The Washington times., 1911-09-10

SabiC was Opu6Cu " b0oPCAA -oRcAn-
tions pending the arrival Of further
What did % / tell your asked Rack
sole. leading the way to another table
farther up the room.
A hundred curious glances went
after him. One old woman, whose gay
attire suggested false youthfulness,
begged him in French to stake Ave-
franc piece for her.
She offered him the coin. He took 1t
! and gave her 100-franc note In ex-
change.
She clutched the crisp. rustling pa,
per, and with hysterical haste scuttled
| back to her own table.
At the record table there was con-
siderable air Of excitement.
In the forefront of the players was
a woman in a low-cut evening dress
of black silk and large red picture
Her age appeared to be about twenty;
| a distinctly lavish nose.
She was handsome, but her beauty
was Of that forbidding, sinister order
which Is often called Junoesque.
This woman was the center OF a.-
traction. People said to one another
that she had won 10000 francs that day
at the table.
You were right" Prince Aribert
whispered to Theodore Racksole as soon
as he caught sight of this dark-browcd
"As to whatT' asked Racksole.
THAT Is the Berlin lady,
THE deuce she is. Has she seen
you? VIII she know, your 49,.
she would probably know me. nut
she hasn't looked up yet"
keep behind lier, then. ! propose TO
| find her a little occupation"
BY dint Of a carefully excused di-
plomacy Racksole maneuvered himself
INTO a seat opposite the lady IN the
the othey table had followed him. and
people regarded him as a serious and
formidable player.
In the first turn the lady put 1000
francs on the double zero; Racksole put
100 on number nineteen and Loo on the
| odd number.
Nineteen won. RacksoIe received 400
| francs.
Nine times in succession Racksole
| backed number IS and the odd num-
bers: nine times the lady backed dou-
| BILE zero Nine times Racksole won
and the lady lost.
The other players. perceiving that the
AFFAIR had resolved itself into a duel;
watched these two. Prince AriberI
never stirred from his position behind
the great red hat.
The game continued. Racksole lost
Inine-hundredths Of the luck was with
him. AS a spectator at the table re-
marked, He couldn't do wrong"
When midnight struck the lady IN
the red hat was reduced to loo francs.
Then she fell into winning vein for
half an hour, BUT at o'clock her re-
sources were exhausted.
OF the 10000 francs which she was
reputed 10 have had early in the even
ing RacI sole held about $1,000 and the
bank had the rest.
1t was a calamity for the Juno Of the
red hat. She jumped up. stamped her
| foot and hurried from the room.
At a discreet distance Racksole and
| the Prince pursued her.
1T might be well to ascertain her
doesn't take US too far"
! Outside in the glare Of the great arc
lights and within sound of the surf
which beats away at the very foot of
summoned q cab and drove rapidly
away.
Racksole and the Prince took an open
carriage and Started in pursuit. They
had not, however, Travelled more than
half mile when Prince Aribert stopped
the carriage, and, bidding Racksole get
out, paid the driver and dismissed him.
, Il feel sure know where she Is 60
Ing" he exclaimed, land It will be bet
| ter for US to follow on foot
You mean she's making for the
scene Of last nights AFFAIR."" said Rack
sole.
Exactly. We shall-what you call
Kill two birds with one stone"
Prince Aribert's guest was correct
The ladys carriage stopped in front of
Miss Spencer had had their interview
on the previous evening and the lady
vanished into the building just as the
two men appeared at the end Of the
street.
Instead Of proceeding along that thor
oughfare. the Prince led Racksole to the
lane which gave on to the backs Of the
houses, and he counted the houses as
they went up the lane.
In a few minutes they had burglar
iomsly climbed over a wall and crept
with infinite caution up a long. narrow
piece Of ground-half garden. half paved
yard-til they crouched under a win
dnw-a window which was shielded by
curtains, but which had been left open
about all inch. probably on account Of
Listen" said the prince in, his light
est whisper. 'Thev are talking"
The Berlin lady and Miss Spencer.
I'm sure it's Miss Spencers voice.
Racksole boldly pushed the French
window q little wider open and put his
ear to the aperture, through which came
beam of yellow light.
Take my place. he whispered to the
understand better"
| Silently they exchanged places under
the window. and the prince listened in
| tnntly.
Then you refuse?' Miss Spencer's
visitor was saying.
There was no answer from Miss Spen-
Not even loo francs: I tell you I've
lost the whole 25,000." s-
Again no answer.
Then I'll tell the whole story" the
| lady went on in ar angry rush of words.
| "I dill what I promised to do. I enticed
him here. and you've got him safe In
your vile cellar, poor little man, and
| you won't give me q paltry 1.000 francs. "
"You have already had your price"
The words were Miss Spencer's. They
fell cold and calm In the night air.
"I want another thousand
II haven't it,
Then we'll see"
Prince Ariber. heard o rustic Of flying
skirts Then another movement. A
door banged, AMI the beam Of light
| through the aperture of the window sud-
He pushed the window wide open.
The room was in darkness and appar-
Now Tor that lantern Of yours" he
| said eagerly to Theodore Racksole.
after he had translated to him the con-
versation Of the two women.
Racksole produced the dark. lantern
from the capacious pocket Of his dust.
coat and lighted It. The ray flashed
about the ground.
what is thatT' exclaimed Prince
ArIbert with a swift cry, pointing to
| the ground