The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-09-26
this house, did you not entertain

entered the room, unknown to
me, for such a purpose9" cried
the superior. "Oh, Monsieur lie
Prefet, Florence is incapable Of
doing such a thingy"
The girl was Silent, bat 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, isn't it, And you are suf-
fering in consequence. Who put
the letter in Mother Superior's
roomg You know, don't you?
And you know who is conducting
all this plotf"
She did not answer. Then,
turning to the deputy chief, the
Project said:
Weber, please go and search
the room which Mile. L~evasseur
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 care2 Whyi"
81 don't know said Don Luis,
who really could not have said
why Forence's behavior was
making him uneasy. "I don't
know. Still, | warn YOU"
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 a short and
very narrow passage ending in a
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:
SIS there another exit to the
roomf"
"No, Monsieur"
He tried, to open the door. but
she had locked and bolted it.
Then he stood aside to make way
for n of his men, a giant, who.
with n 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 i'm her
room. A little open window DID,
posite showed the way she had
taken.
"Oh, curse my luck! he
shouted. "She's cut Off"
And, hurrying back to the
staircase, he roared over the bal
listers:
Watch all the doors! She's
got away! Collar her!"
M. Desmalions came hurryinp
up. Meeting the deputy, he re,
ceived his explanations and then
went on to Forence's room. The
opel window looked out on a
emall inner yard, a sort of well
which served to ventilate a part
OF the house. Some rain pipes
ran down the wall. Florence must
have let herself down by them.
But what GOODNESS and what an
indomitable will she must have
displayed to make her escape in
this manner!
The detectives had already dis
tributed themselves on every side
to bar the fugitive'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
superjc"'s; that she had r". OH
a nuns habit and that, thus dis
guised, she had passed unnoticed
through the very men who were
pursuing her.
They rushed outside. But it was
now dark. and evary ,aor.h n..