Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-01

slant cackle of conversation In a mvsta-
rious patois which Miss Talbot. though
an excellent French scholar. could
make nothing of. The presence of these
people naturally shielded her from the
direct observation of la Belle Chas-
seuse, but nevertheless threatened a
slight danger should If be necessary fer
her to stand still. for she well under
stood that in such a locality eeoh per-
son was known to the other. and the
lettering Of a stranger could nos fail TO
arouse curiosity.
Soon after passing beneath the lamp
~madeInoiseile vanished into a doorway.
Edith perceived, to her joy. that at this
point there was no group of lonngers.
Indeed. for a few yards the street was
empty. Keeping her eyes s~eduiousiy
fixed upon the exact spot where the
Frenehwoman disappeared. she reached
the door, and, after a moments hesita-
tion, stepped lightly into the interior
darkness.
The narrow entrance was at once les
sened to half its width by a staircase.
She listened intently, and could hear
the other woman ascending the second
flight of stairs.
At the next landing mademoiselle
paused and knocked three times. Pre-
sumably in reply to a question within.
she murmured something which Edith
could not catch. and was at once adj
mitted. The shooting of a rusty bolt
supplied further evidence that the door
was locked behind her.
EdIth's next task was to identity the
house. She stepped out into the street
again and crossed to the opposite pave
mant. She looked up to the second
story, but. owing to the short distance
barely fourteen feet-that separated
her from the house-she could discern
nothing, save that the windows on that
floor were closely shattered.
She rapidly noted hat the door was
the third removed from the lamp.
Whilst wondering what to do next. a
couple Of girls approached her. They
were young. and, Of course. inQuisitive-
without any Discrimination. c15ey stood
in front OF her and s~crutinized her face.
wondering. no doubt, who this tall and
graceful newcomer could be-
what is your Manner said one.
"wherc do you live? Have you just
come here2 ART you staying with old
Mother Peter?"
with difficulty Edith caught the drift
OF their questions. But he answered
smiiingly:
mo, 1 do not 1--we here. ana I do not
know Mother Peter. But / want you to
tell me who lives in he house oppo-
site2"
Her Partisan French greatly surprised
the two girls. who giggled at each other.
and one Of them cried:
ooh, here's a larkl"
But they scented an intrigue, and
were quite ready TO give all the in
formation in their power.
"a lot OF people live there said the
| oder ono. trying. with the ready tack
OF her nation. to acoommo ate her
words to the understanding Of the
lstranger. TT all depends who you
want TO know about. On the ground
floor is Josef, the barber, and his wife.
With three little ones 1t cannot be
them. 1 am sure, and 1t cannot be Nom
stenr Ducrot, who is their ledger. for
khe is 10 years old and a sacristan IN
the Church OF the Sacred Heart. Then
on the first f@r there are three men,
not a woman amongst them. One is .
biIl-Etfcker, another a fisherman, n
the third a waiter in the Cafe du Midi
1 do not know their proper names. We
call the bil-sticker 'Paste-pot, and the
fisherman Crab, The waiter is called
Thomas in ghe cafe, but when q iftzsr
comes for him it is in another uafae.
Then, on the second foor-by the way.
Marie. who Is 1t that lives on the sec
ond noor?"
IN. n. c..sirura romorrora