Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-26
CHAPTER X-Continued.

rent in circles much more exclusive.
The rooms were filled, although the
really fashionable world had just begun
to flock south for the winter. The usual
motley went to make up the highly COL
ored mosaic of worshipers at the chief
shrine of the goddess of chance. 1t would
be waste of your time and mine, too.
to describe again the types to be observed
there, and Slyne had seen them all very
often before. He Sauntered about for a.
little and then slipped quietly into the
only seat which had been vacated since
he had arrived, much to the annoyance
OF short, fat Frenchman, who seemed
disposed to insist on his own prior claim
TO it, till Slyne glanced over one shoulder
into his eyes.
Good luck to you.' cried a jovial voice
from the other side of the table as he
sat down. and Slyne nodded coldly to his
companion of the afternoon.
He did not desire Mr.. Joblings further
acquaintance, and would have ignored
his greeting entirely but that he noticed
in front Of the stout solicitor quite
noteworthy stack of winnings and he
did not know whether he might not yet
have occasion to draw on the others ex
pressed ambition to repay him for ia
vor done. In any case. he dismissed all
such ideas from his mind for the mo-
ment and started to play, very eau
tiOuSly.
A cautious player who can keep his
head need seldom lose great deal at
any game. Slyne had drunk nothing
stronger than vichy since the night be-
fore. He was tensely on the alert. His
luck came and went until he had lost a
couple of thousand francs, and then he
began to win.
He had been winning, slowly but surely,
with only an occasional setback, for over
an hour before he became aware that q
growing group of interested onlookers
had gathered behind him, and that he
had accumulated within the space be-
fprnn h
notes and gold which reached to his chin
And, thus convinced that he was in the
vein spurred on by some sudden remem-
brance of Sallie Gagged in her cabin on
the Olive Branch. an ever-present temp
tat1on to play to the gallery. to stake no
less than the maximum on every turn of
the wheel, had almost vanquished all his
discretion when he encountered the quiet
glance OF a man who was contemplating
him from behind the players seated at
the other side of the table-a man whom
he knew only too well one of the clev-
crest OF those mouchards whose frequent
comings and goings attract SO little at
tention there-and who knew him.
The brilliant lights about him grew
strangely blurred. He felt faint and i'll.
But, by desperate effort of will, he
managed to maintain an outward COM
posture. He yaWned openly and then let
his eyes fall to look at his watch The
detective was carelessly moving round
the table i'm his direction. He shifted his
rake to his left hand, and, slipping his
right hand across his chest to within the
lapel of his evening coat. laid out some
small further stake entirely at random
He lost that and two or three more be-
fore he yawned again, as if fatigued by
such trifiing, and pushed a much lareer
amount into place. as a blind MN might,
for a final venture No hand had as vet
fallen on his shoulder. but the suspense
or not knowing at what Inoment that
would happen was hard to bear. He felt
like one In the grip Of lli0eous night
mare as the croupier presently shoveled
over toward him a large and miscellane-
GUS assortment of notes and gold and
counters. which. none the less. he col
lected indifferently and DULY conscious
of an envious sigh from behind him.
:, he hesitated a little before letting go
his hold OF the pistol about whose butt
the nngers Of his right hand were still
closely clasped. in order to pocket his
profits of the evening. He had laid down
his rake. 1t was at once seized by
woman who had been standing close at
his shoulder. and as she pushed eagerly
past him into his seat the bunch Of
camellias in her cOrsage brushed his face
1t was the woman with whom Lord In
goldsby had been dining. Slyne noticed
her husband among the crowd in the rear
as he himself made his way out into the
open. He noticed alse approaching him
entirely as if by accident, the incon-
splcuous spy whose appearance there had
Slyne had not even time to hesitate
Without the slightest change Of express
sion he stopped and confronted his enc
my. addressing him by name, in the exc
cradle French OF the average English
man.
bon soir. NJ. Dubois. Comment ca va?
Bien. eh?'
Monsieur has the advantage Of me-
the detective returned. in faultless Eng
lish, and over his features fitted the
faintest shadow of disappointment
'Oh, l scarcely supposed you would
know me-" said Slyne. with a depreca-
tory shrug. This is my first trip so far
afield. though I've seen you several times
In Paris, and we all know you quite we'll
in London. Of course
The faintest shadow OF what might
have developed into smile lowered for
an instant about the famous man hunt
er's lips and eyes. and Slyne made a men
tai note Of the fact that he was not
above being fiattered.
I'm over here after fat fellow called
Jobling." continued Slyne. overwhelmingly
communicative. II don't suppose YOU
know anything about him?'
The. other shifted disdainfully.
IAN embryo embezzler." said he in a
tone OF such conscious superiority that
Slyne would surely have laughed in his
face II ne himself had felt safe. Give
him rope enough and he'll do the rest.
Don't disclose yourself for a day or two
but watch him carefully
are you working Tor New Scotland
Yard?"
I've started private agency on my
own account. This is my first case A
thousand thanks for your hint If all
my official friends We're as courteous life
would be much pleasanter for me- He
spoke with most respectful infection
but always in barbarous -Anglo-French
Mile remerciments encore. mon con-
frere. Et maintenance demain''
His new acquaintance nodded with most
gracious condescension and moved on in
the direction Of an obese German diplo-
n1atist who had just met amid the throng
and greeted With Overacted surprise a
pretty Viennese countess. And Slyne
did not fail to observe. amid all his own
agitation, how promptly the two of them
parted again at sight Of NJ. Dubois
He was conscious that his own nostrils
were nervOusly twitching and that there
were tiny beads of cold perspiration about
his forehead.
He thought he knew me-" said he to
himself, very TREMENDOUSLY. And. al
though I've put him off the scent to some
extent, he'll root about till" For all
his nerve Of steel he shivered and
changed countenance.
Il can't trust myself to play any more
tonight, and just when 1 was getting my
hand in! But l suppose may thank my