The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1915-12-31

4
saN MIN before In my life
Bat he absolutely declined to 30
Asvo me.
oh. oh. madame" he said. smiling
and shaking his finger at M. TT vas
. deucedly clever scheme to pretend
70 De strangers to one another. Il
made your flight look 20 much more
spontaneous. OF course. I shall not
| press you"
| wont you please take back this
money! pleaded. Indeed. you are
under a Misrepresentation"
viii not madame keep II and hand
it TO monsieur. II she should happen
to encounter him?" asked the secre-
tary. blandly.
i Evidently he refused to believe that
was not the wife Of the chevalier-
| the very man whom I hated more bit
terry than had ever dreamed could
hate anyone. The very mention Of the
hateful word indicating the relation
snip In which he thought we stood
nlied me with loathing. I should have
hung the money into his face. but sud
denly bells rang, and there was con-
certed rush for the train. The guard
was already signaling to the engine
| driver. dashed into compartment
Just In time: the wheels began to re-
voive, and | sank down into my seat,
stili clutching the envelope. ! looked
inside; there we're five bank notes. Of
the value of one hundred pounds
apiece. ! thrust them into my hand
bag.
Estelle had packed my suitcase for
me. and. when | opened 1t. a little
later. what do you suppose l found
on top of everything? Nothing else
than that horrid little Mr.. Spratt's
book on the Code Napoleon. which he
had SO eloquently presented to me at
| the moment of my departure from
Winnipeg. Poor little Mr.. Spratt!
The sight Of It recalled to my mind
vividly Mary Jenner. my best friend.
and the life which now seemed SO in.
hnftely far away. And It was only
two weeks before that had been
teaching class Of overgrown boys
| and girls the principles of arithmetic!
II they knew Of my subsequent ad-
ventures! I smiled. and then felt
the moisture in my eyes. thrust the
envelope containing the money into
the cover Of Mr.. spratt's book and
gave myself up to somewhat painful
meditation until I reached Dover.
The night passage was calm and
slept well until awakened at Calais.
where we re-trained for Paris, reach
Ing there at an unearthly hour in the
morning. Through the kindness Of an
old gentleman aboard the train-you
know those old gentlemen who are
bubblinE over with altruism toward
the stranger eventually found my
self knocking YEARLY at the doors Of
the Pension Anglais. I was assigned
room BY the sleepy night clerk and
tumbled into bed without even trou.
bling TO undress. When l avoke Il
was past twelve O'Clock. and the noise
and stir of the great city was In full
swing beneath my windows.
esuldn't bring myself 10 the per
formanes Of my mission for Q couple
Of days. I inspected the cathedral.
the Louvre. the shops: reveled In my
surroundings. Indeed. the fascination
OF the French capital DO overwhelmed
me that doubt whether should ever
have brought myself to carry out ny
purpose Of visiting the banker but for
. serious incident which suddenly
recalled me to q sense OF duty.
1 was in the Louvre for the third or
fourth time. reveling In the beauty Of
the sculpture there. had paused b.
fore statue Of Praxiteles, an ex-
quisits piece of work depicting the
ideal Of beauty, the Greek Hermes.
fell into train Of speculation. Were
the modern Greeks. I thought, Of the
same physical type! ! unused: had I
ever seen a Greek: There must be
Greeks in Winnipeg. but And
suddenly felt a pair of eyes regard
ing me from across the gallery.
looked up with a start. to see . man in
a SLOUGH hat. attired like . guide. and
yet evidently not one. since he lacked
the ofncial badge. regarding me with
intense penetration.
It was the Greek Zeuxis, the hanger.
on Of villainous scoundrelly Leopold
Magniff!
But was It! Was not !, rather, the
victim of an overweighted magma.
ton? Az l stared at him in constef.
nation he moved with stealthy, GID
ing steps into another chamber. When
I had recovered my seIf-possession
and followed him. he was nowhere to
be peen.
The shock Of this incident recalled
me to the duty that lay before me. II
indeed ! were under espionage, 1t was
my task to obtain my bonds with the
least possible delay. ! should never
feel satisfied until had disposed Of
them and taken the train and boat
back TO England. For the first time
l regretted Esteile's absence. Ny
loneliness was appalling; felt N
though some dsrk. ominous cloud
Of danger hung over me.
Early the next morning l sought