, 1912-04-04

AT naiI after 8 the yacht let 20 her
ancnor a few hundred yards from the
quay Every one was astir by now
out at the breakfast table there was
one vacant chair Breitmann's N
Ferraud and Fitzgerald exchanged sio
nincant glances In fact. the French
man drank bis coffee hurriedly and
excused himself. Breitmann was no,
OF deck, neither was he in his state
room The door was open. NJ. Fer
raud without any unnecessary aualms
OF conscience went In. One glanc ar
tne trunk was sufficient The lock
hung down. disclosing the secret hol
low. For once the little mans u yitv
rorsook him. and he swore like a sailor
but softly He rushed again to rho
oeck and sought Captain Flanagan
VINO was enjoying a pipe forward.
captain. where is Mr.. Breitmann7"
"Breitmann! oh. he went ashore
In n of the fruit boats. Missed tn
motor"
Fitzgerald hove in sight Find
him?''
ASHORE" said NJ. Ferraud. with a
violent gesture.
isn't 1t time to make known who
he isY'
Not yet 1t would start too many
complications. Besides. l doubt II he
has the true measurements"
There vas ample time for him to
make a copy"
Perhaps"
m. Ferraudr'
"well9'
I've an Idea. and 1 have had 1t for
some time. that you wouldn't feel hor
ribly disappointed If our friends made
away with the money"
NJ. Ferraud shrugged: then he
laughed quietly.
We'll. neither would l." Fitzgerald
added
My son. you are a man after my
W heart | was furious for the mo-
ment to think that he had outwitted
me the FIRST move. | did not want him
to meet his confederates without my
eyes on him. And there you have it,
1t is not the money. which is morally
his; It is his friends, his lying. mock
ing friends"
Are we fair to the admiral? he has
set his heart on this thing"
"And shall we spoil his pleasure?
Let him find it out later"
do you know Corsica"
"As the palm Of my hand"
But he womenr"
They will never be in the danger
zone. No blood will be spilled unless
1t be mine. He has no love for me.
and l am his only friend. save one.
Suppose this persecution of Ger
many's was only a blind?"
MY admiration for you grows. Mr.
Fitzgerald. But l have dug too deeply
into that end Of 1t not to be certain that
Germany has tossed this bombshen
into France without holding a string
to It Did you know that Breitmann
had once been hit by a spent bullet?
Here" pointing to the side of his head
He is always conscious of what he
does. but not Of the force that makes
him do 1t. Do you understand me-? He
is living In a dream, and l must wake
him"
The Adventures were now ready {
disembark. They took nothing but
rugs and hand bags. for there would be
no ~preening Of 6ne feathers on hotel
verandas. With the exception of Hill
degarde all were eager and excited.
Her breast was heavy with forebod-
ings. Who and what ,was this man
Ferraud? One thing she knew-he
was a menace to the man she loved
aye, with every throb Of her heart
and every thought Of her mind.
The admiral was like a boy starting
out upon his first fishing excursion
To him there existed nothing else in
the world beyond a chest Of money
hidden somewhere In the pine forest
Of Atone. He talked and laughed.
pinched Laura's ears. shook F1tzger-
AIDS shoulder. prodded Coldfield and
fused because the motor wasn't sixty
horsepower.
Father" Laura asked suddenly.
where is Mr.. Breitmann?"
"Oh, ! told him last night to go
ashore early. II he would. and arrange
for rooms at the Grand Hotel dAtac-
clio He knows all about the place"
NJ. Ferraud turned an empty face
toward Fitzgerald. who laughed The
great-grandson of Napoleon applying
for hotel accommodations as a gentle
mans gentleman and within a few
blocks of the house in which the self
same historic forbear was born! 1t
had its comic side.
Are there any brigands?' inquired
Mrs. Coldheld. She was beginning TO
doubt this expedition.
..BrigandsY Plenty" said the ad-
miral. but they are all hotel proprfe-
tors these times. those that aren't con
yepiently buried. From here we go
TO Carghese. where we spend the night.
HL- - annthar nInht