The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-06-27

| In trust lie built upon It theory
whilst he listened nor lost point
| and replied to the secretary.
The latter regretted excessively
! that his excelency was absent: his
| oXcelency would undoubtedly be desc
/ lHtcd when he returned and found he
/ had missed Colonel ORourke.
"IIcll be back soon, monsieur?"
"hlas, not" with a shrug He is
on route for Paris-possibiy arrived
! by this moment-on matters Of state"
And he !cft?"
Several days since monsieur"
You know nothing OF this package,
/ iuGor5ed with the name Of Monsieur
Chambret?"
| To the contrary: the secretary knew
IL very well. He could place his hand
| upon It at any monsieur
! would appreciate that he burst not
surrender 1t without the Governors
| authority.
0'Rourke drew long sigh of relief
and was abruptly conscious OF fatigue
and desire to get away and rest.
I'm obliged to ye," he said slowly.
/ rising. "I'll have to wait until the
| Governor returns, | presume.
BY tho way, are We be any chance &C.
Quatnted with Monsieur 10 vicomte
dos Trebcs?"
But certainly; the vicomte was
great friend Of his excellency's. He
had dlned with his oxcellency some
thing over week since. Just prior to
tho latter's departure.
And | take II ye have seen nothing
Of the gentleman since?"
"On the contrary, monsieur: the vi.
comte called here but two days ago"
1t appeared that he had desired some
triflng Information, with which the
secretary had obliged him.
"Ye didn't happen to leave him
alone in this room7"
The secretary, plainly much per
picked by this odd catechIsm, ad.
mitted that such had been the case;
the pursuit of the desired data had
necesstated his absence from the Gov.
ernor's room for n matter OF some ten
mlnuLss,
"Brt We say ye can put your hand
on this PACKAGE"
But certainly monsieur"
Would ye mind making sure tbs
safe. 'Twould save me q deal OF
waiting. perhaps"
| With alacrity and a smile that de-
precated his visitors anxiety over so
trlfling matter. the secretary rose,
went to the safe and confidently
enough thrust a hand into one of the
plgeon.holes. The hand came forth
empay. A frown of bewiderment
clouied the secretary's face. 1T must
be here" he announced with convic-
ton. ct was in plain sight and la
belled with the name of Monsieur
Chambret :" lie turned. IF
Monsieur 10 Colonel will but return In
half an hour undertake then to
show him the packet itself l shall by
then have found it-but assuredly"
I'VE are very courteous, monsieur.
will return"
This he did-in two hours. The
packet had not been found; the sec
rotary. in n futter Of nerves, confessed
that through some culpable negligence
It must have been misplaced An ex-
tended search was even then in
progress 1t would surely come to
light before evening.
Thank ye; shant be back" re-
turned O'Rourke grimly; and went
away. downcast for the first time
since the inception of the adventure.
Faith! and to think | would not be-
lIeve the truth when they slapped me
face with II! And all the time. belize.
twas In the vicomte's own pocket! {.
:" But he had no vocabulary ade.
quate to the task of expressing his
self-contempt.
Disconsolate, conceiving that he had
proven himself blind, egregious fool,
he plodSed with heavy steps and q
hanging head back to his hotel; where
the browning stroke of tho day was
presented to him IN the shape OF q
note, by the hand of black Biskr!
,porter.
Monsieur le Colonel Terence
O'Rourke. Be hand" he conned the
address. Faith. and what's this?"
"If Monsieur 10 Colonel o'Rourke
viii do Monsieur DIES Trebes the hon.
Or of dining with him, at seven or
seven.thirty this evening. at the Villa
i'Orleans. st. Eugene. an arrangement
satisfactory to both himself and Mon
sieur lie Vicomte may be consummat.
ed.
"R. s. v. P.-The bearer waits"
A trap? A 6ubterfuge? A trick to
throw him OFF the scent whilst the two
blackguards escaped with their booty?
The adventurer frowned darkly over
Ii, dubious. Then, In flush of reck-
lessness. he seized sheet of paper
from a nearby desk. scrawled a
formal acceptance Of the strange invi-
tation, and handed II to the Biskri boy.
"All to gain. naught to lose" he sum.
med up the state OF mind which had
dictated bis response; and Ut six-