The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-12-28
again. more pacincally.

again, more paCluC0lIy. 6t
Again O'Rourke yawned with NAL
Ice prepense, yawned deliberately and
exhaustively and dispassionately
mot a word" he volunteered al
length, until We loose me hands and
feet. Which," he added, I'VE need not
hesitate to do, for I'll not strike back
unless ye crowd me-"
The vicomte scowled darkly for q
moment, plainly dubious. Then pre-
sumably upon the consideration that
he could trust O'Rourke's word and
that most assuredly he would learn
nothing from him until his request
was complied with, he growled an or
der to Glynn to unlock and remove
the handouts. The Englishman obey.
ed.
Free, ORourke stretched himself
rubbed his wrists, and observed a
collection of his pocket hardware ly'
ing upon the seat by him, thrown
aside by Glynn in his disgust at not
finding what he sought.
Yell not be wanting to deprive
me of these few trifles, me gay high.
waymen, I'm thinking?" he inquired
placidly of the pair. III we've no OBJ.
lection I'll make so free as to take
back me own"
Take what you want" returned
Des Trebes in an ugly tone. But
I give you three minutes to tell me
where you have put that letter"
Indeed? Your courtesy overpowers
me-" The Irishman took up his watch
and calmly made a note of the hour
hard upon three in the morning; then,
with easy nonchalance slowed it away
with the rest of the miscellaneous COL
lection-the knives, coins and keys,
his wallet, tickets and SO forth.
Your time" the voice of the vi
comte interrupted this occupation, "is
up" He fingered his revolver Where
is that letter? l am losing patience. :"
where rust nor moth cannot cor
rupt nor thieves break in to steal"
O'Rourke misquoted solemnly.
STEADY. Don't call names-or I'll
forget meself. mean that the letter
Is in fragments, scattered to the four
winds of heaven, destroyed. There We
have your answer. Ye fools, did We
think would carry 1t about me?'
by Cod" said Glynn tensely. mo
don't shoot him, Des Trebes! He's
telling the truth. Make him tell what
was in the letter"
I'm afraid It's useless" O'Rourke
Knocked them. II have forgotten the
contents. What use to me to re-
MEMBER" he demanded, inspired.
What made We think l would have
it at all? Sure, and the letter was
properly Chambret's. Why would l
not turn it over to him."
"Oh, cut it," Glynn interrupted i'm
patiently. 1--WE know he's dead. The
news was photographed in from the
column day before yesterday"
Quite so. Yet, if ye know so much,
if-as gather-ye suspect that Cham
bret turned over this precious jewel
to me, why do We not demand it las
we'll as the letter? Not that l have
either"
Because we jolly we'll know you
haven't got the ruby blurted the
Englishman.
BE quiet" snapped the vicomte.
quite right" echoed O'Rourke with
assumed Indignation. BE quiet, Ber-
tie Children should be seen and not
heard. Mind your uncle And, "Oho!"
he commented to himself. And they
knew l didn't have the Pool of Flame!
Let me think Oh, faith, It's
Just blufing they are!"
''You say" the viscomte continued
slowly and evenly, you've destroyed
the letter."
O'Rourke took up pipe and tobacco.
Il told ye," he replied, filling the
bowl, that the letter was non-exist-
ent. Now, me man." he continued, with
an imperceptible change of tone, drop
the bluff. Turn that pistol away from
me. Well know that ye won't shoot,
for if We did ye would put beyond
your reach forever the information
that would win ye the reward-al-
ways providing We had got possession
Of the ruby, be hook or crook. 'Twould
be crooks, I'm thinking"
He lit a match and applied the
fame to the tobacco. There's me last
word on the subject" he added in
distinctly, putting and cycling the pair
through the cloud of smoke.
The revolver waved in the vicomte's
hand; he was livid with passion and
disappointed, yet amenable to rea-
son. Glynn bent and whispered brief
ly in his ear, and the Frenchman, nod
ding acquiescence, laid aside his
weapon. The Honorable BERTHE con-
tinued to advise with him in whispers
until O'Rourke, though quite ut loss to
understand this phase of the affair,
saw that their attention was momen.
tarily diverted and, with swift move
ment. leaned over, snatched up the re-
volver and, with q nirt of his hand,
flung it out of the window.
Glynn started back with an oath,
his hand going toward his pocket; but
N,p o,,rLn nro,n ntlv c10nod with him A