Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-17

father choose to call"
CHAPTER XIV
Mr.. JOHN SMITH spent the next four days be-
A'A hind prison bars Just like the prison bars in
dear old Passaic. He irrtatingly cheerful
about it, and met avalanches of questions from
NJ Baudet with pleasant smile and-sllence.
Twice M. Baudet called, and twice he stormed about
the CELL only to be beaten back, defeated angered,
by the unholy calm of his prisoner. Mr. Smith stood
broadly upon the general principle that the less he
said the less he might have to explain and this policy,
combined with the fact that he was locked up,
seemed to insure him at least temporarily from
further trouble.
Meanwhile M. lie Marquis Aubgny buzzed about
with bewildered expression on the pasty face of
him, seeking the true nwardness of it all. 1t had
true inwardness somewhere, else why all this maze
of contradictions and untoward happenings? But he
couldn't lay his delicate fingers to it. There
thing he could do, keep the police constantly on the
search for the missing bonds, and he did that They
needed no urging There were bonds, because a' M:
deal. He had even signed the preliminary papers,
and had opened the leather bag produce the bonds
only to find it was empty. There were bonds-cer-
tainemen! Mr. Smith had said to the contrary; but
he was-what you call him? the big buffer.
M. Baudet and his satellites singulary
ceptive to the suggestion that Mr.. Smith big
buffer. On two separate occasions he had COM
PEELED them to shove their cards the pack and ask
for deal. They had him in their hands just at
that psychological moment when he must have been
maturing plans for the theft of and half
million francs-and they had released him! M.
Baudet had swallowed hook and line the idea that
that Mr. Smith had said he detective;
but Oh, la la! 1t made his head ache! Now the
only thing to do to wait until Clarke recovered
sufficiently to give the facts in the
IN the morning of the fifth day NJ. Baudet called
~ upon Mr. Smith in his cell with the information
that the physicians would permit very short inter-
view with Mr.. Clarke. Mr. Smith rose and put
his hat.
1t is most Irregular this thing of allowing you
to be present at the interview, NJ Baudet ex-
planned but M. Clarke has refused to talk at all
unless you present. Besides, the circumstances
are unusual and have consented
Good" remarked Mr.. Smith Has Clarke been
allowed to anybody YETI"
Only his daughter She was with him last night
Looking straight into the inqusitive eyes of M.
Baudet, Mr.. John Smith of Passaic New Jersey,
laughed scap,' he ;quered systematically, what
"Citron." NJ Baudet informed him after puzzled
We'll, that's what you're going to get-a eitron,'
M. Baudet pondered it all the way to the little
apartment in the Rue St. Honore where M. lie Mar
quis waiting. Catron! What had that to do
with this most mysterious case? He doesn't know
yet.
Worn, haggard, white feeble child, helpless
in bed yet with that same old commanding glitter in
his eyes that Mr.. Smith knew so we'll Mr. Clarke re-
ceived the three of them, M. Baudet M lie Marquis
dAubigny, and plain John Smith of Passaic. The
physician had withdrawn; Edna stood beside the
bed watchfuly. Her eyes met Mr.. Smiths he
tered and she smiled bravey
Father" she said softly, here is Mr.. Smith"
The gaze of the sick fingered for instant
upon the keen, inquring face of NJ Baudet, thence
shifted to the Marquis, and finally was halted by the
straight staring eyes of Mr.. Smith. For second,
perhaps, they stared each at the other, and Clarke
lifted wasted hand
Hello, Smith, he said I'm glad to you"
the proffered hand Pm sorry you've been ILL., SIR
Again Clarke looked at NJ. Baudet. Well he
questioned abruptly, what is it, Ny physician has
given me only ten minutes to talk to YOU.