The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-02-22

! claimed to be. The mans demeanor
was consistently discreet and self
contained; he moved about the ship
| openly and without any apparent at
tempt to pry upon the doings of the
adventurer, whom he fell into the
easy ship-board way of greeting ami
ably but coolly. Only in one instance,
indeed, did they exchange more than
but courteous salutations, and then
| De Hyeres himself seemed to seek
| the interview, approaching O'Rorrke
| directly.
This was at night, when O'Rourke
occupied a chair on the Toward side
of the saloon deck, consuming q medi-
tative after-dinner cigar. De Hyeres
stepped out of the compsnionway,
glanced swiftly this way and that, and
sauntered toward the Irishman with
an unlighted cigarette held conspicu-
ously between his fingers.
O'Rourke likewise surveyed his sur
roundings in two brief glances: and
was contented to find that they were
alone or as much alone as two can be
upon steamship. For they were,
after all, we'll matched; and one Of
them he knew to be armed. Shifting
in his chair so that his revolver lay
convenient to his hand, as De Hyeres
approached the Irishman removed his
cigar from between his teeth, fiicked
away an inch of ash and silently prof
fered it in the prescribed fashion.
The Frenchman accepted the cour-
tesy with a bow, applied the fire to his
cigarette, inhaled deeply and returned
the cigar with a formal phrase of
thanks He fingered for moment,
putting and gazing off over the black,
sterllt expanse Of the Bay of Bengal,
lonely to its dim and far horizon, then
observed quietly: 81 am not mistaken.
I believe, in understanding I have the
honor to address Monsieur lie Colonel
,O'Rourke Chevalier of the Legion of
Honour"
"You are not mistaken, monsieur"
returned O'Rourke pleasantly, then
with the directness which he some
times found useful, watching the man
closely as he spoke: and I believe
it is my pleasure to recognize Mon
sier LIE Vicomte des Trebes?"
"Des Trebes, monsieur" The
F'renchman's look of wonder was be-
yond criticism and there was no least
trace of discontinue to be detected
in his manner. But no. You are
under a mistake 1 am merely a
French gentleman without a title;
Raoul de Hyeres is my name"
"Ah!" said the wanderer. "'Twas
the resemblance misled me. Pardon:
monsieur"
"Granted, my dear sir. -. Des
Trebes? The name has familiar
sound Do I not remember reading
somewhere that the Vicomte des
Trebes died last spring? In Tunis,
was it? . Suddenly, believe"
"Is it so?" said O'Rourke drily. "Pos
sibly. The vicomte lived in the man
ner of those who meet with sudden
Deaths"
The subject languished, and after a
few more noncommittal observances
De Hyeres wandered off, presumably
in search of the English girl, to whom
he had been paying assiduous atten
ton.
On closer scrutiny, she had proved
to be a remarkably pretty girl; al
though, in point of fact, O'Rourke, for
all that he admired her looks i'm
mensely, had purposely avoided her
This he did from motives Of prudence;
he mistrusted the combination formed
by De Hyeres and the girl. The latter
might be all that she looked and claim
ed to be: a sweet, wholesome and rath
er ingenious young Englishwoman, an
orphan, resident in Rangoon In the
household of an uncle, to whom she
was returning after visit with
friends in Simla. On the passenger
list her name stood as Emilia Pyn
sent But the adventurer felt it the
course of wisdom to deny himself the
pleasure of her acquaintance, so long
as she permitted the attentions Of the
Frenchman.
Altogether, considering the hot
weather and such selflmposed re-
strictions, O'Rourke considered the
voyage hardly success from social
point of view. He kept pretty much
to himself and to Danny, and to make
assurance doubly sure he instituted q
new regime with regard to the Pool
of Flame: that jewel never left his
stateroom. When O'Rourke was on
deck or at meals, Danny sat behind
bolts, alert and under arms, and vice
versa BY night they stood regular
watches together, the one on guard
while the other slept. Clearly the ad'
iventurer was determined that no lack
of safeguards on his part should again
deprive him Of the ruby.
But it's no easy matter to avoid
meeting any particular person on q
ship with small saloon list, unless
one is willing to be purposely rude
and discourteous. For all his wari.
mess the Irishman was to carry with
him a personal impression Of Miss
Dun