Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1914-09-18

on"
Il was about to ask you to dine with
me tonight" disappointedly.
Cant; awfully sorry, Abby. 1t was
only luck that l met you in the Lux
embourg. Be over about seven.
was very glad to see you again"
Abbott kicked a broken easel into
a corner. "All right. II anything
turns up I'll let you know. You're at
the Grand?"
Yes. By-by."
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
will 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 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
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
er tolerably well.
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.
81 did not expect you to the min
ute" the great man said pleasantly.
you will not mind waiting for few
minutes"
mot in the least. Only, I'm In a
deuce of a mess" frankly and directly.
"Innocently enough, I've stuck my
head into the police net"
''Is it possible that now l can pay
my debt to your"
such as it is. Have you read the
article In the newspapers regarding
the disappearance of Signorina da Tos
cana, the singer?"
yes"
81 am the unknown blond. Tomor
row morning l want you to go with me
to the prefecture and state that l was
with you all of Saturday and Sunday
that on Monday you and your wife
dined with me, that yesterday we wen
to the aviation meet, and later to the
Odeon."
I'm brief, an alibi?" smiling now.
Exactly. / shall need one"
And a perfectly good alibi. But
have your word that you are in no
wise concerned? Pardon the question
but between us it is really necessar,
If am to be of service to you"
con my word as a gentleman"
THAT is sufficient"
in fact, l do not believe that shl
has been abducted at all. VIII yol
let me use your pad and pen for
minute?"
The other pushed over the requires
articles. Courtlandt scrawled a fey
words and passed back the pad
For me to read?"
Yes" moodily.
The Frenchman read. CORTLAND
watched him anxiously. There wa
not even a flicker of surprise in tn
official eye. Calmly he ripped off tn
sheet and tore it into bits, distribu
ing the pieces into the various vast
baskets yawning about his long fla
desk Next, still avoiding the younge
mans eye, he arranged his paper
neatly and locked them up in a hug
safe which only the artillery of tn
German army could have forced. II
then called for his hat and stick. II
beckoned to Courtlandt to follow. Nc
a word was said until the car wa
humming on the road to Vincennes.
''Well?" said Courtlandt, finally.
was not possible for him to hold bac
= the question any longer.
my dear friend, l am taking yo
out to the villa for the night"
But have nothing :"
And l have everything, even for
sight. If you we're arrested tonight
would cause you some Inconvenience
l am ffty-six, some twenty years you
senior. Under this hat of mine / carl
a thousand secrets, and every one
these thousand must go to the gray
with me, yours along with them.
have met you a dozen times sinS
. those Algerian days, and never hay
you failed to afford me some anus
ment or excitement. You are the mo
interesting and entertaining your
3 man know. Try one of these cigars
D