The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-25
"The Man
Who Stole
The Earth"
By ". Holt Wh,fe.
CHAPTER Lv.-(continued.)


Again he held out his arms to her.
and she ran into them, and without
saying any word he kissed her very
tenderly.
Then he put her from him and pick
ed up the little wireless instrument
and walked quickly out of the room.
The king, he judged, would ascend
by the lift, and he ran at top speed
down the corridor. Casting quick
glance down. the elevator shaft, he
saw that the lift was ascending, and
so he ran up the stairs as though he
were making for the floor above. AT
the break In the staircase he paused,
waited for the lift To stop. and then
over its gilded top watched the king
and Ludwig walk around the corner
and along the corridor 10 the princess
rooms. =
No sooner had they disappeared
from view than Strong ran down the
stairs and called to the lift attendant.
But the lift was already shooting
down.
II was now question of whether
he had better walk down the three
flights of stairs that still interviewed
between himself and safety or ring
for the lift. And fortunately he esti-
mated that 1t would be better for him
to trust to the swiftness Of his own
legs.
So he began to run down the stairs
very quickly but lightly, but he had
not gained the first floor before he
heard the bell In the elevator ringing
sharply and persistently. He guessed
what that meant and ran on.
AS he crossed the hall he heard the
tinkle OF the telephone bell in the por-
ter's lodge. and imagined, quite right
ly, that the bell was ringing on his &C
count.
AT the foot OF the stairs he paused
for a moment and drew his cigarette
case from his pocket. 1t was a ques-
ton of seconds. but he knew that ii
was better to leave the hotel with
some sang-froid than to rush out OF
It at a speed which his necessity de-
handed
He placed the cigarette between his
lips, but did not delay to light 1t. Then
he walked out of the swing doors and
down the broad steps. The major do
mo who watched his exit bowed low
to him.
The drivers of the fiacres In the
courtyard raised their whips in polite
and silent invitation for him TO take
a cab. But Strong, pausing in the
middle of the courtyard to pull out
his matchbox, merely shook his head.
But he never lit that particular Gig
arctic, for as the match fiickered In
the shelter of his hand he heard a
shout behind him, and, turning hrs
head quickly over his shoulder, saw
that In the, hotel there had, suddenly
arisen a great commotion and through
little knot OF excited people the king
OF Bahama was striding toward the
steps.
Then S3rong cast aside his dignity
and witkSthe knowledge that II, even
in his unframed condition, he were
pitted in a quarter of mile race
against any man likely to pursue him
the victory would be his, he broke
into double and dashed out Of the
courtyard into the Place de rOpera.
Fortunately for him, the rain had
TO great extent cleared, and the
streets were full OF people 1t would
therefore have been folly on his part
to continue running. Ii was much
easier and far more simple to pull I'd
and lose himself In the crowd.
Beyond few people who stared al
him as he slackened pace, no one paid
any heed TO his appearance and
laughing little TO himself he strolled
on slowly TO the Cafe de Paris.
AS he drew near to that famous es
tablishment he became conscious he
was extremely hungry, and he de
termined. however hot the pursuit
might be, that he would at least sat
isfy his inner man before he tackled
the serious business which lay before
him.
! He therefore ordered for himself a
complete little dinner, and. as he sat
and ate at leisure, he pondered over
4 the events of the day and tho likely
events OF the immediate future.
Full well he saw that 1t would be i'm
possible for him 10 put into execution
| his plan TO leave Paris by way of the
Eiffel Tower without returning TO Pas
sy for the simple reason that Il is
not allowable even To mad Englishmen
to wander through Paris in the fore
noon dressed In evening clothes.
fTo Be ContiDuedD
- g. a