Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-12-06
The
|DESTROYE r
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
xxIv.
SCORES.

Dan Webster never had any
definite recollection of how he got
to his rooms. Somebody must have
carried his bags to a cab and put
them and him inside it, and he
must have given the cabby the
number of the apartment house
where his rooms were, for after a
certain time he found himself in a
cab which had stopped in front Of
It, with Marshall, the doorman,
staring in at him.
II think he S drunk, that's what
[ think said the cabby, who had
got down, s%uspecting that his serv-
Ices would be needed. "He ought
to be put to bed and left to sleep it
off"
II don't understand it," said
Marshall. II never saw him like
this before. Paris must surely be
an awful place!"
The cabby chuckled, and to-
gether they got Dan out and into
the elevator; but when the door
man had paid and dismissed the
cabby, and tried to follow his adj
vice, he met with unexpected re-
sistance.
Go away, Marshall, and leave
me alone" said Dan. II heard
what that fellow said; but I'm not
drunk-though no doubt [ look it.
just go away and shut the door.
IN thank you another time.
There's a good fellow!'
And in the end, Marshall went
doubtfully away.
Dan went to work at himself i'm
mediately with mechanical thor
oughness. He filled his tub with
cold water, undressed and plunged
into it, dipping his head under half
a dozen times. Then he rubbed
down with the toughest towel he
could find, gave himself a vigor-
Gus massage from head to feet,
took a sharp turn with a pair of
dumb bells, got into fresh clothes,
and began to feel more like him.
self.
There" he said; CHATS bet.
ter. Now let's see if this thing is
real, or only a nightmare"
He went to his coat, got out
the pasteboard box, placed it OIL
q table, sat down before, and care
fully removed the lid. /,
No, it was not a nightmare
There was the cake of soap-pink
scented soap-weighted with the
nickel coins. Posing the box il
his hand, he understood why the
coins had been added. Without
them, the box would have been toe
light. He pulled one of the coin.
out and looked at it. 1t was a Ger
man piece Of 20 pfennigs, such a!
any one on the ship might have
used. He put it carefully back, ane
lay down on his bed to reason tn.
thing out.
How had the substitution beer
made7 How could it have beer
made9 Every day the box had beer
in his pocket every night it hae
been beneath his pillow. Their,
was only one explanation-th,
change must have been made Will,
he was asleep. Some one had en-
tered the stateroom, slipped ou'
the other box with a cautious hant
and substituted this one. Whoeve,
It was must have been familiar
with the weight Of the other DO,
and with the way it was wrapped
and sealed. But how was tina
possiblei No one could have seer
Miss Ward give it to him; no on,
could have known that he had it
And then Dan sat suddenly
erect. Chevrial might have known
Cheyrial might have seen him Sill
It into his pocket as he dressed
Yes, Cheyrial might have done it
Who was Chevriali How should
q wine merchant know SO mucl
about spies and diplomacy ane
German princesi There had al
ways been about him an air o.
power, Of reserve force. Yes, ane
Al air,of mystery-the air Of ont
who knows . great many thing.
he does not choose to tell.
Chevrial was undoubtedly q spy
himself.
And, q hc found this answer
Dan wondered that it HAD not oc
CURED To him long before. For j,
fusnished the clue upon which
Ohevrial'n words and hints and
1ookn md warnings were strung
|foeethaBrs1s On 4 threadl
1laffS could be ID doubt about
lt Clieyrial was = spy, engaged
ghglo1MlIsel desperate plot-no ordi
In1sSplo Tor aprince and admiral
Iof herman empire were also
sSssSSs SS6SSan;flAAA 1rreefi md hrayan alone