The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1914-05-29

0ooOeN1e
CourtIandt.
Abbott did 80. And he had to an
swer innume1able questions. questions
which worked him into fine rage;
who was he, where did he live, what
did he know, how long had he been in
Paris, and could he prove that he had
arrived that morning7 Abbott wanted
to fling the receiver into the mouth Of
the transmitter. but his patience was
presently rewarded. The singer had
not yet been found, but the chauffeur
of the mysterious car had turned up
In hospital, and perhaps by
night they would know everything.
The chauffeur had had bad accident;
the car itself was a total wreck, In a
ditch, not far from Versailles.
"There!" cried Abbott, slamming
the receiver on the hook. what do
you say to that7"
THE chauffeur may have left her
somewhere, got drunk afterward, and
plunged into the ditch. Things have
happened like that. Abby, don't make
a cameps hair shirt out of your paint
brushes. What a pother about a sing
er! If 1t had been a great inventor, a
poet, an artist, there would have been
nothing more than a two-line para
graph. But an opera singer, one who
cntertains us during our idle eve
nings-ha! that's different matter
Set instantly that great municipal ma
chinery called the police In action;
sell extra editions on the streets.
What ado!"
What the devil makes you 30 bit
teri"
WAS 1 bitter? / thought l was
philosophizing." Courtlandt consulted
his watch. Half after four. Come
over to the Maurice and dine with me
tomorrow night. that is, If you do not
find your prima donna. I've an en-
gagement at five-thirty, and must be
off,"
Il was about to ask you to dine with
me tonight" disappointedly.
Cant; awfulIy sorry, Abby. 1t was
only luck that / met you In the Lux
embourg. Be over about seven.
was very glad to see you again"
Abbott kicked broken easel into
a corner. "All right. If anything
turns UP I'll let you know. You're at
the Grand?"
Eyes. By-by."
ri 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, be 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 a 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-
lions; 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
fee. 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"
Not 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"
'VOSUo35{4 mn q = N.Y. NrXlMnufsua