Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-10-05
Y Louis Joseph Vance
Copyright. 1908. by the Bobbs-Merrin Co.


concluded that their salvation was
only to be worked out through ever
lasting vigilance, incessant movement
and the favor of the blind goddess
Fortune.
He saw nothing of Hobbs as they
alighted and fastened from the sta
ton and hardly had time to waste
looking for him since their train had
failed to make up the precious ten
minutes. Consequently he dismissed
the fellow from his thoughts until
with Brussels lingering in their mem
cries garish vision of brilliant
streets and glowing cafes. glimpsed
furtively from their cab windows dur
ing its wild dash over the broad mid
city boulevards-at midnight they set
tied themselves in carriage of the
Bruges express. They were speeding
along through the open country with
a noisy clatter; then minutes inves-
tigation sufficed to discover the mate
of the Althea serenely ensconced in
the coach behind
The little man seemed rarely COM
placent and impudently greeted Kirk
woods scowling visage as the latter
peered through the window in the
coach door, with a smirk and wag-
gish wave of his hand The American
by main strength of will power mas
tered an impulse to enter and wiring
his neck and returned to the girl more
disturbed than he cared to let her
know.
There resulted from his review of
the case but one plan for outwitting
Mr.. Hobbs. and that lay in trusting to
his confidence that Kirk wood and Dor
othy Calendar would proceed as far
/ toward Ostend as the train would take
/ them-namely, to the limit of the run,
Bruges.
Thus inspired, kirkwood took coun-
sci with the girl, and when the train
paused at Client they made an unos-
tentatious exit from their coach, find
ing themselves when the express had
rolled on into the west upon station
platform in a foreign city at nine min
utes past l o'clock in the morning, but
at length without their shadow. Mr..
Hobbs had gone on to Bruges.
Kirkwood sped his journeyings with
an unspokeu malediction and collected
himself to cope with situation which
was to prove hardly more happy for
them than the espionage they had just
eluded. The primal flush of triumph
which had saturated the Americans
humor on this signal success proved
but fctive and transitory when in
quiry of the station attendants educed
the information that the two earliest
trains to be obtained We're the 500 for
Dunkerque and the 5:37 for Ostend. A
minimum delay of four hours was 20
be endured in the face of many con-
tingent features singularly unpleasant
to contemplate The station waiting
room was on the point of closing for
the night. and Kirkwood, alarmed by
the rapid ebb of the money he had
taken from Calendar, dared not subject
his finances to the strain of nights
lodging at one Of Clients hotels. He
found himself forced to be cruel to he
kind to the girl, and Derothy's cheer
full acquiescence to their sole alterna
tive of tramping the street until day
break did nothing to alleviate Kirk
woods evaporation.
1t was permitted them to occupy 6
bench outside the station. There the
: girl, her head pillowed on the treas
ure bag, mapped uneasiy. while Kirk
wood plodded rcstlessly to and fro
up and down the platform. adding hi.
poor, weary wits with the problem o
the future Of the unhappy child TO
whose welfare he had assumed re
sponsibility. Dark for both of them
in his understanding tomorrow loomet
darkest for her.
Not until the gray. formless light o
the dawn dusk was wayering over tn
land did he cease his perambulations
Then n gradual stir of life in the cit
streets, together with the appearance
of Il station porter or two, opening tn
waiting rooms and preparing then
against the traffic Of the day, warne'
him that he must rouse his charge
He paused and stood over her. reluc
tant to disturb her rest, such as it was
his heart torn with compassion 70
her, his soul imbittered by the crue
irony Of their estate.
If what he understood were true,
kings ransom was secreted within tn
cheap imitation leather satchel whic
served her for pillow. But it availe
her nothing for her comfort. If wha
he believed were true, she was abst
lutte mistress of that treasure of jew
els, yet that night she had been force
to sleep on hard. uncushioned benc
in the open air, and this morning b
must waken her to the life of a hun
ed thing. A week ago she had had {
her command every luxury known
the civilized world; today she We
friendless but for his inefficient, wort
less self and in a strange land.
week ago, had he known her then,
had been free to tell her of his low
to offer her the protection Of his nan
as we'll as his devotion; today he WI
an all but penniless vagabond ar
there could be no dishonor deeper ths
to let her know the nature of h
hearts desire.
Was ever lover hedged from de
laration to his mistress by circur
le stances so hateful, so untoward?
70 could have ragged and rallied again