The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-05-09
Begin Reading Now, It, Never Too Late
Synopsis With Each Installment of Story

Edouard Marigny among the few
passengers on deck.
The count. noticing Dale In the
half-light of dawn, believed that
Medenham had brought a fellow
countryman as a witness. He
strolled up. and said affably:
is this gentleman your
friend?"
YES" said Medenham,
though not quite In the sense
that you mean. He will accom-
pany me to the hotel. and avail
my return there"
Dale, who heard what was said,
now wondered more than ever
what lay behind this sudden
Journey to France, but he was
given no time for speculation. A
carriage awaited the trio at the
quay. When they reached the
Hotel de la PLACE, neither Me-
denham nor the Frenchman
alighted but the former handed
Dale a letter.
Il may be detained In France
somewhat longer than l antici-
pated," he said in a matter-of-
fact tone. IF that is so, and you
have to return to England with
out me. hand this letter to the
Marquis of Scarland."
These instructions bothered
their nearer far more than any
OF the strange proceeding of the
night.
How shall | know. my lord,
whether | am to go back with
you or not?" he asked.
"Oh, of course l shall make
that quite clear" laughed Me-
denham. AT present, all you
have to do is to wait here a little
while"
BY this time, three men, whom
Dale had never seen before, came
out from the hotel. They greeted
Count Marlgny cordially, and
were introduced to Medenham.
without more ado they entered
the vehicle and the cab ratified
rapidly away, leaving Dale to gaze
disconsolately after 1t.
Then the vague suspicious in
his mind woke into activity. For
one thing, he had heard one Of
the strangers alluded to as Mon
sieur lie Docteur." For another,
the newcomers carrious a curious
looking case, of an elongated
case that suggested unusual con-
tents.
Each instant Dale's ideas be-
came clearer; each instant his
heart throbbed with deeper
anxiety. AT last he yielded to i'm
pulse and ran into the hotel. A
night porter was at the entrance,
and a British sovereign promptly
produced a bicycle.
Dale jumped on the machine.
and rode off rapidly in the direc-
ton taken by the cab.
He had covered a mile beyond
the last suburb of the town, when
he saw the cab drawn up by the
roadside.
Here. undoubtedly, was the
cab. Where, then, were its &C.
cupants?
Dale climbed to the top OF
the nearest dune, as he believed
that view of the sands could be
obtained from that point. He was
right. The sea was at greater
distance than he imagined, but
a wide strip of firm sand extend
ed to the waters edge almost
from the base of the hillock on
which he stood.
At first, his anxious eyes
strained through the haze in
vain. Then he discerned some
vague forms.
Three of the figures were black
and motionless, but two gave an
eerie suggestion of Wilderness and
movement. Hardly realizing why
he should be so perturbed, Dale
ran forward, and soon was near
enough to the group of men to
see that Medenham and Marigny,
bare-headed and in their shirt
sleeves, were fighting with
swords.
And then Dale saw something
that turned him sick with terror.
r Medenham, with arm extended
in a feint in tierce, was bearing
so heavily on his opponents ra-
pier that his right foot slipped,
and he stumbled badly. At once
Marigny struck with deadly
quickness and pierced Meden-
hams breast high up on the right
side. The stroke was so true
and furious that the Englishman
already unbalanced, was driven
on his back on the sand. Marig-
ny wrenched the blade free, and
stopped with obvious intent to