The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-09-26
this house, did you not entertain
| the idea that perSon-''

Prefet, Florence is incapable Of
doing such a thing!H
The girl was silent, but her
drawn features betrayed the feel
ings Of alarm that upset her.
Don Luis went up to her and
said:
'The mystery is clearing, Flor
ence, ism t it? And you are suf-
fering in consequence. Who put
the letter in Mother Superior s
room? You know, don't you?
And you know who is conducting
all this plot?''
She did not answer. Then,
turning to the deputy chief, the
Project said:
weber, please go and search
the room which Mile. Levasseur
occupied. -
And, in reply to the nuns pro-
test:
1t is Indispensable he de-
clared, that we should know the
reasons why Mile. Levasseur pre-
serves such an obstinate silence. !"
Florence herself led the way.
But, as Weber was leaving the
room, Don Luis exclaimed:
Take care, Deputy Chief''
Take care9 Why?''
don't know" said Don Luis,
who really could not have said
why Florence's behavior was
making him uneasy. 81 don t
know. Still, | warn you- y
Weber shrugged his shoulders
and, accompanied by the superior,
moved away. In the hall he took
two men with him. Florence
walked ahead. She went up a
flight of stairs and turned down
a long corridor, with rooms on
either side Of it, which, after turn
ing a corner, led to short and
very narrow passage ending in
door.
This was her room. The door
opened not inward, into the room,
but outward, into the passage.
Florence therefore drew it to her.
stepping back as she did so, which
obliged Weber to do likewise. She
took advantage of this to rush
IN and close the door behind her
so quickly that the deputy, when
ne tried to grasp the handle,
merely struck the air.
He made an angry gesture:
The baggage! She means to
burn some papers!" And, turn
ing to the superior:
:" Is there another exit to the
room9"
No, Monsieur.
He tried to open the door, but
she had locked and bolted f.
Then he stood aside to make way
for one of his men, a giant. who
Wltiisone blow of his fist, smashed
"a panel.
Weber pushed by him, put his
arm through the opening, drew
the bolt, turned the key, pulled
open the door and entered.
Florence was no longer in her
room. A little open window OBJ
poslte showed the way she had
taken.
"oh, curse my luck!v he
shouted. sShe's cut OFF,
And. hurrying back to the
staircase, he roared over the bal
listers
Watch all the doors! She's
got awayl Collar her
NJ. Desmalions came hurryinp
up. Meeting the deputy, he re- :
celyed his explanations and then
went on to Florence's room. The
|opel. window looked out on =
small inner yard, sort Of well
which served to ventilate a part
of the house. Some rain pines
ran down the wall. Florence mnst
have let herself down by them
But what GOODNESS and what AN
indomitable will she must have
displayed to make her escape ~
this manner!
The detectives had already dis
trlbuted themselves on every side
to bar the fHgitive's road. 1t soon
became manifest that Florence
for whom they were hunting on
the ground floor and in the base
ment, had gone from the yard in
to the room underneath her own
which happened to be the mother
superior $ that she had put on
nuns habit; and that, thus dis
CURSED, she had passed nnnoticed
through the very men who were
pursuing her.
They rushed outside. But ii was