The Arvada enterprise., 1913-09-25

mention that name here. Let us say
he and him; then there will be less
danger of attracting his attention"
DO you think he is near u.s."
1t is quite possible, Sir, II he is
not, at this moment, with his victim,
in the house on the lake"
"Ah, so you know that house, tooY"
IF he Is not there, he may be
here, In this wall. in this floor. in
this ceiling! Gomez"
And the Persian, asking Raoul to
deaden the sound of his footsteps, led
him down passages which Raoul had
never seen before, even at the time
when Christine used to take him for
walks through that labyrinth.
IF only Darius has come!" said the
Persian.
Who Is Darius?"
Darius? My servant"
They were now in the center OF q
real deserted square, an immense
apartment ill-lit by small lamp. The
Persian stopped Raoul and. in the
softest of whispers, asked:
What did you say to the commits
sary?"
Il said that Christine Daae's alb
ductor was the Angel of Music, alias
the opera ghost. and that the real
name was :"
Hush! And did he be-
.ieve you?"
mo"
He attached no Importance to
what you said?"
mo"
He took you for bit OF mad
mani"
Yes"
so much the better!" sighed the
Persian.
And they continued their road.
After going up and down several
staircases which Raoul had never
seen before, the two men found them
selves In front Of door which the
Persian opened with a master-key.
The Persian and RaoM were both, OF
| course, in dress-cloth,l; but, where
as Racal had a tall hne, the Persian
wore the astrakhan cap which | have
already mentioned. Ii was an In
fringement of the rule which insists
upon the tall hat behind the scenes; !;
| but in France foreigners are allowed
every license; the Englishman his
! travelling cap, the Persian his cap OF
astrakhan.
Sir" said the Persian, your tall
hat will be in your way; you would
| do well to leave it in the dressing
| room"
What dressing room?" asked
Raou
Christine Daae's."
| And the Persian, letting Raoul
through the door which he had Just
| opened, showed him the actress room
opposite
They were at the end OF the pass
age the whole OF which Raoul had
| been accustomed to traverse before
| knocking at Christine's door.
How well you know the opera.
| sir"
Persian modestly.
And he pushed the young man into
| Christine's dressingroom, which was
as Raoul had left It few minutes
earlier.
Closing the door, the Persian went
to very thin partition that sep.
arated the dressingroom from a big
lumber-room next to 1t. He listened
and then coughed loudly.
There was a sound of some one
stirring in the lumber-room and. a
few seconds later, u finger tapped at
the door
Come in" said the Persian.
A man entered. also wearing an
astrakhan cap and dressed in long
| overcoat. He bowed and took rich.
ly carved case from under his coat,
put 1t on the dressing-table. bowed
once again and went to the door.
Did no one see you come in,
Darius?"
mo. master"
Let no one see you go out"
Tho servant glanced down the
passage and swiftly disappeared
The Persian opened the case 1t
contained a pair OF long pistols.
when Christine Daae was carried
of, sir, sent word to my servant to
bring me these pistols. | have had
them long time and they can be re-
lied upon"
DO you mean to fight a duel?"
asked the young man.
TT will certainly be duel which
we shall have TO fight" said the other.
examining the priming OF his pistols.
And what duel!" Handing one OF
the pistols to Raoul, he added: I'm
this duel. we shall be two to one: but
you must be prepared for everything.
for we shall be fighting the most ter.
rible adversary that you can imagine
But you love Christine Daae. do you
not?"
II worship the ground she stands
on! But you. sir. who do not love
her. tell me why / find you ready 10