Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-29
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Sunday: that on Monday you and
your wife dined with me; that yes
terday we went to the aviation meet,
and later to the Odeon."
an brief, an aIibi?" smiling now.
Exactly. l shall need one"
"And a perfectly good alibi. But 1
have your word that you are in no
wise concerned? Pardon the ques-
ton, but between us it is really nee
essary If I am to be of service to
you"
"On by word as gentleman"
THAT is sufficient"
I'm fact. | do not believe that she
has been abducted at all. Will you let
me use your pad and pen for min
ute?"
! The other pushed over the required
articles. Courtlandt scrawled a few
words and passed back the pad.
For me to read"
YES" moodily.
The Frenchman read. Courtlandt
watched him anxiously. There was
not even a flicker of surprise in the
official eye Calmly he ripped off the
sheet and tore it into bits, distribut-
ing the pieces into the various waste
baskets, yawning about his long flat
desk Next, still avoiding the younger
mans eye, he arranged his papers
neatly and locked them up in a huge
safe which only the artillery of the
German army could have forced. He
then called for his hat and stick. He
beckoned to Courtlandt to follow. Not
a word was said until the car was
humming on the road to Vincennes
.Well?" said Courtlandt, finally. 1t
was not possible for him to hold back
the question any longer.
my dear friend, | am taking you
out to the villa for the night
But | have nothing.
"And | have everything, even fore
sight. If you were arrested tonight it
would cause you some inconvenience.
l am fifty-six, some twenty years your
senior. Under this hat of mine l carry
thousand secrets, and every one or
these thousand must go to the grave
with me, yours along with them 1
have met you a dozen times since
those Algerian days, and never have
you failed to afford me some amuse-
ment or excitement. You are the most
interesting and entertaining young
man ] know. Try one of these cigars.
Precisely at the time Courtlandt
stepped into the automobile outside
the war office, a scene, peculiar in
character, but inconspicuous in that
it did not attract attention, was en-
aced in the Care de FEST. Two sober
visaged men stood respectfully aside
to permit a tall young man in
BaNarian hat to enter compartment
of the second class. What could be
seen of the young mans face was full
of smothered wrath and disappoint-
ment How he hated himself, for his
weakness, for his cowardice. He was
not all bad. Knowing that he was
being watched and followed, he could
not go to Versailles and compromise
her, uselessly. And devil take the
sleek demon of q woman who had
promped him to commit so base an
act!
"You will at least" he said de
liver that message which l have in
trusted to your care"
81 shall reach Versailles tonight,
your highness."
The young man reread the telegram
which one of the two men had given
him moment since. 1t was a COM
mand which even he, wilful and dis
obedient as he was, dared not ignore.
He ripped it into shreds and flung
them out of the window. He did not
apologize to the man into whose face
the pieces few That gentleman red
dened perceptibly, but he held his
tongue. The blare of a horn an
nounced the time of departure. The
train moved. The two men on the
platform saluted, but the young man
ignored the salutation. Not until the
rear car disappeared in the hazy dis
lance did the watchers stir. Then
they left the station and got into the
tonneau of a touring car, which shot
away and did not stop until it drew
up before that imposing embassy
upon which the French will always
look with more or less suspicion
ITO BE Continued Tomorrow)