The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-21


earth shall prevent me from keeping
my promise. At three o'clock tomor-
row."
A long silence weighed upon them
both. He dared not break it. and the
girls emotion made him suffer in
every nerve. Softly. without a word.
he moved away.
But suddenly she started. and SIAM
mered:
"Harkl Footstepsi hear some one
coming"
He looked at her with surprise. She
appeared distraught, as though at the
approach of danger.
II hear nothing" he said, "and.
even so"
why. you must fyi Quick. fyr
"F1y--why?"
She rushed to the entrance to the
gallery and listened. No. there was
no one there. Perhaps the sound had
come from the outside. She waited a
second, and then, reassured. turned
round.
Arsene Lupin had disappeared.
The whole of that morning was
spent at Thibermesnil. in an inde-
scribab.. hubbub. The early investiga-
tons furnished no ciew. The windows
had not been broken nor the doors
smashed in. There was no doubt but
that the removal had been effected
through the 5. outlet.
There was one unexpected thing.
however, which clearly pointed to the
fanciful methods of Arsene Lupin:
the famous sixteenth-century chron-
iele had been restored % its old place
in the bookcase. and beside it stood
= -aiAr volume, which was none
other than the copy stolen from the
Bibliotheque Rationale.
The officers arrived at eleven. De-
vanne received them gayly; howeve.
annoyed he might feel at the loss OF
his artistic treasures, his fortune was
large enough to enable him to bear
it without showing i'll humor.
Or, oe the guests was missing
Horace Velmont. Was he not COM
ing? He walked in upon the stroke
of twelve. and Devanne exclaimed:
"Goodl There you are at lastl You
have heard the news. supposel"
What news?"
"You robbed the castle last night. !"
"Nonsensew
I tell you. you did. But give your
arm to Miss Underdown. and let us
go in to lunch. Miss Underdowu. let
me introduce"
He stopped, struck by the confu-
sion on the girls features. Then,
seized with sudden recollection. he
said:
by tae way. of course, you once
Travelled on the same ship with Ar
sene Lupin-before his arrest. You
are surprised by the likeness, are you
not?"
She did not reply. velmont stood
before her. smiling He bowed; she
took his arm. He led her to her place,
and sat down opposite to her.
During lunch they talked of moth
ing but Arsene Lupin, the stolen fur
niture, the underground passage and
Holmlock Shears.
Coffee was served on the terrace
overlooking the courtyard and the
French garden in front of the castle.
The regimental band played on the
lawn, and crowd of peasants and
soldiers strolled about the walks in
the PIX.
Nellie was thinking of Arsene Lu-
pins promise:
AT three o'clock everything will
be there I give you my solemn
pledge"
At three o'clock And the hands of
the great clock in the right wing
pointed to twenty to three. In spite
of herselss. she kept on looking at it.
And she also looked at Velmont. who
was swinging peacefully in a COM
Portable rocking chair.
ut W happen just as he said"
she thought. impressed by all the
mans energy. authority and certainty.
And it seemed to her no longer a
miracle, but a natural event that was
bound to take place in the ordinary
course of things.
For second their eyes met. She
blushed, and turned away her head.
Three O'Clock. The first stroke rang
out, the second. the third. Horace
Velmont took out his watch. glanced
up at the clock and put his watch
back in his pocket. A few seconds
elapsed. And then the crowd opened
out around t!le lawn to make way for
two carriages that had just passed
through the park gates. each drawn
by two horses. They were two Of
those regimental v.pons which carry