The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-10-15
mitted to very airy sitting room,
| simply furnished.

mitted to very airy sitting room,
simply furnished.
The Swiss secretary rose ponder
ously to receive her, and as she did
not sit down he remained standing.
His vast face was fringed with beard
or no particular color, and his eyes
were fixed and blue in his head, like
turquoises set in pale sole leather.
am Countess Leven," she said.
and have known Mons. Logotheti
some time. Will you kindly tell me
where he Isl"
Il do not know, madam" was the
answer.
He is not in London?"
AT present do not know, madam. -
Has he left no address? Do you
not forward his letters to him."
No; madam. I do not forward his
letters to him."
Then suppose he is on his yacht"
suggested Lady Maud.
Madam, l do not know whether he
is on his yacht"
you don't seem to know any.
thing!"
Pardon me, madam, think I know
my business. That is all l know"
Lady Maud held her beautiful head
little higher and her lids dropped
slightly as she looked down at him.
Tor he was shorter than she. But the
huge leathern face was perfectly i'm.
passive, and the still, turquoise eyes
surveyed her without winking. She
had never seen such stolidity in a
human being.
There was clearly nothing to be
done, and she thought the secretary
distinctly rude; but as that was no
reason why she should be, she babe
him good-morning civilly and turned
to go. Somewhat to her surprise, he
followed her quickly across the room,
opened the door for her and went
on into the little hall to let her out
There was small table there. on
which lay some of Logotheti's hats.
and several pairs of gloves were laid
out neatly before them. There was
one pair, of light gray, very much
smaller than all the rest, so small, in
deed, that they might have fitted a
boy of seven, except that they looked
too narrow for any boy. They were
mems gloves as to length and buttons.
but only child could have worn
them.
Lady Maud saw them instantly, and
remembered Baraka's disguise; and
as she passed the big umbrella jar
to go out, she saw that with two of
Logotheti's sticks there was a third.
fully four inches shorter! Just a plain
crook-handled stick with a silver ring.
That was enough. Baraka had GER
tainly been in the lodgings and had
probably left in them everything that
belonged to her disguise. The fact
that the gloves and the stick were in
the hall looked very much as If she
had come in dressed as a man and
had left them there when she had
gone away in woman's attire. That
she was with Logotheti, most prob
ably on his yacht, Lady Maud had not
the least doubt, as she went down the
stairs
The Swiss secretary stood at the
open door on the landing till she was
out Of sight below, and then went
in again, and returned to work over
a heap of business papers and letters.
When he had worked half an hour, he
leaned back in his leathern chair to
rest, and stared fixedly at the book.
case. Presently he spoke aloud in
English, as if Lady Maud were still in
the room, in the same dull matter-of-
fact tone, but more forcibly as to ex-
preston.
1T is perfectly true. though you do
not believe me, madam. do not know
anything. How the dickens should I
know where they are. madam? But
l know my business. That is ALL"