Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-12-06

at; but instead he was shown at
once into a little ante-chamber.
est here a moment, SIR" SAID
the footman, and fastened away,
closing the door behind him. But
it opened almost at once, and
Pachmann himself entered. Dan
drew a deep breath of relief; it
was all right then!
Pachmann fairly radiated good
humor. All his roughness of the
morning had disappeared, and he
greeted Dan beamingly.
II am most glad to see you,"
he said, in such a tone that Dan
almost believed him. "You are
ESompt-but that, l am given to
Understand, is an American virtue.
However, l am prompt, also. The
car is waiting"
"The carr" Dan echoed.
"You will understand" Pach-
mann explained, "that, since the
Prince is ipcognitio, it is impos-
sible for him to remain at the con-
sulate-that would at once betray
him. | was uncertain, this morn
ing, as to our arrangements, or I
should have directed you to the
proper address. However, it is but
a step" and he opened the door.
Dan followed him along a hand
some hall to the carriage entrance,
where, at the foot Of the steps,
stood a limousine. AS soon as they
appeared, the driver, who had
been standing at the hood, bent
and cranked his motor and then
sprang to the door and opened it.
CENTER, my dear SIR" said
Pachmann, and followed him into
the car. The door slammed, the
driver sprang to his seat, and they
were off. In the semi darkness,
Dan fancied he heard a repressed
chuckle, and a vague uneasiness
stole upon him. But he shook it
off. What had he to fear?
"You will remember" said
Pachmann finally, "that this in
terview is not a thing which we
desire, but to which we consent
because we must. You placed us,
this morning, in a very awkward
position. You newspaper men of
America have a method all your
own. The manner in which you
entrapped the prince compels my
admiration. How did you know
that it was he7"
"There was a book on the ship
with a history and portraits of the
royal family" Dan explained. "I
happened to be looking it over and
recognized the likeness at once"
"So?" said Pachmann, and
there was a note of surprise in his
voice, which told Dan definitely
that, whatever Chevrial's plot
might be, this German was not in
1t. "You have sharp eyes. But
the likeness may have been merely
a chance one. 1t must have seemed
most strange to you that a prince
of the empire should travel alone
as a passenger of the second
class"
cit did. That was why l ap-
preached him as I did"
"It was most clever. W. admit
it. All, here we are"
The car had stopped, and Pach-
mann opened the door. As Dan
alighted, he glanced up and down
the street, but did not recognize
it. 1t was a street of close built
apartment houses and private
dwellings like any one of hundreds
in New York Pachmann crossed
the pavement, mounted the steps
and touched the bell. The door
was opened instantly by a tall
servant in livery.
If Dan had expected it to reveal
a regal magnlflcence, he was dis
appointed. The hall into which he
stepped was simply, even meagre-
ly furnished. Without pausing,
Pachmann mounted the stair, and
led the way into the front room
on the upper floor. It was a large
room, lighted only by the glow of
a wood fire. A man was sitting in
front of it, and sprang up at their
entrance. Pachmann, at the door,
switched on the electrics.
My dear Prince" he said, "I
have brought the young gentleman
for the interview which we prom
ised him"
And Dan, as he saw the others
face, breathed 9 sigh of relief. Yes,
! it was the Prince. For q moment
in the car, he had feared that he
was being tricked. Pachmann had
undoubtedly chnckledi