The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-04-11


Perenna of the Legion, and that is
all / care about. Your past be-
gan in Morocco. As for the future,
l 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 n 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 hat suit you9"
"Too long. A fortnight
Done
The two adversaries took up
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
enna!' growled the Comtc G,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:
Its nothing. Three weeks 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 hat an incident oc-
Cured which was to puzzle him
greatly and threw a most extraor-
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 on 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?'
1.-The string, sir? Why, from
the harness room, | think. 1t must
have been that little she devil of a
Miro who -"
"And when did you wind the
string round the papers"
Yesterday evening, monsieur"
Yesterday evening. l see. And
where is the paper FROM"
Upon my word, monsieur, I
can't say. l wanted something to
wind my string on. L picked this
bit up behind the coachhouse
where they fling all the rubbish of
the house to be taken into the
street at night"
Don Luis pursued his investiga-
tons. 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 been
written, as the rough draft which
he had picked up proved, by some
body who lived in the house or
who was in touch with one Of the
people in the house.
The enemy was inside the fort
reSe.
But what enemy? And what did
he want? Merely Perenna's ar
rest?
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 that
threatened arrest, which certainly
caused him no uneasiness, but
which hampered his movements.
Accordingly, when he was told
at about 10 o'clock that a man
who gave the name of Alexandra
insisted on seeing him, he had the
man shown in; and when he found
himself face to face with MaZer.
oux, but Mazcroux disguised be.
yound recognition and huddled in
an old cloak, he flung himself OF
him as on a prey. hustling and
shaking him.