The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-09-26

TectOrS dlu not hear definitely from
her by noon today, they would have to
find another Marguerite.
The police began to move, and they
stirred up some curious bits of infor-
nation. A man had tried to bribe the
singers chauffeur, while she was sing
ing at the Austrian ambassadors. The
chauffeur was able to describe the
stranger with some accuracy. Then
came the bewildering episode in the
apartment; the pistol-shot, the flight
OF the man, the astonished concierge
to whom the beautiful American would
offer no explanations. The man (who
tailed with the description given by
the chauffeur) had obtained entrance
under false representations. He
claimed to be an emissary with i'm
portant instructions from the opera.
There was nothing unusual in this:
messengers came at all hours, and sell
dom the same one twice; so the con-
cierge's suspicious had not been
aroused. Another item A tall hand
some Italian had called at eleven
o'clock Saturday morning, but the sig
norma had sent down word that she
could not see him. The maid recalled
that her mistress had intended to dine
that night with the Italian gentleman
His name she did not know, having
been with the signorina but two weeks.
Celeste Fourier, the celebrated
young pianist and composer, who
shared the apartment with the miss
ing prima donna, stated that she
hadn't the slightest idea where her
friend was. She was certain that mis-
fortune had overtaken her in some in
applicable manner. To implicate the
Italian was out of the question. He
was well-known to them both. He had
arrived again at seven, Saturday, and
was very much surprised that the sig
norma had not yet returned. He had
waited till nine, when he left, greatly
disappointed. He was the Barone di
Monte-Verdi in Calabria, formerly
military attache at the Italian embassy
in Berlin. Sunday noon Mademoiselle
Fourier had notified the authorities.
She did not know, but she felt sure
that the blond stranger knew more
than anyone else. And here was the
end of things. The police found them
selves at standstill They searched
the hotels but without success; the
blond stranger could not be found.
Abbott's eyes were not happy and
pleasant just now. They were dull
and blank with the reaction Of the
stunning blow. He, too, was certain
of the Barone. Much as he secretly
hated the Italian, he knew him to be a
fearless and an honorable man. But
who could this blond stranger be who
appeared SO sinisterly in the two
scenes? From where had he come?
Why had Nora refused to explain
about the pistol-shot? Any woman
had a perfect right to shoot a man
who forced his way into her apart
ment Was he one of those mad fools
who had fallen in love with her, and
had become desperate? Or was it
some one she knew and against whom
she did not wish to bring any charges
Abducted! And she might be, at this
very moment, suffering all sorts Of in
dignities. 1t was horrible to be so
helpless.
The sparkle of the sunlight upon the
ferrule of a cane, extending over his
shoulder, broke in on his agonizing
thoughts. He turned, an angry word
on the tip of his tongue. He expected
to see some tourist who wanted to be
informed
"Ted Courtlandt!" He jumped up,