The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1914-07-09

Il know what's the matter with
him." unused the artist. alone Some
woman has chucked him. SILLY little
| fool. probably"
/ Courtlandt went down stairs and out
into the boulevard Frankly, he was
| beginning to feel concerned He still
held to his original opinion that the
| diva had disappeared OF her own free
| viii; but If the machinery OF the po-
lice had been started. he realized that
his own safety would eventually be-
come involved BY this time. he rea-
soned. 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
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
well knew that she was In the right as
far as the pistol-shot was concerned.
Further. he knew that he could quash
any charge she might make in that d.
rection by the simplest OF declara-
tions; and to avoid this simplest OF
declarations she would prefer silence
above all things. They knew each 9TH
err tolerabiy we'll
1t was extremely fortunate that he
had not been to the hotel since Satur-
day. He went directly to the war Of
flee. The great and powerful man
there was the only hope left They
had met some years before in Algiers,
where Courtlandt had rendered him a
very real service.
Il did not expect you to the min
ute" the great man said pleasantly.
You will not mind waiting for a few
minutes"
Not in the least. Only, I'm in
deuce of mess" frankly and directly.
-lnnocently enough, I've stuck my
head into the police net"
is 1t possible that now can pay
my debt to your"
Such as 1t Is. Have you read the
article in the newspapers regarding
the disappearance of Signorina da Tos-
cana, the singer"
Yes"
Il am the unknown blond. Tomor-
row morning | want you to go with me |
to the prefecture and state that I was |
with you all Of Saturday and Sunday; !
that on Monday you and your wife
dined with me. that yesterday we went
to the aviation meet. and later to the
Odeon."
In brief, an alibi?" smiling now.
Exactly. / shall need one"
And perfectly good alibi. But /
have your word that you are in no.
wise concerned? Pardon the question.
but between us 1t is really necessary
II | am to be of service to you"
"On my word as a gentleman"
THAT is sufficient"
In fact, | do not believe that she
has been abducted at all. VIII you
ct me use your pad and pen for a
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
lot even flicker of surprise in the
'fficial eye. Calmly he ripped off the
heet and tore it into bits, distribut-
ng the pieces into the various waste
baskets yawning about his long fiat
lesk. Next, still avoiding the younger
mans eye, he arranged his papers
leatly and locked them up in a huge
afe which only the artillery of the
ierman army could have forced. He
hen called for his hat and stick. He
'eckoned to Courtlandt to follow. Not
! word was said until the car was
cumming on the road to Vincennes.
"Well?" said Courtlandt, finally. II
vas not possible for him to hold back
he question any longer.
My dear friend, am taking you
nut to the villa for the night"
But have nothing :"
And | have everything. even fore
light. If you were arrested tonight IT
would cause you some Inconvenience.