on her
knees and calmly proceeded to go
through his belongings. 1t was rather
II forlorn hope. but it seemed to her
/
come of his pockets a letter which
would throw light upon his disappear
ance She found nothing of the sort
however. There Were picture post
cards, u few photographs and good
many restaurant bills. but they were
all from places in Germany and Aus
tra. At the bottom of the second
trunk. however, she found something
which he had evidently found it worth
while to carefully preserve. 1t was 6
thick sheet of official looking paper
bearing at the top an embossed crown
and covered with German writing. II
was numbered at the top III" and II
was evidently an odd sheet of some
document. She folded it carefully VI
and took it back with her to her owl
room. Then, with the help of Ger
man dictionary, she commenced to stu
dy it. At the end of an hour she hat
made out rough translation, which
she read carefully through. When sh,
had finished she was thoroughly per
picked. She had an uncomfortabl,
sense of having come into touch witt
something wholly unexpected and mys
terious.
"What am I to do2" she said to her
self softly. What can it mean
Where on earth can Guy have fount
this?"
There was no one TO answer her, n,
one to advise. An overwhelming sens
of her loneliness brought the tears int
her eyes. She sat for some time wit
her face buried in her hands. Thel
she rose up, calmly destroyed he
: translation with minute care and lock
3 ed away the mysterious sheet at tn
bottom Of her dressing bag. The NOR
i she thought of it the less, after al
she felt inclined to connect it with hi
disappearance.