The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1914-05-07

can stop the car ana sulnluVn ny ~
lice"
The chauffeur drew In his legs and
leaned toward his tempter. Monsieur,
If you are not testing, then you are q
mailman. Who are you? What 40 !
know about you? never saw you pe-
fore, and for two seasons have driv-
en- mademoiselle in Paris. She wears
beautiful jewels tonight. How DO !
know that you are not gentlemanly
thief? Ride home with mademoiselle!
You are crazy. Make yourself scarce,
monsieur; in one minute shall call
the police"
'Blockhead!''
English of this order the Frenchman
perfectly understood. la, la! ne
cried, rising to execute his threat.
Courtlandt was furious, but his fury
was directed at himself as much rs 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 clumsinese 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 po-
! HnoyOon or5 ordaov,n,. ~ own1ain in a
foreign tongue, situation at once SO
delicate and so singularly open to mis-
construction. So, for the second time
in his life he took to his heels. or
the first time, more anon. He scram-
bled back to his own car, slammed the
door, and told the driver to drop him
at the Grand. However, he did not re
turn to the hotel.
Mademoiselle da Toscana's chauf-
feur scratched his chin in perplexity.
In frightening off his tempter he rec
ognized that now he would never be
able to find out who he was. He should
have played with him until mademoi-
seIle came out. She would have known
instantly, That would have been the
time for the police To hide in the
car! What the devil! Only mad
man would have offered such propo-
sition. The man had been either an
American or an Englishman, for all
his accuracy in the tongue. Bah! PER
haps he had heard her sing that night,
and had come away from the Opera,
moonstruck. 1t was not an isolated
case The fools were always poster
ing him, but no one had ever offered
so uncommon bride; five hundred
francs Mademoiselle might not be-
lieve that part of the tale. Mademol-
selle was clever. There was stand
ing agreement between them that she
would always give him half of what
ever was offered him in the way OF
brides. 1t paid. 1t was easier to sell
his loyalty to her for two hundred and
fifty francs than to betray her for five
hundred. She had yet to find him un
truthful, and tonight he would be as
frank as he had always been.
But who was this fellow in the Ba
varian hat, who patrolled the side
walk? He had been watching him
when the mailman approached. For
an hour or more he had walked UP
and down, never going twenty feet be
yond the limousine. He couldn't see
the face The long dark coat had a
military cut about the hips and shout
ders. From time to time he saw him
glance up at the lighted windows. Eth,
we'll; there were other women in the
world besides mademoiselle, several
others.
He had to wait only half an hour for
her appearance. He opened the door
and saw to it that she was comfort.
ably seated: then he paused by the
window, touching his cap.
What is it, Francois?"
"a gentleman offered me five hun.
dred francs, mademoiselle, II | would
permit him to hide in the car"
Five hundred francs? To hide in
the car? Why didn't you call the po
lice"
Il started to, mademoiselle, but he
ran away"
ooh! What was he like?" The
prima donna dropped the bunch Of
roses on the seat beside her
"Oh, he looked well enough. He had
the air Of a gentleman. He was tall
with light hair and mustache. But as
had never seen him before, and as
mademoiselle wore some fine jewels
babe him be off,"
would you know him again."
Surely mademoiselle."
THE next time anyone bothers you
call the police. You have done well
and shall remember it. Home"
The man in the Bavarian hat hur
ried back to the third car from the
limousine, and followed at a reason
ably safe distance.
She shut off the light and closed heI
eyes. She reclined against the cushion
once more, striving not to think. Once
her hands shut tightly. Never, never
never! She pressed down the burning
thoughts by recalling the brigh
scenes at the ambassadors, the rea
generous applause that had FOLLOWED
her two songs. All, how that mar
Paderewski played! They two haC
cost the ambassador eight thousand
francs. Fame and fortune! Fortune
she could understand; but fame! VIVA
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