The Washington herald., 1911-02-18

He has mulcted me for two DAYS work. -
But crossing in the yacht" hesitated
Fitzgerald. He wished to sound this man
Breitmann. If he suggested obstacles
and difficulties il would be a confirmation
of the telegram and his own singular
doubts.
TT Is likely to be a rough passage, :"
said Breitmann experimentally.
He doesn't want me to CO." Fitz-
gerald stroked his chin slyly.
I'VE have crossed the Atlantic twice in
the yacht" Laura affirmed with a bit of
pride: "once in March too, and a heavy
sea half the way
Enter me as cabin-bOy or supercargo."
said Fitzgerald. IF you don't you'll find
a stowaway before two days out
That's the spirit The admiral drew
strongly on his cigar. He had really
never been so excited since his first sea
engagement And it comes in so pat
Laura We were going away in a month
anyway. Now we can notify the guests
that we've cut down the time two weeks.
l tell you what II is, this will be the
greatest cruise I ever laid a course to-
Guests" murmured Fitzgerald. un-
consciously pOaching on Breitmann's
thought.
Yes. But they shall know nothing till
we land in Corsica And in a day or two
this fellow would have laid hands on
these things and we'd never been any the
wiser"
And may We not expect more Of him.
said Breitmann.
Small good it will do him."
Corsica" repeated the girl dreamily.
Ay, Napoleon. The Corsican Brothers
daggers and vendetta the restless island,
1t is full Of interest 1 have been there"
Breitmann smiled pleasantly at the girl,
but his thought was unsmiling Versed
as he was in reading at a glance ex-
preston, whether it lay in the eyes, in
the lips, or the hands, ne realized with
chagrin that he had made a misStep
somewhere. For some reason he would
have given much TO know, Fitzgerald was
coveruy watching him.
You have been there, too. have you
not, Mr.. Fitzgerald?' asked Laura
"Oh. yes; but never north of Ajaccio."
Laura, what a finishing touch this will
give to my book" For the admiral was
compiling a volume of treasures found.
lost, and still being hunted.
''All can say is, that am really sorry.
that the money wasn't used for the pur-
pose intended"
Il do not agree there" said Fitzgerald.
And why not?" asked Breitmann.
France is better off as she is She has
had all the empires and monarchies she
cares for. Wonderful country! See how
she has lived in spite of them all There
will never be another kingdom in France,
at least not in our generation. There's a
Napoleon in Belgium and a Bourbon in
England; the one drills mediocre soldiers
and the other shoots grouse. They will
never go any further
The secretary spread his fingers and
shrugged. IF there was only a direct
descendant of Napoleon
well, there isn't" retorted Fitzgerald
dismissing the subject into limbo. And
much good it would do if there was"
This treasure would rightly be his"
insisted Breitmann.
1T was put together to bring Napoleon
back. There is no Napoleon to bring
back"
I'm other words, the money belongs to
the finder?''
Findings is keepings.'' the admiral de-
termined. That's Capt. F1anagan's
rule"
The girl could bring together no rea-
sons for the mind inclining to the
thought that between the two young men
there had risen an antagonism of some
sort, nothing serious, but still armed with
spikes of light in the eyes and a semi
truculent angle to the chin. Fitzgerald
was also aware of this apparency. and
1t annoyed him. Still, sometimes instinct
guides more surely than logic. After all,
he and Breitmann were only casual ac-
quaintances. There had never been any
real basis for friendship, and the possi-
bility of this had been rendered nil by
the telegram One cannot make a friend
of man who has lied gratuitously.
Now, Mr.. Breitmann," interposed the
admiral pacifically, for he was too keen
a sailor not to have noted the chill in the
air, suppose We send off those letters?
Here, I'll write the names and addresses
and you can finish them up by yourself
Please call up Capt Flanagan at Swans
Hotel and tell him to report this after
noon" The admiral scribbled out the
names of his guests, gathered up the pre-
cious documents, and put them into his
pocket Come along now, my children;
we'll take the air in the garden and pic
ture the FTenchman's brig rocking in the
karbor."
1T is all very good Of you." said Fftz-
gerald, as the trio eyed the yacht from
the terrace
+NonsenseI The thing remains that an
these years you ignored US"
7 have been, and still am. confound-
edly poor. There is little; l suppose
could get along in a hut in some country
village, but the wandering life has spoil |
ed me for that"
Fake PRIDE" rebuked the girl
IT suppose it is"
your father had none Long after |
the smash he'd hunt me UP for a weeks |
fishing. Isn't she beauty?'' pointing to |
the yacht.
She is,'' the young man agreed. with |
his admiration leveled at the lovely pro-
tile Of the girl
10 BE CONTINUED ro-MoRRow. ]