The Washington herald., 1914-05-31

fearsome figure. Two bells sounded. Lucille
watched the spy His habits were remarkably reg
ular Ia their very irregusrity. For another bell
he would not return to his stateroom. She glanced
up at the sky, more to force her eyes away from
that dark, solitary figure than for any other resr
son.
The stars were under cloud of moisture.
and her heart lay heavy within her Then slowly
one great star marched forth, tarried q moment
Came rush across the heavens. . rush of light
20 abrupt and dazzling to make it seem as
though host Of altar boys he'd rushed across
the dark aisles touching their tapers to the
candles there and leaving every nook and Granny
Of the cathedral light as day To the girl it gave
. thrill Of confidence. Again she looked at the
lonesome, solitary man. He was alone and SHE
she-the very stars themselves were with her.
Without thought, without the slightest SEN
sation Of fear she turned the knob and entered.
closing the door softly and pausing to look
about her, trembling now she had taken the dar-
Ing step, but fred with determination. 1t would
be simple place to search, the furniture being
scsnty and Loubeque travelling without much
luggsse
side down and carefully laying all signs Of her
had completely faded before the urge of finding
the papers. From place to place. careful any
French detective thorough and keen though
she had been a thief all her life, Lucille worked.
As she went through the last of the spys per-
sonal belongings, little sob of disappointment
and chagrin broke from the very heart of her
and halted at her lips. For hand was rattling
the knob, turning 1t slowly, slowly. 1t was as
though the man toyed with her, played with her
q . cruel cat plays with the mouse it has
caught. The door opened and Hugo Loubeque
was framed in the doorway, the cigar clenched
between his teeth glowing and subsiding. show
ing q grim smile upon his features, . smile the
shadows made but more saturnine.
"Ah!" he murmured sillSily, 81 thought
could not be mistaken in our little steward But
why, my dear child, did you wait so long TO pay
q visit TO such old acquaintance? Why such
disregard for the ordinary amount of friend
ship?"
Lucille crouched away from him, more
frightened at his playful tone than she would
have been Of angered rage. Musically sweet,
from without came the toll of time. Three bells
CHAPTER XVI.
Lucille Finds O Friend.
CLOWLY, without removing the cigar from his
- mouth, he moved toward her, the hateful
smile still upon his lips. He seated himself and
studied her carefully, speculatively.
Lucille" he said slowly, ~ you on the
deck, saw you go into the hold, saw you when
the captain came to you, have watched you all
the time. Do you know why did not give you
away? II because / wanted 10 know exactly
where you were all the time, because wanted
the feel of my finger upon you. 1 have waited
for this moment. You recall what told you IN
the open boat. 1t is no quarter from now on
You have chance to regain the papers but
not be destroyed, nor will you have opportunity
to place your hands upon them I want to show
you the futihty of combating me. l have wanted
to do that for a long time. Now, see 1t Is use
less. If you escape-and cannot imagine it i'm
possibe-I shall have no mercy hereafter. 1 will
know that you only safe when you are dead.
He rose and motioned to the chair, an ominous-
ness in word and gesture which compelled obed-
ience. Fascinated, panic-stricken, she obeyed
while from his pocket he drew a long loop of
fine cord which he bound about her wrists and
ankles, then strapped her securely in the chair
He stood off a moment, regarding his handiwork,
been prepared for the visit he murmured. Il
will just be little while, so don't be worried
this time"
The door closed behind him and Lucille
stared blankly at the place where she had last
seen him.
scant quarter Of an hour that to her was
and the spy returned. the smile
still playing about the corners of his mouth
smile that matched poorly the agate expression
of his cold eyes. He united the cords that had
bound her, watching her curiously as she chafed
the blood back to her hands.
YES" he answered her unspoken question.
you may go now. 1 do not care any more
whether YOU heed my warning not. You have
chosen to continue the war. l merely wish you
to know what it means to you. have made ar
rangements that will look to your being cared
for in San Francisco, so the end of this trip
means nothing to you. As said before, the
pleasure of your company is rapidly overwhelm-
ing me. 1 cannot lose it any longer. Good night,
Miss Lucille Love"
1t was as though his mockery, his gibing
tones were giant hands against her chest, push
ing her through the door and upon the deck.
She was scarcely conscious of how she had come
there when the stinging spume from the ocean
dashed against her cheeks, bringing her out of
the spell and firing her numbed consciousness
with the precariousness of her situation. His
threat of looking after her at the end of the
yoyage-his mockery-she must appeal to strong
hands now she must use strength to combat
strength since he had put the combat on physical
grounds.
She could not imagine how, in a free coun-
try, he could do anything Still, she knew Hugo
and the knowledge terrified her. She
decided to rely upon her woman's fragility to gain
the masters sympathy. She had reached this con-
clusion as the astonished captain looked at her
wan, miserable face when he answered her
knocking
Swiftly, the words tumbling over one an
other in the nerve-racking strain of trying to
convince the man of the unbelievable things she
had gone through at the spy's hands, she poured
out her whole story. First, she read disgusted
incredulity upon his face, then amazement at her
and, slowly, under the spell of an
obvious sincerity, she saw he was convinced to
large extent
He summoned q steward and dispatched him
Tor Loubeque, demanding an immediate answer
Evidently the spy had been waiting just some
such thing for he appeared quite promptly, his
face worn and harried. He started violently at
seeing Lucille, then took both her hands in his
own and patted them soothingly, his voice the
,aioling with which one soothes child