Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-07-20

said. II thank you-and you also
Madame!" and with that, he and
his companions babe the worthy
couple adieu.
Once in the street, Crochard
paused.
II will leave you now, NJ. LIE.
pine" he said. "You have your
work to debut you do not need
me. Should l have anything fur
ther to communicate, you will hear
from me-"
And if we wish to find you?"
"For the present, l am staying
with my friend on the Quai de
Cronstadt."
Every good" said Lepine.
GOOD night" and in a moment
he and Pigot were lost in the dark
ness.
The rain had ceased and a chill
wind had arisen, but Orchard did
not seem to feel it, as he walked
slowly toward the quays, his head
bent in thought. An ironical smile
curved his lips, as he picture Lee
pine off upon the scent first to the
prefecture, then to the post office.
lie would follow it we'll, of course;
he would run it to the end. He
would discover, no doubt, the iden-
tlty Of the two travellers; that
would not be difficult. Crochard
himself had pointed out the way.
But what then? Even if they
were found to be men high in the
German service, that was of small
Importance. 1t proved nothing.
They were at liberty to visit Tou-
lon, if they wished to do so; and,
after all, their arrival at the quay
live minutes before dawn might
have been an accident; they might
have fingered for a last look at La
Liberte without any suspicion Of
what was about to occur. Such a
coincidence, if not probable, was,
at least, conceivable ; and such, Of
course, would be their explana-
ton, if an explanation was ever
asked for. There was no way to
disprove it.
As to the yacht on which they
had embarked-well, that, too,
may have been an accident - a
boat belonging to a friend whom
they had come upon unexpectedly
and upon which they had been per-
saaded to take a cruise. Suspicious
circumstances yes, many Of
them; but no proof, no absolute
proof. And nothing, absolutely
nothing, to show that the explo-
sion had been caused by any out
side agency.
Arrived at the water front, Gro
chard walked on until he was op-
poslte the wreck. There he sat
down, with his legs overhanging
the quay. Two or three search
were still focused on the
rum, but the rescue parties had
been withdrawn, and only q few
sentrles remained. He could see
how that formidable monster of q
ship had been torn and twisted in
to an inextricable and hideous
mass Of iron and steel. One tur-
ret remained above the water.
blown over on it's side, its great
guns pointing straight at the
zenith; but the rest was q mere.
tangle Of metal.
Such destruction could have
been wrought only by the explo,
sion Of the magazines no mine or
torpedo could have done it. And a.
ne gazed at the mass Of wreckage
visible above the water, he per-
ceived 9 certain resemblance to
photographs he had seen of the
wreck Of the Maine. The Names
forward magazine had exploded;
but Orchard knew, as well as M.
Delcasse himself, what had caused
explosion.
Perhaps history was repeating
itself, ~, proverbially, it IL sup
posed to have . way Of doing. But
shook his head re the
catastrophe was not an accident.
thensit Was the result OF some
agency tar more subtle than mine
Or torpedo. And, also, il it was not
an accident, those two men who
had waited II the sshadow n ina