The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-07-04
1.-THE BLUE uGHTS''

street. Grace watched him as ne
picked them hurriedly up and
moved off into the gathering
darkness.
She fancied one of the bits Of
paper had escaped his notice. and
went back to the spot. A small
Visiting card lay upon the side
walk. She picked II up. and read
the name as she walked away. It
was Alphonse Vlentin, Boulevard
st. Michel.
Grace glanced at her watch, and
saw that 1t was close to seven
o'clock. She had intended to re-
turn to Monsieur Lefevre's for
dinner; but a sudden determine
ton to find out more about this
man Valentin caused her to pro-
coed at once to the number on
the Boulevard st. Michel.
Grace rang the bell, and waited
with some trepation. The woman
who answered regarded her with
out particular interest.
81 wish to see Monsieur Valen-
tin." said Grace.
HE is not in"
Then | will wait"
The woman shrugged her
shoulders. AS you wish, made
moiselle. Come this way"
She led Grace up a flight OF
stairs, and indicated a door at the
rear Of the upper hall. That Is
Monsieur Valentin's room" Then
she turned away.
Grace placed her hand on the
knob of the door, and slowly
pushed it open.
The light of a lamp disclosed Q
rather large room, with a small
alcove in the rear, containing 6
bed. Grace, however, did moi
spend much time examining hel
surroundings. A photograph Oh
the table attracted her attention
Across the bottom of it was in
scribed in a feminine hand
Mary Lanahan."
i She had just completed her ex
animation of the photograph
when two other objects attracted
her attention. One was a crum
pied bit of paper, upon which
was scrawled: Il am suspicious
of Francois. Watch him." The
note was unsigned.
The third object was a box Of
, cigarets, open, and nearly full
They were small gold-tipped af
fairs, of the kind generally USED
by women, and of American
make.
She took up one of the eigarets
read the name OF the brand, ant
was about to drop 1t back into the
box, when she heard a noise out
side one of the rear windows. In
stinctively she shrank back be
hind the curtains which hung be
fore the alcove door.
The rasping and scraping con
tinued for some little time, ant
presently Grace, peering between
the curtains, saw face appear Al
one of the windows. 1t was a de
termined face, heavily bearded
dark, evil looking.
The man raised the sash and
! crawled into the room. Once in
side, he picked up the box Of
cigarets and thrust 1t into hi.
pocket, then, without paying the
least attention to anything else
walked quickly to the door of the
room and passed out into the
hall.
| The girl waited for a moment
then stepped into the light. She
still held in her hand one of the
gold-tipped cigarets she had TAX.
en- from the box. She thrust II
into her pocketbook, left the
room and descended the stairs.
| She left the house, and saw the
man going down the Boulevard
She walked after him.
| The walk was a long one. Up
the brilliantly lighted avenue
they went, toward Arc de Tri-
omphe. At the corner of the
Avenue Kleber, the man turned
to the left. Grace followed. To
her establishment, the man disap-
peared suddenly through a gate
which formed the servants en-
trance to the house of Mr.. Staple
ltont