Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-05-06
CHAPTER XVIII.
The Missing Slipper.

hostelry of my friend Jasques Bertll-
lon; after which l suggested a stroll
| about the town for a time.
| Before we started, l asked MIN to
| step to my room, where l had left my
| pipe. My eye fell on the commode's
| top, casually. l saw that 1t was bare
| recalled the strange warning or the
| baroness the evening previous. / was
watched. My apartment had been en-
tered in my absence. Property OF mine
had been taken.
NV perturbation must have been dis
coverable in my face. What iss it,
asked the old man. You forget some
ting?"
No" said |, stammerins, 1t is MOTH
| ing"
He looked at me obviously. 'Well
| then" | admitted; | miss something
from my commode here. Some one mas
taken It."
1T iss of value, perhaps" me inquir-
ed politely.
well, no; not of intrinsic value
| twas OILY Il SlippS' Va
made By Braun, of Paris
One slipper? OF what use!-
1t belonged to LADY, was apou'
to return it," l said; but fear my
face showed me none too calm
Each man studies for himself MS
own speciality" mused the old man
You haf perhaps studied the species oi
| women. once, also l. v
We walked, my friend musing aho
babbling, myself still anxious ana uh-
easy. We turned out of narrow Nolre
Dame street, and into st. Lawrence
Main street. AS we strolled l notec
without much interest the motley HE
about me, picturesque now with the ac-
tivities of the advancing spring. Pres
ently, however, my idle gaze was drawn
TO two young Englishmen whose bear
ing in some way gave me tine impress
sion that they belonged in official OF
military life, although they were III
civilian garb.
Presently the two halted, and sepa-
rated The taller kept on to the east
to the old French town. At length
saw him Joined, as though by appoint
meul. by another gentleman, one WHOSE
appearance at once gave me reason 1ol
a second look. He accosted my young
Englishman, and without hesitation the
two started off together. AS they dld
so l gave an involuntary exclamation
The taller man l had seen once before
the shorter, very many times-ir
Washington!
"Yess." commented my old scientist
calmly; 80 strange! They go togeth-
er."
"Ah, YOU know them" I almost fell
upon him.
.Ycss-last night The tall one ISIS
Mr.. Peel, a young Englishman; the
other is Mexican, they said-Senor
Yturrio, of Mexico. He spoke much
Me, | was sleepy then. But also tha'
other tall one we saw go back-tha'
wass Captain Parke. also of the British
navy His ship iss the war boat
Modeste-a fine one. | see her o1ter
when | walk on the riffer front, there.
I turned to him and made some eX-
cuse, saying that presently would JOIN
him again at the hotel. Dreamily as
ever, he smiled and took mis- leave. For
myself, l walked on rapidly after the
two figures, then block or so aheao
of me.
saw them turn into a street when
was familiar to myself. They passed
on, turning from time to time among
the old houses of the French quarter
Presently they entered the short side
street which | myself had seen for the
] first time the previous night l pre-
tended to busy myself with my pipe, as
they turned in at the very gate whlch
I knew, and knocked at the door when
I had entered with my mysterious COM
panion!
The door opened without delay: they
both entered.
So. then, Helena Won Ritz had otheI
visitors, England and Mexico were in
deed comforting here in Montreal
There were matters going forward mere
in which my government was concern
| ed.
At the moment nothing better oc-
CURED to me than to return to my room
| and wait for a time. 1t would serve
no purpose for me to disclose myself
| either in or out of the apartments o1
| the baroness, and it would not aid me
| Ii be seen idling about the neighborhooC
| in Il city where there was so much rea-
son to suppose strangers were watched
| | resolved to wait until the next morn
| ing, and to take my friend Won Kitten
| hofen with me. He need not know al
| that knew, yet in case of any accident
| to myself or any sudden contretemps
! ne would serve both as Il witness ant
as an excuse for disarming any suS-
| picion which might be entertained re-
| garding myself.
| The next day he readily enough fel
| in with my suggestion of morning
| stroll, and again We sailed forth, al
| about nine o'clock, having by that time
| finished a dejeuner la fourchettc Witf
jacques Bcrtillon, which to my mine
compared unfavorably with one certain
other had shared.
| A sense Of uneaSinesS began To OPP
press me. | knew not why, before mac
| gone half way down the little stree
from the corner where we turned. Il
was gloomy and dismal enough at the
best. and on this morning an unusua
apathy seemed to sit upon it, for few OF
| the shutters were down, although th'
| hour was now mid morning. Some
thing said to me that it would b" a!
well for me to turn back.
| | might as well have done SO. we
passed up the little walk, and | raised
| the knocker at the door: but even as i
sounded | knew what would happen
| There came to me that curious feelin-
which one experiences when one knock:
at the door of Il house which lacks hu'
man occupancy. Even NOR" strongly
| had that strange feeling now because