The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-06-14

Trebes the prime mover IN this terri
BILE affair: he no longer entertained
a shred OF doubt that bis enemy had
Travelled with him from Calcutta un'
der the disguise OF DE Hyores." And
he believed the man had planned this
thing far ahead: else would be have
surely taken some overt step 70 pre-
vent oRourke from delivering the
ruby 10 Sypher. He OWNED acutely
that. despairing OF any further at
tempt 70 win the level from him. Dcs
Trebes had turned his wits TO the task
OF stealing II from sypher; somebody
naturally much less 20 be feared than
the adventurer.
But on the other hand. II the girl
had not been Dos .Trebes' assistant
what had become OF her? And what
OF her guest-the lady one Of whose
initials was b?
II was not Inconsistent with Des
Trebes' whole-hearted yillainy that he
should employ a gang Of thugs sum
ciently large TO overpower and make
away with bodily and In a body Miss
Pynsent, her guest and the servants.
Great Cod" cried o'Rourke.
IT II be IN truth my wife,"
Without presage a thin but impera-
tive naturalization broke upon tho
silence OF the house Of death. ORourke
Jumped as II shot. Somewhere In one
OF the other rooms a telephone bell
was ringing. II ceased. leaving a
strident stiffness; but before he could
move 10 find the instrument and an
swer the call, there rose a second time
that moaning sob which first he had
attributed 10 an impossible source,
then. IN the turmoil Of his thoughts.
had forgotten.
He waited, listening intently. The
telephone called again and again sub
sided Then a third time he heard the
groan. more faint than before. but suf
hciently loud TO suggest its source,
He moved warily toward the windows
and out upon the veranda-hounded
by the telephone. But that would
have 20 wait: here was a more ur-
gent matter to his hand. Between the
long. insistent rings the moaning was
again audible; and this time he To-
Gated II accurately, II came from the
lawn. near the edge OF the veranda.
He stepped or carefully, but almost
stumbled over the body OF a man who
lay there. huddled and moaning
And another!" whispered the ad.
yenturer. awed. Faith. this Pool Of
Flame -"
He was at once completely horrided
and utterly dumbfounded. Nothing he
had come upon within the bungalow
seemed to indicate that there had been
prior to the assassination of Sypher.
He had up to this moment considered
it nothing but a coldblooded and cow
ardly murder; the man had apparent
ly been struck down from behind in to-
tai ignorance of his danger. O'Rourke
had deduced that Sypher had risen
from the desk to put the jewel in his
safe; and that while he was so en-.
gagged the assassin. till then skulking
outside the long windows and waiting
for a moment when his victims back
should be turned. mad entered and
struck. But how could he recon
cile that hypothesis with this man who
lay weltering and at the point OF death
lt the veranda edge?
Indeed. he could not do so. But
his victim, at least, was not yet dead;
# he had strength to moan, he might
yet be revived. at least temporarily.
Without delay, then. the Irishman
yrasped the man beneath the armpits,
and, lifting him bodily to the veranda,
ragged him into the library. Not un.
Ill he placed him in the middle Of the
floor. beneath the blare of the lamp
light did O'Rourke have an oppor-
-unity to observe his features. But
low as he dropped to his knees beside .
he body, his wondering cry testified
o immediate recognition.
The latest name to be inscribed on
he long and blood-stained death-roll
If the Pool of Flame was that of Paul
Maurice, Vicomte des Trebes; or, If
here were life enough left in the
nan to enable him to insist upon his
lom de guerre (the wanderer reflected /
yrimly) Raoul de Hyeres
What next?" wondered O'Rourke.
What can the meaning of 1t all be /
low?"
ITO RE CONTINITEDl