The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1914-05-15

sought-her limousine. He had taken |
the number into his mind too keenly |
to be mistaken. He saw the end Of his |
difficulties; and 10 went about the af |
fair with his usual directness. 1t was |
only at rare times that he ran his head |
into a cul-de-sac. II her chauffeur was
regularly employed in her service, he
would have to return to the hotel; but
II he came from the garage, there was
hope. Every man is said to have his
price, and a French chauffeur might
prove no notable exception to the rule.
Are you driver for Madame da Tos-
canaT Courtlandt asked of the man
lounging in the forward seat
The chauffeur looked hard at his
questioner, and on finding that he sat
isfied the requirements of a gentle
man, grumbled an affirmative. The
limousine was we'll known in Paris,
and he was growing weary of these
endless inquiries.
Are you in her employ directly, OF
do you come from the garage?"
81 am from the garage. but drive
mademoiselles car most of the time,
especially at night. 1t is not madame
but mademoiselle, monsieur"
my mistake" A slight pause. 1t
was rather a difficult moment for
Courtlandt. The chauffeur waited
wonderingly. Would you like to make
five hundred francs?"
"How, monsieur"
Courtlandt should have been warned
by the tone, which contained no un-
usual interest or eagerness.
Permit me to remain in mademoi-
selle's car till she comes. / wish to
ride with her to her apartment"
The chauffeur laughed. He stretched
his legs. Thanks, monsieur. 1t is
very dull waiting. Monsieur knows
good joke"
AID to Courtlandt's dismay he real
lied that his proposal had truly been
acce, ted as Jest.
IT am not joking. l am in earnest.
Five hundred francs. On the word OF
gentleman l mean mademoiselle no
harm. / am known to her. All she
has. to do is to appeal to you, and you
can stop the car and summon the po-
lice"
The chauffeur drew in his legs and
leaned toward his tempter. Monsieur,
II you are not testing, then you are a
mailman. Who are you? What do !
know about you? never saw you be-
| fore, and for two seasons have drtv-
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"
"Blockheadl"
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 pc
liceman and endeavor to explain, In
foreign tongue, a situation at once sc
delicate and so singularly open to mis-
construction. So, for the second time
In his life he took to his heels. o
the first time, more anon. He scram
bled back to his own car, slammed thu
door, and told the driver to drop hin
at the Grand. However, he did not re
turn to the hotel.
Mademoiselle da Toecana's chaui
feur scratched his chin in perplexity
In frightening of his tempter he rec
ognized that now he would never b.
able to find out who he was. He SHOULD
have played with him until mademoI
selle came out. She would have know
:. instantly. That would have been tn
z time for the police. To hide in tn
car! What the DEVIL Only a mac
n man would have offered such propc
II sition. The man had been either a
\ American or an Englishman, for a
his accuracy in the tongue. Bah! Pei
haps he had heard her sing that nigh
and had como away from the oper'
moonstruck. II was not an isolate
case. The fools were always 'pestel
ing him, but no one had ever offere