The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-25

stolen the treasure, he had plenty of money to buy palatial villas, live like prince, and stake thousands at Mon- te Carlo. At any rate, he, Ronald, 1 would soon find out, by fair means or foul. whether the girl whose voice he had heard was Cara or not | He was tortured by the suspense by the feverish longing to go to the villa and demand admittance; with almost a feverish desire to be alone, to think out some plan. As they drove back in the sunlit warmth of the afternoon and approached the villa, he grew si- lent, and his face became so stern so fixed, with his repressed emotion that the Princess glanced at him and sighed.
 "What are you thinking of, Ronnie?' 2 she asked. ''You haven't answered my 1 last two remarks-it's true they weren't worth response-and you | look so strange and absorbed. Are you thinking of some one who is ab- sent, some one you wish were here instead of he?' she added softly. | Ronald was more than half inclin'
 ed to tell her; but he resisted tho
 temptation. The matter-Cara's safe | ty, delverance-was too serious fol 1 confidence. No; he could not tell her
 "I'm sorry he said. T was think ] ing of a-a trouble I had gone l through, am going through;- but mustn't bore you with ir.''
 Do you think it would bore me?'
 she asked, with a wistful, pathetic lit
 tie smile ''Do you think, if I were
 offered my choice of happiness, tha I shouldn't say at once. Give me { 1 share of Ronald Desborough's trouble. -and his joys? An, you don't un
 derstand a woman, Ronnie! To shar the mans trouble is her privilege, per
 haps the most precious she has. Bu
 you shall not tell me unless you like
 Some day you may want to do so; ant
 then-ah, then we shall see"'
 He forced himself to tighten the ton of their conversation: they reached her carriage and drove to the villa
 He had formed no plan, devised m means of arriving at the truth, and just as Dexter Reece had done, h passed slowly before the gates ant looked at tl.em with masked eagerness Should he ring the bell and ask fo the Count? He knew that it woul,
 be useless to do so; and yet he coul not resist the desire.
 He pulled at the bell, which clange' in a untitled fashion, suggestive to hi
 overwrought mind, of secrecy ant
 mystery; and the burly gatekeepe came from the lodge and surveye'
 him through the gate.
 'Is the Count within?" asked Ron tald, in his broken Italian.
 The man replied in the negative, an, held out his hand for card
 Ronald pretended to search for one then said:
 'tNo matter. I will call again, o
 write to his Excellency''
 The man bowed and returned to tn
 lodge, but stood at the door, watchin
 Ronald closely. Ronald, fuming Nh wardly, walked round the place, paus , ing at intervals and listening intent ly: but no sound came from the higl : walls, no figure was seen from tn , few windows which were visible Half maddened by suspense. he re
 turned to Monte Carlo, and, conceal l ed behind the trunk of palm, watch 7 ed the entrance of the Casino. Pres l ently he noticed that the man wh } had asked him, on the previous even ing, who the Count was, was standin : at a short distance from the build ing, and, screened like himself, ap } peared to be also watching. Coul this gentleman also be wanting tn Count?
 } A little later the handsome carriag dashed up; the Count alighted. Hi face had not yet assumed the hideou \ expression which it wore at the table 2 and he looked complacent and at hi f ease; but Ronald saw him glance fror ] side to side furtively, and saw als