Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-11-25

hand when he gave her back her fan
said simply:
Follow me if you are interested in
obtaining certain paper"
Sebastian had needed no second inyl-
tation, and when he had followed her
to the door of her house he had found
Blanca waiting for him.
won't you come in, Senior Ma
yarre" inquired Blanca, smiling.
In her sumptuously furnished recep-
ton room Blanca had coffee served by
a Chinese servant.
"SenOr Navarro" she said, "a GER
tain paper has come into my hands In
which | believe your are interested.
1t is matter of business. How much
is it worth to your"
II offered a hundred dollars for 1t
this morning." answered Sebastian
Suppose we say fifty thousand dol
lars" she said.
Sebastian shrugged his shoulders.
Madame, let us put business aside"
he said Il like to leave these mat
tiers to my lawyer"
Come senior, let us finish this deal,
She said. rs it fifty thousand? | do
not bargain"
He saw that he was dealing with a
woman of stronger character than he
had imagined.
"Well, I'll give you ten thousand,
he said, decisiyely. THAT is positively
my last word"
mo" answered Blanca, rising.
That was the moment when the PTS
tol shot sent them hurrying into the
anteroom. A moment afterward the
attendants entered bearing the body of
the suicide.
Sebastian's eyes fell upon Romanoff.
AT once he realized that r. nanoff and
Blanca were in the deal together.
Then it was that Leontine was car
ried in and placed on the couch. The
combination of circumstances over
Whelmed him. He started back in ter
rOr as his wife sprang to her feet and
stepped forward toward Blanca.
Give me that paper" said Leontine.
Blanca stepped back and nodded i'm
TO one of the attendants |
who seized LeOntine by the arm. And |
then Il strange thing happened. Sud |
denly the paper was Wrested from BIZ |
anca's hand by some invisible agency |
and transferred to Leontines.
Blanca sprang forward to snatch it,
but then she staggered and then reeled |
back; at the same instant the hand |
Of the attendant was torn from Leon |
lines arm and he was hurled to the
floor. A stream of blood poured from
MS cut lip.
LeOntine cutching the precious doc
lment moved toward the door. She |
was half way toward it when Blanca
recovered her self-possession.
stop herr she cried. Don't let
Ter go! Get that paper from her"
The second attendant and ROmanOff
capped forward. Just as the attendant
vas about to pini0n Leontine, he, too,
vent reeling back under the impact Of
| terrific blow which knocked him,
to the ground. ROmanoff
seemed lifted bodily and cast upon the
,rostratc form Of the other man.
The room was in an QProar. Two
'hinese servants ran between Leontine
md the doorway. The attendants, ris-
ne from the floor, at Biancas signal,
lung themselves upon Leontine again.
Then it seemed as if an invisible
levil were at work in the room,
Leontine stood beside the door, un-
ouched, the precious paper still In her
land. She alone had kept her self-pos-
essiOn.
Quietly she stepped toward the Sc
ret panel pushed it open, and passed
nto the gambling house. Thence she
made her way leisurely toward the
lead of the flight of steps that led
own to the street.
She went down slowly, and, belev-
ng herself safe, stopped under the
earest street lamp to read the rest
f the confession, in order to learn the
ruth.
AS she did so, man came down the
tops behind her.
Louis Lamb, or "One-Lamp Louie"
ad made his way back to New York
18th his hoard after the earthquake
evastated Whites village.
On reaching the metropolis he i'm
lediately got in touch with the I'M
erworld; and that in itself required a
ertain habit of mind
Blanca, recognizing that he had
ioney to spend, permitted him to
pend it. Romanoff, who had planned
rob him, did not recognize in the
'equenter of the gambling house the
ermit of Whites Village.
And Louie had not the slightest rec
lection of the confession Of forgery
hich he had committed in company
18th Sebastian,
When he spoke to Leontine at the
de of the suicide he had not the least
ca that he had ever seen her before. :.
e drltted back to the table and wait
impatiently for the game to begin }
rain.
After lowering round for some time, '.