The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-06-29

OFerraI looked grave.
| u. j." he remarked, seeking
no superfluous explanations 81
want you to do me a favor"
Consider 1t DONE" replied the
other without hesitation. -
Il want you to let me take
your place tomorrow at dawn.
introduced you to Newman and
you must let me take q hand In
this trouble. I'm better situated
than you for any affair OF the sort,
because / have no family. IL ]
had, I'd stand out. as you're GO
ing to do-to oblige me-"
| "All right" agreed Cornoyer
with an obvious effort. "If New
man-Quaintance doesn't object,
have 1t your own way" Quaintance
had taken Cornoyer completely in
to his confidence that morning,
telling him the strange story OF
Stephen Quaintance, his uncle's
will, and the girl who was now
the Duchesse des Reeves.
O'Ferral turned to Quaintanee
with a quick inquiry. Whats
been happening?"
''All my plans have miscarried
most damnably," Quaintance ex-
planned. THE dead man on whom
l bestowed my identity does not
seem to have supported 1t long.
There's spurious Stephen Quain-
lance turned up, in the person of
that very fellow j.. j. had with
him at the Cornucopia. We met
him again last night, but he'd
gone before / found out what his
game was. He must have robbed
the body of all my papers, and
thought that by posing as me he
might make his fortune.
''But he's just too late. Miles
lQuaintance's adopted daughter is
married already. She is the
IDuchesse des Reeves.
1.-THE Due des Reeves gave me to
understand Q couple of hours ago
that his wife had disappeared, and
called me a liar because l stated
that I did not know where she
was. l had never spoken to the
man before. Tomorrow at dawn
he and l are going to settle ac-
counts, on that score and others. T"
O'Ferral was regarding him
with deep frown.
1.-THE duchesse has disap-
peared!" he said. "Now, that's
strange-very strange. / saw the
duchesse leave the ,Elysee last
night. 1t was the dues car she
drove off in, / know, but the
chauffeur was that same fellow
you had at the Cornicopia, j. j..
and who, 1t seems, is now posing
as stephen Quaintance. recogl
nized him with some difficulty,
perhaps he could tell the Due des
Reeves something as to the duch-
esse's whereabouts.
"When does the twelvemonth
term of the will expire, Steve?"
"Quaintance was on his feet. |
"What's dates this?" he mutt
tered. "The sixteenth. 1t must
be tonight. Yes, that's right. ]
kept a careful note in my mem
Tory. Times up at midnight.
| "Damnation! What a fool
was. He must have kidnapped
her. wasn't bothering much
about him-I thought he was too
late to do any harm. / must get
latter him at once. / saw him and
that seoundrel with the black
beard at a door in the Impasse de
Paradis. I'll try that first. I'll
shoot him like a dog if'-
He hurried into his bedroom,
muttering threats, and came back
Icharging a revolver.
"Put that thing down." said
IO'Ferral in his sternest voice, his
back against. the door, whittier he
had sprung in quick precaution.
Understand plainly that you and
are taking the thing up togeth.
er at this stage"
| His masterful tone did not fai
of effect on his friends fevered
mind, and to him as commander OF
the expedition Conoyer addressed
a modest request that he might be
permitted to join 1t.
1t had been dark for nearly an
hour before they set out, and
when they reached the street, i
was raining.
They went on down the I'm
passe, and Quaintance pointed out
the postern. O'Ferral pulled lit
tie electric torch from his poke
and scrutinized the keyhole care
fully.
Someone been out and in quite
lately" he said. tWe1l have 8
look at the front of this building
A weatherbeaten board an.
nounced that 1t was to let, fur
nished, for a term of years, ant
that the keys might be had from
a nearby bakery.
.'Get the keys" O'Ferral or
dered.
| Cornoyer came hurrying back
with the news that the keys hat
been granted no later than tina
forenoon to a man who answered
in every respect to his description
of the soi-disant Stephen Quaint
ance.
HIM" said O'Ferral. s.Steve
l tlunk we've struck the scent
But wen have to break in, unless
you'd prefer to do things legally. ;
Don't lose moment" Quaint
ance whispered "If she's In thai
Villains hands. O'Ferral, her life'I
not safe.'
| Quaintance braced himself a.
his full height against the wall
Cornoyer clambered on to his
shoulders and over it.
An instant of expectation fol-
lowed, and they heard dull
grating wrench. Then silence fol
1.-TWO or three minutes which seem.
ed interminable till that was bro.
ken by a quick creak and heavs
body fell from above at the bach
LOT the door. The door opened
How I'D you set in7s the1
|aHked eornoyer.
above. dug ths glaHs out OF III