Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1914-09-18

gagement at hve-thirty, and must be
off,"
81 was about to ask you to dine with
me tonight" disappointedly.
Cant; awfully sorry, Abby. It was
only luck that l met you in the Lux.
embourg. Be over about seven. !
was very glad to see you again."
Abbott kicked a broken easel into
a orn Gan right. If anything
turns up I'll let you know. You're at
the Grand?"
Yes. By-by."
81 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, he 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 ca
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
we'll 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 di-
rection by the simplest of declara-
tons; 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.
II did not expect you to the min.
ute," the great nan said pleasantly.
you will not mind waiting for a few
minutes"
mot in the least. Only, I'm in a
deuce of a mess" frankly and directly.
"~lnnocently enough, I've stuck nay
head into the police net"
as it possible that now l can pay
my debt to your"
Such as 1t Is. Have you read the
article In the newspapers regarding
the disappearance of Signorina da Tos-
cana, the singer?"
Eyes"
Il am the unknown blond. Tomor-
row morning l want you to go with me
to the prefecture and state that l was
with you all of Saturday and Sunday;
that on Monday you and your wife
dined with me, that yesterday we went
to the aviation meet, and later to the
Odeon."
I'm brief, an alibi?" smiling now.
Exactly. l shall need one"
And a perfectly good alibi. But l
have your word that you are in no.
wise concerned? Pardon the question,
but between us it is really necessary
If / am to be of service to you"
ION my word as a gentleman"
THAT is sufficient"
"In fact, l do not believe that she
has been abducted at all. Will you
let me use your pad and pen for a
minute?"
The other pushed over the required
articles. Courtlandt scrawled a few
words and passed back the pad.
For me to read?"
YES" moodily.
The Frenchman read. Courtlandt
watched him a~nxiously. There was
not even a flicker of surprise in the
official eye. Calmly he ripped of the
sheet and tore it into bits, distribut-
ing the pieces into the various waste
baskets yawning about his long fiat
desk. Next, still avoiding the younger
mans eye, he arranged his papers
neatly and locked them up In a huge
safe which only the artillery of the
German army could have forced. He
then called for his hat and stick. He
beckoned to Courtlandt to follow. Not
a word was said until the car was
humming on the road to V~incennes.
"Well?" said Courtlandt, finally. It
was not possible for him to hold back
the question any longer.
my dear friend, / am taking you
out to the villa for the night"
But ! have nothing :"
And l have everything, even fore
sight. If you were arrested tonight 1t
would you some Inconvenience.
l am ifty-six, some twenty years your
senior. Under this hat of mine / carry
a thousand secrets, and every one of
these thousand must go to the grave
with me, yours along with them. /
have met you a dozen times since
those Algerian days, and never have
you failed to afford me some amuse-
ment or excitement. You are the most
interesting and entertaining young
man l know. Try one of these cigars"
Precisely at the time Courtlandt
stepped into the automobile outside