Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-04
CHAPTER Xxx.

CHAPTER Xxx.
Two men, Ill dressed. unshaven. obvi-
ously foreigners, sat at q small table In
the Cafe Kuhn. The place was not a
hundred yards from Leicester Square. but
to all effects. and certainly to all appear
ances, it was very much on the other
side Of the channel. The atmosphere was
dense with the fumes of tobacco and
the odor OF many dinners. The mirrors
which once decorated the walls were
cracked and greasy. The cloths which
covered half Of the tables at the res
taurant end Of the room were remark
able neither for their cleanliness nor for
their quality. Near the door the tables
were marble topped, beringed with the
stains Of coffee and strange drinks. One
heard scarcely a word of English. The
two men. who were drinking absinthe to-
gether. were talking French.
1t was a quiet time of the day. and,
save for one other visitor, the few tables
consecrated to the guest WHO came only
to drink were unoccupied. The other Wis
itor was Ambrose Drake. He sat with a
glass of brandy before him, his arms
folded, his head bent forward Chicot
was asleep in his pocket. Outside, the
piano had found temporary shelter in a
covered entry. The rain came down In
q gentle but sullen downpour. He had
not a stitch of dry clothing upon him. No
wonder that he seemed drowsy, that the
fumes Of the brandy which he was drink
ing had mounted to his brain.
One of the two men pointed to MIN.
They talked together in French, quickly,
and with many gestures.
The creature there" he said. The re-
minds one. Ell. of the hunchback who
stole of with the girl that night and
and some one else"
The other man glanced across at Am
not happen, my friend" he said. Be
sides. the little creature there is smaller
and older. See, he has drunk too much.
He sleeps
The man who had spoken first, Marcel
when one is as 1 am he said, hoarse-
ly. lone fears the very shadows. One
sees spies everywhere. Listen, Pierre.
You saw the Figaro this morning."
Pierre. gray-headed, obese. with the
puckered face and sallow complexion of
a dram -drinker, nodded his head. Eyes"
he said. THE man is dead. You struck
home. Marcel"
Marcel wiped his forehead with his
hand. His hair was shaver close to his
head: He was tall and OF tremendous
physique. but he was also by far the
more forbidding looking Of the two. His
face had the look of hunted wild ami
NAL. His eyes were furtive and uneasy.
He was never altogether at rest.
nH vo could 1 ,sn a0 ro he va vesrs
had suffered and starved. No absinthe.
no brandy, coffee fit for the pigs, tobacco
"a Whit now and then, no more. l, my
friend, who loved always the best, who
loved the red wine. who smoked night
and day! And before me were another
ten years. Do you wonder that 1 struck"
Pierre curled his mustache upward.
showing wide, cruel mouth. His eyes
were close together. his cheek bones high.
He was not pleasant to look at.
You were right. Marcel" he NUT
tered. "a man like you must live. Now
that you are here you will be safe. Here
we have more hiding places than in Paris
ITSELF 81
Aye. safer' Marcel muttered. They
will not find me here. I am sure of that.
But there is the money. One must live!
We must all live. l dined Ill last night.
Unless one has fortune I shall not dine
at all tonight. Pierre. blow must be
Pierre held out the palms of his hands.
"Anatoile." he said. came to strike that
biow. He Is dead, and the hand that
struck him might have come from the
clouds. Is 1t a wonder that one fears?"
leaned over the little round table and his
face was like the. face Of devil.
Nevertheless" he declared, something
must be done. and that quickly. All our
money has gone. He has not obeyed
this, our last summons. Who was he. l
ask? A stranger. a newcomer, to make
fools of us all, of us, my friend, who had
risked our lives. and more than our lives,
to get together that money! Was there
ever such treachery? The disguise was
girl were waiting that my escape might
be the easier. The money that meant
fortune to all of us was there, too"
He shall share it," Pierre muttered.
HE must be made to share it,
Marcel struck the table with his hand.
(Which OF u.s. he muttered, shall go
and tell him so?''
Ambrose rose suddenly from his seat.
He dragged the chair along with him and
placed it by Marcel's side. IT, he an
swered. striking the table in front of
him.
A bomb thrown In their midst would
have astonished them less. They shrank
back. looking at him with terror-stricken
faces. Pierre's hand went to his waist
band, MarcePs to his hip pocket. 1t was
plain what manner of men these were;
they carried knives!
You need not be alarmed" Ambrose
said, coolly. You did not recognize me
at first, but I knew you both from the
Der the cripple and his piano and the
monkey. Here am 1, and here he
added, patting his pocket, lis Chicot. We
have sworn the oath. Have no fear
'Inelr courage came Dack. 1ney even
grasped him by the hand. Ambrose called
q waiter.
II have a few shillings," he said I'VE
will drink
They gave their orders. Ambrose
leaned over the table and patted Marcel
on the back.
"You did well. my friend" he said. ito
escape. 1t was bravely done. You stab
bed him in the back, eh. that warder.
and ran? But it was feat! 1t was
worthy of the Black Fox!"
Marcel looked uneasily around. I'VE
do not speak of it, he said. ''One never
knows who may listen. Tell us now of
yourself. Tell us what has become of
you since that night
The face Of the dwarf was set and
grim. His underlip protruded. His eyes
rolled as he spoke. "Of myself" he NUT
tered. There is not much to tell. We
fed that night, the girl and I. and the
man-whom all the time we thought was
you, Vicomte," he added. under his
breath. lon the boulevard we separated
The man who was with US, he took the
piano. The girl went to some lodgings