Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-07-24

Inc CnauHeur drew IN MS legs ana
leaned toward his tempter. Monsieur,
II you are not jesting, then you are
madman. Who are you? What do /
know about you? l never saw you be-
fore, and for two seasons l have driv-
en- mademoiselle in Paris. She wears
beautiful Jewels tonight. How do l
know that you are not gentlemanly
thief? Ride home with mademoiselle!
You are crazy. Make yourself scarce,
monsieur; in one minute l shall call
the police"
"Blockhead!"
English of this order the Frenchman
perfectly understood. La, la!" he
cried, rising to execute his threat.
Courtlandt was furious, but his fury
was directed at himself as much as at
the trustworthy young man getting
down from the limousine. His eager
ness had led him to mistake stupidity
for cleverness. He had gone about the
affair with all the clumsiness of boy
who was making his first appearance
at the stage entrance. 1t was nightly
disconcerting, too, to have found an
honest man when he was In desperate
need Of dishonest one. He had faced
with fine courage all sorts of danger
Gus wild animals; but at this moment
he hadn't the courage to face a po-
liceman and endeayor to explain, in a
foreign tongue, situation at once so
delicate and so singularly open to mis-
construction. So, for the second time
in his life he took to his heels. or
the first time, more anon. He scram-
bled back TO his own car, slammed the
door, and told the driver to drop him
at the Grand. However, he did not re-
turn to the hotel.
Mademoiselle da Toscana's chauf-
feur scratched his chin in perplexity.
In frightening off his tempter he rec
ognized that now he would never be
able to find out who he was. He should
have played with him until mademoi-
selle came out. She would have known
instantly. That would have been the
time for the police. To hide in the
car! What the devil! Only a mad.
man would have offered such propo-
sition. The man had been either an
American or an Englishman. for all
his accuracy in the tongue. Bah! Per
haps he had heard her sing that night,
and had come away from the Opera,
moonstruck. 1t was not an isolated
case. The fools were always poster
ing him, but no one had ever offered
SO uncommon a bribe; five hundred
francs. Mademoiselle might not be-
lieve that part Of the tale. Mademoi-
selle was clever. There was a stand
ing agreement between them that she
would always give him half of what.
ever was offered him in the way OF
bribee. II paid. II was easier to sell
his loyalty to her for two hundred and
fifty francs than to betray her for five
hundred. She had yet to find him un'
truthful, and tonight he would be as
frank as he had always been.
But who was this fellow in the Ba
yarian hat, who patrolled the side
walk? He had been watching him
when the madman approached. Fol
an hour or more he had walked up
and down, never going twenty feet be.
| yond the limousine. He couldn't see
the face. The long dark coat had a
military cut about the hips and shoul
ders. From time to time he saw him
glance up at the lighted windows. Eh
well; there we're other women in the
world besides mademoiselle, several
others.
He had to wait only half an hour for
her appearance. He opened the door
and saw to It that she was comfort
ably seated; then he paused by the
window. touching his cap.
what Is 1t, Francois?"
"A gentleman offered me FIVE hun
dred francs, mademoiselle. II would
permit him to hide In the car"
Five hundred francs7 To hide In
the car? Why didn't you call the po
llce?"
II started to. mademoiselle, but ht
ran away"
"Oh! What was he like?" The
prima donna dropped the bunch oI
roses on the seat beside her.
"oh. he looked well enough. He hat
the air OF q gentleman. He was tall
with light hair and mustache. But q,
| had never seen him before, and a,
mademoiselle wore some fine Jewels
/ bade him be or"
would you know him againl"
Surely mademoiselle."
THE next time anyone bothers you
call the police. You have done well
and shall remember II. Home"
The man in the Bavarian hat hur
ried back to the third car from III,
limousine. and followed at a reason
ably safe distance.
She shut of the light and closed he,
eyes. She reclined against the cushion
once more. striving not to think. Once
her hands shut tightly. Never. never
neverl She pressed down the burnin,
thoughts by recalling the brlgh
scenes at the ambassadors, the rea
generous applause that had followet
her two songs. All. how that maj
Paderewski Played They two ha,
cost the ambassador eight thousant
francs. Fame and fortunel Forum,
she could understand; but famel wha
was TT Upon time she believed sh,
had known what fame wac: but tha
had been when she was striving 70
It. A glowing article in q newspaper
portrait in a magazine. rows upoI
rows Of curious eyes and a patter o
hands upon hands; that was all: an,