The Clovis news. [volume] (Clovis, N.M.) 1907-1929, 1912-05-02
cHAPTER mI.

CHAPTER ut'
AS he stepped out Of the lift Colonel
OyRourke remarked a light in his
room, visible through the transom
over the door.
THE femme de chambre,' he
thought. Sure and the poor things
still busy trying tp clear up. !,
To the contrary, he found the door
fast. ""Tis careless she was to leave
the light Oh" he observed, fitting his
key in the lock.
II %thoughtless In that one a the
woman had fulfilled the letter Of her
word In the other. It was with com
~prehensive relief (since he anticipated
q callerl that he found the room once
again p%resentable.
But one thing surprised him; and
more surprising still was the fact that
his ordinarily Indifferent eye should
have detected 1t at the first glance.
He had indeed hardly entered before
he became aware OF a square of white
paper tucked in the corner Of the bu-
reau mirror.
"The divvle, now!" he greeted It.
''That's curious. Could one Of
me many admirers have bribed the
femme de chambre to bring a note to
me?" He chuckled. holding to the
light a much soiled envelope, grimy
with the marks OF many fingers, plas-
tered with stamps and black with
postage marks and substitute ad-
dresses, having evidently been for
warded over half the world before it
reached the a%ddressee: who was,
in a bold hand. Colonel Terence
ORourke."
He whistled low over this. examin-
ing it intently. infinitely less concern
ed with it's contents than with the
manner by which it had reached him.
The first postmark seemed to be that
OF Rangoon, the original address, the
Cercle Militaire, his club in Paris.
Thence. apparently, it had sought him
in Galway. ireland, Dublin. Paris again,
and ~hnally-after half a dozen other
addresses-"C. OF Nine. O'Rourke, Ho
tel Carlton, London" The London
postmark was indecipherable.
He found himself trembling violent
~. BY one hand alone could this
have reached him, since the post had
not brought 1t to Monte Carlo. =.
He recalled that woman's voice which
had so stirred him, the woman Of the
Casino whose bearing had seemed to
him so familiar.
Some one tapped on the door; he
smothered a curse Of annoyance, and
went to answer, tSrusting the letter
into his pocket.
A page announced Monsieur lie
Comte des Trebes.
SHOW the gentleman up" snapped
O'Rourke. He was about to add, "in
i've minutes" when Des Trebes him
self appeared.
Anticipating that message. mon
sieur," he said, moving into view
from n side Of the door, Il took the
liberty Of accompanying this boy. !
am late, / fear"
O'Rourke forced a nod and smile of
welcome, mot to my knowledge. said
he.
The Frenchman consulted his watch.
"Ten minutes late, monsieur; It is ten
past midnight"
Then" said ORourke. 1.-THE top O.
the morning to ye, Enter. monsieur"
He stood aside. closing the door be-
him his guest. "'Tis no matter: II
! thought ye punctual. It's SO ye are
to all intents and purposes.
A chair, monsieur" He established
Des Trebes by a window. "And a Gig
arctic? A drop to drink?
AS We viii. And since
tits to talk secret business that we're
here-would We like the door locked?"
"That is hardly essential" Des Ire
bes reviewed his surroundings with
swift. searching glance. "We are at
least secure from interruption; one
could ask little more
True for ye," laughed O'Rourke. He
moved toward the alcoye. Now first
Of an I'm to submit proofs OF me iden
tity, / believe, be added. intending TO
dig out Of his trunk a d~isDatch-box
containing his passports and other pa.
Ders of a private nature.
But Des Trebes had changed his
mind. "That Is unnecessary, mon
Rieur Your very willingness Is sum
Client proof. I have your word and
am content.
That's the way Of doing business
that ! like assented ORoufke heart
ny. warming a little 20 the man as he
turned baek a chair facing the w.