Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-04
CHAPTER XXI.
1 Return TO France.

] n0IUCV 10 TtOuSSs ~,
I decided at all costs that would
take g trip to Paris. My decision was
|irreyocable. Neither the arguments
lot Mr.. Teck nor the absurd fears Of
MY secretary. John Fellowes. could
,aai,e me alter On ,nitd.
'Sou are res, to do So" said the
lawyer. "You are rlsking your present
high ,rsftion. DR.. Kingsley only asks
you to stay here quietly as lou have
been doing for the last two years. +"
"It is all right Mr.. Teck," said
Things have changed, and am going
over to square matters with DR.. Kings
ley"
No arguments could persuade me.
now that my resolution was taken.
had feverish desire to see the doctor
andeto confirm verbally what had
Informed him in the cable message l
had sent from Montreal, and, above
all, I wanted to see Evelyne.
did not make any exact plans for
the future. Everything would depend
upon how the doctor received me. l
might have to work 1t SO as to force
him to believe that was Douglass. or
/ might have to admit to him that his
s1rmfses had been correct.
For Evelyne's sake 7 might bs ,hlc
to throw away my mask altogether
and become Barrabas. the sculptor,
again. It might happen one way OF
the other. It would depend entirely
upon circumstances. I had given up
prophesying. Since had lived In
America / had become too practical
for that sort OF thing.
The preparations for my journey
were soon made, and sailed for
France with the sole object OF making
a pleasure trip as any prosperous b.lsl-
ness man might 40.
BY q simple matter of chance |
sailed on the Touraine, the same LOST
on which had come across with n,
partner, Lucie Well and my son Poly
dore. AS whim, occupied the same
stateroom had before.
AS soon as was on the boat my
mind reverted to my previous trip.
saw again the scene on that starry
night in midocean. saw Poly dore
standing beside Lucie who | thought
had been murdered by Kingsley. Ihen
I saw the millionaire and heard his
loud voice rising above the noise at the
pillows.
Then I heard my sons rough voice
as he drew aside the curtain in my
stateroom:
IS "Give me Ave 1ouis!"
They were of the past / was tue
only survivor OF the four passengers
who had taken the other voyage!
We had only short while raised
anchor when the captain Of the boat
came up to me and said:
u "Are you Mr.. Douglass Of the firm OF
Kingsley g. Douglass
"The same 1splie:l.
"This is very embarrassing" he
said. Here is a message for you to go
back. I am directed to stop the boat
h. It Is impossible for me to put you
ashore"
The captain held out paper
ribbon, on which read these words
{ Return. Cable message from France.
reck.
aCan you not get copy of this cable
message?' / asked.
The captain looked ANNOYED.
Five minutes after he brought me
another ribbon on which ] read
"Cable message from Paris worded
william is-a (signed) Marcadian. "
excuse me-" said to the captain
.twhat does this mean
He bent over the little slip.
eft Is annoying, but the apparatus
has not registered the word, SAID the
captain.
/ was vexed bevond all measure.
There was no sense whatever TO ,e
message. All day long | puzzled over
the bit Of paper. What letters were
missing before and after the "a"?f II
was. evidently the reply to my Gaze
message telling him OF Lucie's death.
ON this there was no doubt But why
had Marcadian replied for him? me
breyity of the message puzzled me.
His laconism doubled the interest.
Nv ewes were hypLotized on this
vowel "a =, the only letter that the I'M
nerfect apparatus had registered OF the
word that held the clue to the mes
sage. thought of all the words that
It might be that contained the
letter ga"
Then suddenly received a shock,
Marcadian had sent the cable message.
W1ll1am lHQ IlOI lOpAiOu.,s $3.50 -
out the missing word.
civilian is dead!
There could not be any other trans
lation. That explained Marcadian's
signature and the brevity of his form.
"William is dead" The wireless,
through its imperfections. had soft
ened the brusqueness Of the lawyer's
message. placed the paper In my
notebook and strolled up and down
the deck t6 breath IN the fresh air.
Dead, So the doctor was dead! It was
the end Of the nightmare in which
had lived for three years. / might be
able to confess all to Marcadian and
Eyelyne now. Terrible as it may
sound, had a feeling of infinite relief
at the thought that, after all, should
not have to face the doctor.
I recalled John Fellowes' words as
we stood together on the docks:
81 have a presentiment that you will
not come back Mr.. Douglass.
And ! had laughed and told him that
he should step into my shoes.
In all probability he had telegraphed
to Marcadian that / was crossing on
the Touraine. If so, 1t was more than
l,l,,1, .4hot IN leaving the steamer at