The Red Cloud chief., 1911-02-16

the old houses OF the French quarter.
| Presently they entered the short side
street which | myself had seen for
| the first time the previous night. l
pretended to busy myself with my
| pipe, as they turned in at the very
gate which | knew. and knocked at
the door which had entered with my
! mysterious companion!
The door opened without delay;
they both entered.
so, then. Helena Won Ritz had other
visitors! England and Mexico were in.
deed comforting here In Montreal.
! There were matters going forward
here in which my government was
concerned
At the moment nothing better oc-
Cured to me than to return to my
room and wait for a time. 1t would
serve no purpose for me to disclose
myself, either in or out Of the apart.
ments of the baroness, and 1t would
not aid me to be seen idling about the
neighborhood in a city where there
was so much reason to suppose stran.
gers were watched. ! resolved to
wait until the next morning, and TO
take my friend Won Rittenhofen with
me. He need not know all that /
knew, yet in case of any accident to
myself or any sudden contretemps, he
would serve both as witness and as
an excuse for disarming any sus-
picion which might be entertained re
garding myself
The next day he readily enough fell
In with my suggestion Of a morning
stroll, and again we sailed forth, at
about nine o'clock having by that
time finished a dejeuner a la four
chette with Jacques Bertillon, which
to my mind compared unfavorably
with one certain other had shared.
A sense of uneasiness began to op-
press me, I knew not why, before !
had gone half way down the little
street from the corner where we
turned 1t was gloomy and dismal
enough at the best, and on this morn.
ing an unusual apathy seemed to sit
upon 1t, for few of the shutters were
down, although the hour was now mid.
morning Something said to me that II
would be as we'll for me to turn back
l might as we'll have done so. We
passed up the little walk, and
raised the knocker at the door: but
even as it sounded | knew what would
happen. There came to me that
curious feeling which one experienced
when one knocks at the door Of .
ioh
Even more strongly had that strange
feeling now, because this sound was
not merely that of unoccupied rooms
1t came from rooms empty and echo
ing!
| tried the door 1t was not
locked, ! flung it wide, and stepped
within. At first / COULD not adjust my
eyes to the dimness. Absolute 81
lence reigned. | pushed open a shut
ter and looked about me. The rooms
were not only unoccupied, but unfur
nished! The walls and floors were ut
tcrly bare! Not sign OF human 90
cupancy existed. ! hastened out to
the little walk, and looked up and
down the street, to satisfy myself that
! had made no mistake. No, this was
the number-this was the place.
Followed by my wondering com.
panion, | made such inquiry as
could in the little neighborhood
could learn nothing.
Sir" said ! to my friend, at last; II
do not understand it. | have pursued,
but 1t seems the butterfly has flown"
SO, both silent, myself morosely so.
we turned and made our way back
across the town
Half an hour later We were on the
docks at the river front, where we
could look out over the varied ship.
}. ping which lay there. My scientific
friend counted one vessel after an.
other, and at last pointed to a gap
in the line.
Yesterday wass here" he said
| "and | counted all the ships and their
4. names. The steamer Modesto she lay
. there, Now she iss gone"
2 pulled up suddenly. This was the
). ship which carried Capt Parke and
l his friend Lieut.. Peel OF the British
7 navy The secret council at Mon
1 trcal was, therefore, apparently end
r ed! There would be an English land
g expedition, across Canada to Oregon
+. Would there be also an expedition by
sea? At least my errand in Montreal
: now finished, had not been in vain
!. even though it ended in a mystery
and query,
(TO BE CONTINUED)