The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-03-27
CHAPTER I.
Two Letters

WANT one m1ll1On francs!
Monsieur the Count Raoul D'Este
reread the sentence in the letter
which he had received that morn
ing for perhaps the twentieth
time. The contents were tyne
written, and the signature, Victor
Girard, as we'll.
Yet the name Victor Girard was
one that was quite well known 70
the count, for he had receive a
letter of the same sort, signed in
the same way, almost every day
for the past four weeks.
! The earlier letters had only an
nounced the writer's desire for
the money. The later ones in
formed him that the said Girard
would within a short time indi-
cate the method by which the sum
was to be paid over to him.
I Presently the count utterad an
exclamation. "Ill call up Lefev-
re- he said, angrily. This thing
must stop"
! He sprang from his chair, rang
up the project of police, Monsieur
Etienne Lefevre, and at once ex-
planned the circumstances which
had prompted his call. The project
agreed to join him within half an
hour.
! The Count D'Este was small
man, perhaps so years of age, but
he looked somewhat older.
nj,
in which he sat indicated him to
be man of more than ordinary
wealth. Yet until his marriage
with widow of large wealth, an
American, some five years before,
he had been distinguished far
more for his debts than for his
ability to pay them. His sole
asset had been his title.
This he brought into the great
market for such commodities.
New York, where he was able
presently to exchange it for Mrs.
Randall and fortune estimated
at some two million dollars. Mrs.
Randall. or as she thus became,
the Countess D'Este, having died
within the past year, the count
was left with what was, for Paris.
a large fortune.
Luckily for him they had no
children. The count himself had
a nephew, Emile, who was de-
pendent upon him, and Mrs. Ran
dali had insisted upon having
with her during the last few
months of their married life her
niece, Grace Ellicott. The. latter
had upon her aunt's death been
left penniless; she was an orphan
with no near relatives.
The young girl had supposed, at
the time of her aunt's death that
the latter had made provision for
her in a will. Great was her sur
prise, therefore, upon peine in
formed by her uncle that no such
provision had been made.
The count, however, had made
her regular though small al
lowance, and opposed all her sug-
gestions that she should return
to America.
As he finished telephoning,
Grace Ellicott came into the
room.
Grace Ellicott had Just passed
out of her teens, and was a girl
of unusual beauty and charm.
Count D'Este," she exclaimed
seriously, here is a letter which
have just received. VIII you
please read it,"
The count took the letter, and
proceeded to examine it's contents.
1t was written in feminine
hand, and bore neither super
scription nor signature.
''DO not return to America"
1t read. 1.-The money which was
left you by your aunt you will re-
ceive before the end of the
month";"
! D'Este looked up with a fcown.
What nonsense is this?" he ask
ed irritably. Il command you
not to mention the subject again.
Should you do SO, l am afraid |
shall be Obliged" He paused,
his tone full of meaning.
Don't threaten me. Count
D'Este. l am not afraid Of you. l
have friends"
rs Victor Girard one Of
them?" he asked in a harsh voice.
Grace recoiled in surprise.
Victor Girard!" she asked
vaguely, who is he?"
The count shrugged his Shout
ders. Never mind. II he Is, |
imagine he will soon be quite
harmless.
| Graca saw that n would he use-