Charlevoix county herald., 1914-10-31

he mas no reason 10 90 tnat yet,
insisted Jacques. "But I'm going to
hang on to this receipt all the time"
at is his dinner that ] am afraid
Of" said Paul.
1--WE shall have to take pot-luck,"
replied Paul. "Be careful and only
eat after he begins"
They let the dressing room. A
servant was waiting for them outside
the door. He led the way to the
dining room. On the walls were bril-
liant tapestries, the principal designs
of which stood out in arabesques of
silk.
In place of chairs there were low
divans and immense cushions. In the
middle of the room stood the table,
richly set. Smith, clad in a superb
costume of red silk, stood waiting for
them at the entrance.
"Ah, here you are clothed and in
your right minds" he said, smiling.
ayes. we thought we would garb
ourselves in Oriental costumes like
YOU" replied Jacques.
Smith struck gong. Dinner was
served Immediately. During the first
courses nothing unusual happened.
Now and again they lightly referred
to the accident.
AS the dinner drew to an end they
heard delightful music coming from
the garden. The mating on the win
dows was drawn aside and invisible
hands threw gorgeous flowers into
the room, strewing the carpet with
the fragrant blossoms.
"My compliments, Mr.. Smith. You
are certainly good stage setter"
said Merseins.
when one no longer lives in
Europe, if one wishes to enjoy life,
one must adopt the habits and the
customs of the country in which one
lives" he said.
Two young girls dressed in blue
gauze came into the room, carrying a
tray which held coffee service. A
Young negress followed them, and
placed before each guest a pipe that
was already filled.
"You will pardon me if | do not
follow your example in this ?" said
Jacques.
touch the pipe. He got up from his
seat. Smith wanted To stop him.
Excuse me. I'll be back in a min
ute. I'll get my own cigarettes. am
so accustomed to French tobacco that
| do not think could smoke anything
else"
He was already at the other end Of
the room and disappeared down the
passage bv which he had entered.
Jacques found the dressing room
where they had changed their clothes.
The door was slightly ajar, end he
could see a man whom Smith had
previously called Girodet, and who
had been in charge of the boat, turn
ing over his garments. The pockets
were inside out.
"Sapristi! That scoundrel is giving
too much attention to our wet
clothes" said Jacques Thinking that
it would be best to pretend not to
have seen him, he knocked lightly on
the door before entering.
At Cnce the man began to spread
out the garments rs though to dry
them. Jacques had laid his cigarette
on the dressing table. He picked it
up and returned to the dining room.
Although he had ONLY been out of
the room a few minutes, ne saw at
once that Smith was imbibing too
freely. The old port had turned his
bloated face to a dull purple. He
now reclined on his cushions. holding
a glass in one hand and decanter
of whisky in the other. He was de-
scribing in grandiloouent phrases the
delights of Asiatic life.
"No girls can beat the girls here"
he said. Here's to them"
He drained his glass after having
H.
"He wants to get Paul drunk,
thought Jacques. But Merseins had
adroitly spilled his wine and his
whisky down the back Of the cushion:
He made sign to Jacques to get nd
Of his in the same manner.
Paul had not touched the pipe. He
now took a cigarette from Jacques's
case.
The two friends had suspected, and
with reason, that the tobacco in their
pipes might have been tempered with.
They had taken the precaution rot to
touch any wine or eatables until their
host had done so first. The table had
been cleared. All that remained was
the coffee and liquors. Some white
forms appeared before the open
windows. They whirled round gid
Oily. The music in the garden that
had ceased now burst forth, and
there was loud din of tambourines.
Some yelled dancing girls came into
the room, dancing on the tips OF
their toes.
"You are not drinking. gentle
men! cried Smith in thick voice.
He filled up the glasses.
Three beautiful women came in
and reclined at their feet. Jacques
and Paul stared at this scene in
amazement. They drank little
from their glasses and managed to
spill the rest.
Some Oriental perfumes were
thrown into braziers and placed
about the room. The heavy, subtle
aroma mingling with the fumes
from wine and the smoke was
enough to intoxicate any man.
Jacques began to feel his head
whirl. He got up noncholantly and,
with his hands in the pockets of his
wide pantaloons, he walked over to
Smith. He gave him a smart clap
on the shoulder The commission
agent looked up and laughed fool
ishly.
"Cone both of Won and sit down