Mexico Missouri message., 1915-06-24
CHAPTER xx-cOntlnued.


After a moment in which the Mar
quise dEsclignac gazed at the bougain-
villea and wondered how anyone could
admire it's crude and vulgar color, Miss
Redmond asked:
did you ever think that the Due de
fremont was in love?"
Turning shortly about to her niece,
her aunt stared at her.
''In love, my dear!"
with Madame de IA Maine"
The arrival of Madame de la Maine
had been a bitter blow to the Mar
quise d'Bsclignac. The young woman
was, however, much loved in Paris and
quite in the eye of the world. There
was no possible reason why the Mar
Guise dEsclignac should avoid her.
"You have been hearing gossip,
Julia"
Il have been watching a lovely
woman" said the girl simply, "and
man. That's all You wouldn't want
me to marry man who loves another
woman, ma tante, when the woman
loves him and when l love another
MANI"
She laughed and kissed her aunt's
cheek.
Let us think of the soldier" she
murmured, let us think just of him,
ma tante, will you not?"
The Marquise dEscllgnac struck
her colors
In the hallway of the villa, in
snowy gibbeh land his clean-washed
appearance was much in his favor),
Hammet Abou waited to talk with the
grandmother" and the excellency.
He pressed both his hands to his
forehead and his breast as the ladies
entered the vesibule. There was
stagnant odor of myrrh and sandal
wood in the air. The marble vesti-
bule was cool and dark the walls
hung with high-colored stuffs, the
windows drawn to keep out the heat.
The Due de fremont and Madame
de la Maine came out of the salon
together. fremont nodded to the
Arab.
Il hope you are little less" and
he touched his forehead smiling, "to-
day, my friend"
Il am as God made me, Monsieur"
What have you got today?" asked
Julia Redmond anxiously. fixing her
eager eyes upon Hammet,
1t seemed terrible to her that this
man should stand there with vital
secret and that they should not all be
at his feet. He glanced boldly around
at them.
There are no soldiers here?"
mo; no, you may speak freely"
The man went forward to fremont
and put paper in his hands, unfold
ing it like chart
This is what monsieur asked me
fora plan of the battlefield. This is
the battlefield. and this is the
desert"
fremont took the chart On the
page was simply a round circle. drawn
in red ink, with a few Arabian charac-
tiers and nothing else. Hammet Abou
traced the circle with his fingers
tipped with henna.
THAT was the battle, Monsieur"
t But this is no chart, Hammet
Abou"
The other continued, unmoved:
"And all the rest is a desert, like
this"
fremont, over the mans snowy
turban, glanced at the others and
shrugged Every one but Julia Red
mond thought he was insane She
came up 10 him where he stood close
to fremont, She said very slowly in
French, compelling the mans dark
eyes to meet hers:
You don't wish to tell us, 4HammeI
Abou, anything more. Am moi
right? You don't wish us to know the
truth"
Now it was the American pittet
against the Oriental. The Arab. Will
Difference. touched his forehead be
fore her.
~If l made q true plan," he saiC
coolly, your excellency could give Il
tomorrow to the government"
"Just what should be done, Julia.
cate the Marquise d'Esolignac, in Eng
ilsh fiThis man should be arrested
at once"
Ma tante,r pleaded Julia Redmond
She felt as though a slender threas
9aa between her fingers, threai
which led her 70 the door OF a laby
rinth and which rude touch Nigh
cause her to lose forever
II YOU has money would you star