Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-13
CHAPTER XXXXVIII.

:. !. 4. ! !. !.
AZ n of failure, defeat, of loss> irrepar-
AE4N 4 able For few moments she al
EHEAEE lowed her head to rest against the
NESH pillows, perfectly passive, retracing
the course of her efforts in the fight
A,R4.z with Loubeque for recovery of the
papers up to this disastrous con-
EAk clusion.
W Theft dishonor treachery had
pointed lean fingers at her sweet
heart with accuracy such as only a loving woman
could deny. And, despite it all, she had Jeered
at the possibility of such thing being true,
had staked life, honor everything and anything
unhesitatingly whenever it appeared a point might
be scored against Hugo Loubeque by so doing.
And for what? She dressed lelsurely and for
some time was seated at her window scattering
crumbs on the ledge for stray birds. AS she
crossed the room a moment later metallic sound
struck against her ears again and again before
she was conscious of 1t. She. looked ABOUT
the room then made out the sound coming from
the window ledge. Curously she regarded the
pigeon, strutting about there, eagerly devourlng
the crumbs. Upon his leg she tiny, braSs
cylinder, tap-tap-tapping with his every step.
Her heart gave her warning, humping
violently even she recognized the pretty crea-
ture for d carrier bird. Stepping quietly to the
window of her bedroom she stared about her,
a smile crossing her face as, by careful count,
she made out the crumbs upon the eighth win
dow ledge from hers. That would be Hugo Lou
beque's apartment.
Swiftly, softly, TREMENDOUSLY for fear the bird
might have fed, Lucille reached the ledge, her
voice low and caressng as she reached, an mimi
carrier Once he lifted his wings, poised a second.
Lucille halted in her approach, then, the birds
doubts were allayed, reached out and clasped him
firmly, surprised that he made effort to escape.
In a second she had detached the cylinder, taking
the tiny tissue paper note from it,
arrangements complete. Deliver papers to
Ensign Howell, T. S. Ship Terror, with affidavit
as to sale by General Sumpter Love, now under
trial. Washington, d. c. At your residence; 8 80.
Lucille gasped she took in the meaning of
the message. For just moment she sat staring
duly ahead of her, dsmay and terror frozen in
her eyes. At 80 the international spy's work
would be completed and her father ruined. But
few hours and the stolen papers with the lie of
Loubeque accepted and immunity doubtless
promised, would be in the hands of the prosecu-
ton.
She clenched her fists tightly together, pac
ing up and down the floor of her suite her pretty
teeth fastened upon her under lip, her very being
vibrant with protest at the horrible injustice of
it all. 1t must not be. 1t could not be. She
stopped suddenly. 1t should not be. Calmly she
crossed to the writing desk end added line
through the hour appointed, carefully making an
eight of the five. She scanned the result of her
labors with knitted brows.
She loosed the pigeon, pointing him toward
window which open. She knew Loubeque was
growing impatient from that sign Furtively she
watched the eager hands clutch the bird and draw
him from view. The window slapped shut once
more
Loubeque was there just a few suites away
from her, goating with satisfac-
tion over the frution of his life's work. The
thought made her peat her nStS tOgetner against
the enforced waiting. She had never felt so ut
terly impotent before. There seemed nothing
possible to do but sit and wait-wait-
But wait she could not and would not do
So few hours remain wherein to regain the pre-
cious packet of papers that she must be at work
The papers were but few short suites away
on the very same floor.
His residence she knew must mean the house
of mystery, the weird place of horrors, of sliding
staircases and folding That Loubeque
should choose such rendezvous showed how
plainly he considered the last trick in the game
of his life played, how absolutely assured he now
of absolute and final success. At five thirty,
Ensign Howell would be at that house. She had
three hours wherein to work But the hours be-
tween-what of them? She could not endure in
action at this moment.
With the thought she rose and moved toward
the door, closing it softly behind her. For mo-
ment she hesitated in the hail. then stepped boldly
to the suite of the spy, rapping upon the door
CHAPTER XXXxIX.
The Butler-ThieJ Makes His Last Bid
HUGO LoUBEQUE, master of men and nations,
whose power great the course of En-
pres halted at his spoken word of command,
inoodiy stared out his window after the carrier
pigeon he had just released. For forty years he
had bent every energy OF his life fer this day
every hour of those forty years had contained a
dream of his revenge so dear to his heart it had
caused him to redouble his energies. And now
that 1t had come, somehow the sweet had turned
bitter upon his palate.
He stirred bit uneasily in his chair. He
the past that had woven itself tor him. His mis-
sion not yet complete.
Strangely enough, tender smile played
cbout the of his hard mouth as he
thought of the girl upon the floor with him
the girl who the image of the Lucille of forty
years ago, the Lucille who at the climax of his
scheming, at his supreme moment when he had
possession of the papers stolen from General Loves
safe, had flown out to the speeding Pacific liner
ind thenceforth through Jungle, shipwreck, fire
war, starvation had continually thwarted him.
bounded him when he held the upper hand and
defeated him time and again. No. not till the
actual transfer of the stolen papers and his aff-
davit into the hands of the Ensign would he act
ually know that Lucille had finally been beaten
lucille He murmured the name over
tenderly, even as his fingers pluclxed the precious
picture of the girls mother from his breast
pocket. He had treasured that picture above al
other possessions these forty years, yet now he
found himself regarding it merely as the likeness
of the daughter. Lucille the daughter of that
other Lucille of the long ago
He rose impatenty, ashamed of the mellow
mood that was upon him and moved across the
floor. The slightest swaying of the curtains thai
connected with the bedroom caught his eye III,
did not pause, did not hesitate but hare
look crept into his eyes. He resumed his sea-
after moment, took his gloves from the tabl,
and busted himself strangely with them tap