Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-29

who's Fournier?'
"Mademoiselle Fourier, the COM
poser. She goes with Nora on the
yearly concert tours"
Pretty
Charming"
az see," thoughtfully. What part
of the lake; the Villa d'Este. Caden-
abbia?"
"Bellaggio. oh, it was ripping
last summer. She's always singing
when she's happy. When she sings
out on the terrace, suddenly, without
giving any one warning, her voice is
wonderful. No audience ever heard
anything like it,
Il heard her Friday night.
dropped in at the Opera without
knowing what they were singing.
admit all you say in regard to her
voice and looks; but l stick to the
whim.''
But you can't fake that chap
with the blond mustache,' retorted
Abbott grimly. Lord, 1 wish 1 had
run into you any day but today. I'm
all In. l can telephone to the Opera
from the studio, and then we shall
know for a certainty whether or not
she will return for the performance
tonight If not, then I'm going in
for a little detective work.
ABBY, it will turn out to be the
sheep of Little BoPeep.'
Have your own way about it.
When they arrived at the studio
Abbott telephoned promptly, Nothing
had been heard. They were substi-
tuting another singer.
Call up the Herald" suggested
Courtlandt
Abbott did so. And he had to
answer innumerable questions, ques-
lions which worked him into a fine
rage: who was he where did he live,
what did he know, how long had he
been in Paris, and could ne prove
that he had arrived that morning?
Abbott wanted to fling the receiver
into the mouth of the transmitter,
but his patience was presently re-
warded. The singer had not yet been
found, but the chauffeur of the mys-
terious car had turned up in
a hospital, and perhaps by night they
would know everything. The chauf-
fuer had had a bad accident; the car
itself was a total wreck, in a ditch,
not far from Versailles.
"There!' cried Abbott, slamming
the receiver on the hook. What do
you say to that?"
The chauffeur may have left her
somewhere, got drunk afterward, and
plunged into the ditch. Things have
happened like that. Abby, don't
make a camePs -hair shirt out OF
your paint brushes. What a pother
about singer! If it had been a
great inventor. a spoet, an artist,
there would have been nothing more
than a two-line paragraph. But an
opera singer, one who entertainS us
during our idle evenings-ha! that's
different matter. See instantly
that great municipal machinery
called the police in action; sell extra
editions on the streets. What ado"
What the devil makes you so Bit
ter?"
WAS | bitter? l thought I was
philosophizing." Courtlandt con-
suited his watch Half after four.
Come over to the Maurice and dine
with me tomorrow night, that is, If
you do not find your prima donna.
I've an engagement at five-thirty,
and must be off.
'I was about to ask you to dine
with me tonight" disappointedly.
| Cant: awfully sorry, Abby. 1t
was only luck that / met you in the
| LuXem bourg. Be over about seven.
| was very glad to see you again"
Abbott kicked broken easel into
corner. "All right. IF anything
turns up I'll let you know. You're
at the Grand?"
| Yes. By-by."
81 know what's the matter with
him." unused the artist, alone. Some
woman has chucked him. Silly little
fool, probably"
Courtlandt went downstairs and
| out into the boulevard. Frankly, he
was beginning to be concerned He
still held to his original opinion that
the diva had disappeared of her own
free will; but if the machinery of
the police had been started, he real
lied that his own safety would event
ually become involved. BY this time,
he reasoned. there would not be a
hotel in Paris free of surveillance.
Naturally, blond strangers would be
in demand. The complications that
would follow his own arrest were
not to be ignored He agreed with
his conscience that he had not acted
with dignity in forcing his way into
her apartment. But that night
| he had been at odds with con-
vention his spirit had been that of
the marauding old Dutchman of the
| seventeenth century. He PERFECTLY
we'll knew that she was in the right
as far as the pistol-shot was con-
cerned. Further he knew that he
| could quash any charge she might
make in that direction by the simplest
| of declarations; and to avoid this
simplest of declarations she would
prefer silence above all things. They
knew each other tolerably well.
| 1t was extremely fortunate that he
/ had not been to the hotel since Satur-
! day. He went directly to the wal
office. The great and powerful mar
there was the only hope left. They
had met some years before in Algiers
where Courtlandt had rendered him E
very real service.
at did not expect you to the min
ute" the great man said pleasantly
"You will not mind waiting for a few
minutes"
mot in the least. only I'm in {
deuce of mess frankly and direct
ly. "Innocently enough, I've stuci
my head into the police net"
''Is it possible that now I can pa!
my debt to your
"Such as it is. Have you read tn,
article in the newspapers regarding
the disappearance of Signorina d;
Toscana, the singer?"
Yes
'I am the unknown blond. Tomor
row morning l want you to go will
me to the prefecture and state tina
| u,oa t.,ffI, van all of SATURDAY. an