Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-04-11

Perenna Of the Legion, and that is
all / care about. Your past be.
gan in Morocco. AS for the future
/ know that, whatever happens
and however great the temptation
your only aim will be to revenge
Cosmo Mornington and protect his
heirs. But there's one thing that
worries me-"
"Speak our, major"
"Give me your word that you
won't kill this man."
1.-TWO months in bed, major
will that suit you7"
"Too long. A fortnight"
Done"
The two adversaries took ur
their positions. At the second en-.
counter, the editor of the Echo de
France fell, wounded in the chest
"Oh, that's too bad of you, Per
email" growled the Comte d'As.
trignac. "You promised me-"
And I've kept my promise.
major"
The doctors were examining the
injured man. Presently one of
them rose and said:
cts nothing. Three week. rest
at most. Only a third of an inch
more, and he would have been
done for"
eyes, but that third of an inch
isn't there" murmured Perenna.
Still followed by the detectives
motor cab. Don Luis returned to
the Faubourg Saint German; and
it was then that an incident oc-
Cured which was to puzzle him
greatly and threw a most e~xtraor-
binary light on the article in the
Echo de France.
In the courtyard Of his house he
saw two little puppies which be-
longed to the coachman and which
were generally confined to the
stables. They were playing with
a twist of red string which kept
catching onto things, to the rail
ings of the steps, to the flower
vases. In the end, the paper round
which the string was wound. ap-
peared. Don Luis happened to
pass at that moment. His eyes no
ticed marks Of writing Oh the pa
per, and he mechanically picked it
up and unfolded it.
He gave a start. He had at once
recognized the opening lines of the
article printed in the Echo de
France. And the whole article was
there, written in ink, on ruled pa
per, with erasures, and with SEN
fences added, struck out, and be-
gun anew.
He called the coachman and
asked him:
"Where does this ball of string
come FROM"
"The string, sir2 Why, from
the harness room, / think. It must
have been that little she devil of g
Miro who -"
"And when did you wind the
string round the paper?"
Yesterday evening, monsieur
yesterday evening. I see. Anc
where is the paper FRONT"
upon my word, monsieur, ]
can't say. | wanted something tc
wind my string on. l picked this
bit up behind the coachhoust
where they fling all the rubbish Of
the house to be taken into the
street at night"
Don Luis pursued his investiga
lions. He questioned or asked Mile
Levasseur to question the Other
servants. He discovered nothing
but one fact remained the article
in the Echo de France had beer
written. as the rough draft which
he had picked up proved, by some
body who lived in the house OF
who was in touch with one of thu
people in the house.
The enemy was inside the fort
ress.
But what enemyY And what die
he wantq Merely Perenna's ar
restf
All the remainder of the after
noon Don Luis continued anxious
, annoyed by the mystery that sur
; rounded him, incensed at his OWL
inaction, and especially at tina
threatened arrest, which certainl,
caused him no uneasiness, bu.
: which hampered his movements.
: Accordingly, when he was TOLD
: at about 10 o'clock that a ma,
$ who gave the name of Alexandr,
insisted on seeing him, he had tn,
: man shown in; and when he foune
himself face to face with Mazer
/, oux, but Mazeroux disguised be
! yound recognition and huddled i,
an old cloak, he flung himself OF
him as on a prey, hustling ant
shaking him.
4 Il kfr rE.N. 80 -