Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-01-04

you, the rlghtful owners, II they are
| rightful owners. And, II they are.
why should Freddie Hallam go like q
| thief I'm the night to secure property
that's his beyond dispute? I don't
really think you owe your father any
further consideration"
He waited patiently. Eventually
'No-o! the girl sobbed assent
"It's this way: Calendar, counting
on your sparing him in the end, is 60
Ing to hound us. He's doing 1t now
There's Hobbs In the next car, for
proof. Until these jewels are returned,
whether to Frognall street or to young
Hallam, we're both in danger. both
thieves in the sight Of the law. And
your father knows that too. There's
no profit to be had by discOunting the
temper Of these people. They're as
desperate gang of swindlers as ever
lived. They'll have those jewels If
they have to go as far as murder
"Mr. Kirkwoodw she deprecated in
horror.
He wagged his head stubbornly, omi-
nously. "I've seen them in the raw.
| They're hot on our trail now. Ten to
one they'll be on our backs before we
can get across the channel. Once in
England we will be comparatively
eafe. Until then-but I'm brute-I'm
frightening you"
"You are. dreadfully," she confessed
| In n tremulous voice.
"Forgive me. II you look at the
dark side first. the other seems all the
brighter. Please don't worry. Well
pull through with flying colors or my
names not Philip Kirkwood."
II have every faith in you," she in
formed him, fawlessly sincere. when
| think Of all you've done and dared
for me, on the mere suspicion that I
needed your help
WED best be getting ready" he In
terrupted hastily. Here's Brussels"
1t was so. Lights, In little clusters
and long, wheeling lines, were leaping
out Of the darkness and flashing back
US the train rumbled through the sub
urbs Of the little Paris Of the north
Already the other passengers were be-
stirring themselves, gathering together
wraps and hand luggage and preparing
for the journeys end.
Rising, Kirkwood took down their
two satchels from the overhead rack
and waited. In grim abstraction plan
ming and counter planning against the
Vaccinations in whose wiles they two
had become so perilously entangled.
Primarily there was Hobbs to be
dealt with-no easy task, for Kirk
wood dared not resort to violence nor
in any way invite the attention of the
| authorities, and threats would be an
| idle waste Of breath In the case OF
that corrupt and malignant little cock
ney, himself as keen as any needle,
adept in all the artful resources Of the
underworld whence he had sprung,
and further prmed for action by that
master rogue, Calendar.
The train was pulling slowly into
the station when he reluctantly aban-
doned his latest unfeasible scheme for
shaking off the little Englishman and
concluded that their salvation was
only to be worked out through ever
lasting vigilance, incessant movement
and the favor Of the blind goddess
| Fortune.
He saw nothing Of Hobbs as they
alighted and FASTENED from the sta
ton and hardly had time to waste
looking for him since their train had
failed to make up the precious ten
minutes. Consequently he dismissed
the fellow from his thoughts until
with Brussels lingering in their men,
cries a garish vision Of brilliant
streets and glowing cafes, glimpsed
furtlvely from their cab windows dur
ing its wild dash over the broad mid.
city boulevards-at midnight they set
tied themselves in carriage of the
Bruges express They were speeding
along through the open country With
a noisy clatter; then a minutes inves-
tigation sufficed to discover the mate
Of the Alethea serenely ensconced In
the coach behind.
The little man seemed rarely COM
placent and impudently greeted Kirk
woods scowllng visage as the latter
peered through the window In the
coach door, with smlrk and wag-
gish wave Of his hand. The American
by main strength Of will power mas
tered an impulse to enter and wiring
his neck and returned to the girl more
disturbed than he cared to let her
know.
There resulted from his review Of
the case but one plan for outwitting
Mr.. Hobbs, and that lay in trusting to
his confidence that Kirkwood and Dor
othy Calendar would proceed as far
toward Ostend as the train would take
then-namely, to the limit Of the run.
Bruges.
Thus inspired, Kirkwood took coun-
sci with the girl, and when the train
paused at Client they made an upos-
tentatious exit from their coach, find
ing themselves when the express had
rolled on into the west upon station
platform In foreign city at nine min
utes past O'clock In the morning, but
at length without their shadow. Mr..
Hobbs had gone on to Bruges.
Kirkwood sped his journeyings with
an unspoken malediction and collected
himself to cope with situation which
was to prove hardly more happy for
them than the espionage they had just
eluded. The primal flush Of triumph
which had saturated the Americans
humOr on this signal success proved
but hctive' and transitory when In
uuiry Of the station attendants educed
the information that the two earliest
trains to be obtained were the 500 for
Dunkerque and the 5:37 for Ostend. A
minimum delay Of four hours was to
be endured in the face Of many con-
tingent features singularly unpleasant
to contemplate. The station waiting
room was on the point Of closing for
the night. and Kirkwood, alarmed by
the rapid ebb Of the money he had
taken from Calendar, dared not subject
his finances to the strain Of a nights
lodging at one Of Clients hotels. He
found himself forced to be cruel to he
kind to the girl, and DOro,hy's cheer