Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-09
CHAPTER XXVI-Continued.
Copyright. 1908, 1903.
BY the Mcclure Company.
All Ri

HE was se.fenced to penal servitude
| for life," the baron said. That brings
me to the present point of the story.
| few weeks ago he escaped from the
prison where he was confined. 1t was
not an easy task. No one but person
| of great resource and cunning would
| have attempted it. But he is free. and
| he is thought to be in London. Jacques
| Leblun is here upon his heels. here no,
| only to make his arrest but because he
! himself believes in the existence of that
| other leader, and he thinks that by fol-
| lowing Marcel he will discover the other
| person.
| The marquis drew little breath. You,
story he said. becomes still more in
teresting.''
II am glad that YOU find it So the
baron remarked. politely. ITO me the
subject has always possessed certain
! fascination. 1t has now reached an ex-
in London Marcel is hiding: also some
where in London. If the theory of Mon
| sieur Leblun Is true is the man who was
| his associate at the Place Noire, but who
! escaped capture. Leblun is here to
watch l must confess that l am ex-
| ceedingly curious to discover what the
result may be-"
| lit is a most interesting situation the
marquis said.
The baron. struck by some slight hest
| into his face "Ah! he said Il am
afraid that I have bored YOU"
| The marquis. who felt that he was
CHASTITY pale. recovered himself with an
overheated. You know we English can
not live without fresh air. l think shall
| make my adieu to the duchess l am
joining my wife at Esholt House"
The marquis drove through the gayly
lighted streets and squares. leaning back
the cushions of his motor. HIS
arms were folded. his chin had sunk upon
his chest. The color of his face was still
CHASTITY. There were drops of perspfra-
ton upon his forehead. Was it to be in
lose it all-honor, name and power-for
the sake of those few wild months; be-
| cause of shot fired. as he had told him
self a thousand times, in elf-defenSe?
jacques Leblun! The name seemed to
ring In his ears. He fancied him sitting
apart somewhere in little room of one
of the great hotels. looking down into
the city. watching the swarms of people.
gifted with some strange power by which
his searching gaze could penetrate walls
and annihilate distance. Even in the Sc
curity of his electric brougham he looked
around wildly more than once. He
seemed to feel the eyes of that silent
Frenchman following him wherever ne
went. Marcel he had not greatly feared.
He had felt himself strong enough to deal
with such a man. Jacques Leblun was
different. jacques Leblun had had sus-
picions all the time. He only had believed
Marcel when he swore that it was not his
hand alone that had directed those amaz-
ing coups. What was to be done? What
course was there open to him. Flight
It was the most dangerous of all. The
days were past when flight from the hand
of the law could be effective. The world
was girded with steam and electricity. Its
farthest corners were at the mercy OF
those who stayed at home and smiled.
Death? Well, that was a last resource.
He was still under fifty, and the joy OF
his new life and the honest love of his
wife were still strong in his blood. Death
might be last resource, but 1t should
be the very last. Not until the hand OF
fate was upon his shoulder and the world
was growing dim would he stoop to that.
To buy his freedom from Jacques Lee
blum he well knew to be impossible. The
man was above such things. Money was
nothing to him: fame was the very
breath Of his nostrils. There was no
move that he could make, nothing that
he could do save keep a steadfast face to
the world and leave the issue to fortune.
The brougham glided up to the curb
stone and stopped before the apartment
hotel to which the marquis had directed
his chauffeur. He descended, and cross
ing the pavement babe the commission
naire good evening, rang for the elevator
and assembled to the seventh floor.