The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-02-03
CONTINUED from last week.)

noticed two gentlemen getting into the
forward compartment Of the carriage.
"Humph. Our friend with the scar
said Hillard. I'VE do not seem able to
shake him"
I'D like to shake him. He goes
against the grain somehow" Merri-
hew swung into the compartment. Il
wonder why the Sandfords dropped
him?"
For some good reason. They are n
liberal pair, and If our fxjend forward
offended them it must have been some
thing outside the pale Of forgiveness.
But l should like to know where old
Giovanni is. / miss him
Poor devil" said Merribew, with
careless sympathy.
The train started.
Monte Carlo. Gold. gold. little
round pieces of gold!" Merrihew rub
bed his hands like a miser.
Hard to get and heavy to hold!"
quoted Hillard. Il suppose that you
have n system already worked out"
"Of course. l shall win If l stick to
it."
"Or IL the money lasts. Bury your
system. my boy. 1t will do you no
good. Trust to luck only. Monte Car.
10 is the graveyard of systems"
But maybe my system is the one.
You can't tell till I have tried It,"
Soon the train began to lift into the
mountains, the beautiful Apennines.
BY the time they arrived in Genoa,
late at night, both compared favorably
with the coalers in the harbor of Ma.
pies.
Early the next morning the adven-
turerS set out for Monte CarlO-more
tunnels; a compartment filed with
women and children. But the beauty
of the Riviera was compensation.
Ventimiglia. or Vintimille, has a sin
lister sound i'm the ears of the Traveller
If perchance he be n man fond Of his
tobacco. The train drew in. A dozen
steps more and one was virtually in
France. But there is generally Il slight
hitch before one takes the aforesaid
steps-the French customs. A porter
popped his head into the window.
Eight minutes for examination OF
luggage he cried.
Come, Dan" cried Hillard; lively il
we want good seats when we como
out. We change trains"
After a short skirmish they located
their belongings. They would have to
be patient.
Among the inspectors at Ventimiglia
IS a small. wlZened Frenchman with a
foon oc nnIJ o,I in,,o,c;,n ~. a., .n,I
blown sphinx. He possesScS. among
other accomplishments. a nose pecul
lar less for its shape than for its smell.
He car "smell out" tobacco rs Il witch
doctor in Zu!uland smells out IA devil
Fate directed this individual toward
the Americans. Hillard knew him of
old. and he never forgets a face. this
wiZened little man.
Monsieur has nothing to declare?"
he asked.
Hillard made a negative sign and
opened his cases. With scarce a
glance at their contents and waving
aside the coupons the inspector ap-
piled the chalk and turned TO Merri-
hew.
Monsieur has nothing to declare?"
he repeated.
Merrihew shook his head airily.
"Niente, niente!" he said in his best
Italian. He did not understand what
the inspector said. He merely had
suspicions.
"Look!' suddenly exclaimed Hillard.
Passing out Of the door which led to
liberty and to France. their luggage
guaranteed by cabalistic chalk marks,
were two women One Of them was
yelled; the other was not.
"Kitty Killigrew. as I liver shouted
Merrihew, making a dash for the door.
But the inspector blocked the way.
beckoned to a %gendarme. who came
over, and calmly pointed to Merri-
hew's unopened cases.
"Openw said the inspector.
But Merrihew struggled to pass.
"For heavens sake" cried Hillard,
"be patient and open the cases at
once"
Merrihew handled his keys clumsily.
1t is ever thus when on. Is in a hurry.
Finally he threw back the lids, feeling
that in another moment he must have
spouted Italian or French out Of pure
magic simply to tell this fool inspector
what he thought of him.
"Oho. monsieur In a hurry!' Knocked
the inspector. Nothing. nothing!' He
took out two boxes Of cigars.
"Why the devil didn't you tell me
you had themY' Hillard demanded
Wrathfully. To find the women BY this
stroke Of luck and then to lose them
again for two boxes Of cigars! 1t was
maddening.
The inspector went through Nerri-