The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-11-14


allow, | will do what | can to see her
safely across the border"
Alma murmured her thanks. She
did not like the man. She was sus-
pieious of his ready presence. She
fancied her uncle had said something
about his being untrustworthy. An UNI
protected young girl, however, she re-
flected that because of his former en-
ployer Bcyard might strive to really
serve her.
There was 10 ~stoppage to the train
during the long night. Alma did not
sleep. She felt uncomfortably con-
scious somehow of the constant glance
! Boyard kept upon her. Was it pos.
sible thatlhe knew of the rich treasure
she carried?
Just at daybreak the train was halt
ed at a little town in the mountains.
A body of soldiers ordered all to
alight; Boyard was carrying the little
satchel belonging to Alma. Suddenly
he disappeared. He did not return.
Then Alma was persuaded that he had
made away with 1t, believing its %
tents valuable. Her passport was
gone. She was ordered to remain in
the country.
What a fate for the delicate young
girl, when that evening, distraught,
f%ootsore, affrighted, she neared the
light of a lonely hut in the mountains.
She dared not remain in the town
where the prejudice against an alien
would pursue her. She feared being
imprisoned, searched, and the jewels
taken from her, so she had wandered
away from human habitations, blindly
hoping some chance might put her
across the border.
Once she believed she was pursued,
and in the distance fancied she noted
the lurking Boyard. Now, hungry,
athirst, exhausted, she fastened
toward the light. AS she neared it a
cry of acute pain came from the hut.
A wild figure of a man dashed by her.
The cry from the hut was repeated.
Alma entered to find a peasant woman
lying on a bed in a spasm of pain.
Then she aroused to minister to the
sufferer. 1t was her keen womanly
sympathy that helped her successfully
The man, who had fastened for a neigh
Dor and found no one at home, came
back frantic. When he learned, how
ever, of the timely aid of Alma he
overwhelmed her with his sincere
gratitude.
That night there was a dread alarm
at the lonely hut. Half a dozen armed
men appeared outside and demanded
that Alma be handed over to them as
Boyard as their leader she knew that
he was after the diamonds.
She had learned during the evening
that her host was a smuggler of laces
over the border of France, yet in hel
dire extremity Alma felt that she mus
trust in him. She told him her story
while the group outside we're clamor
ing vociferously for admission. The
~smuggler's eyes frightened.
"Ah," he said, you wish to save
your jewels from hat horde? Then
car help you and show my gratitude
for your kindness to my wife. Tel
me the Paris address of your friends
The diamonds shall be there within
two days"
And then the speaker whistled foI
a keen-eyed little dog Alma had no
ticed about the place. He secured tn,
chamois bag about it's neck, scrawle,
a few lines, and inclosed the screet
inside of a padded coat he fitted to tn,
dog, and, going to the window, opened
it, dropped the intelligent animal il
the dewy grass and away it sped.
Boyard soon learned that he hat
been bafled. Three days later tn,
1 smuggler managed to get Alma across
the border. There was a great re
union when Mr.. Dacre arrived t" flint
the gems safe and sound, for the SNUG
glers dog had carried the treasur,
safely over the border to trusty friend
of his master, who had sent it on t.
Paris.
Copyright. 1914, by w. G. Chapman.)