Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1919-08-21

y--of n home with my friends until
me Huns are driven OUT
Barnes silence was more eloquent
than any words. Not until Mrs.
Courtney expressed the hope that Miss
Cameron would condescend TO accept
he hospitality Of her home until plans
s0r the future were definitely fixed
sas there n sign that the object Of
ler concern had given a thought TO
what she was saying.
"You are so very kind" stammered
he countess. -But I cannot think Of
imposing upon"
leave II to me. Ede." said Barnes
gently, and, laying his hand upon his
sisters arm. he led her from the room.
Then he came swiftly back to the
,utstretched arms OF the exile.
"a very brief New York engage
nent." he whispered In her ear. he
xnew not how long afterward. Her
head was pressed against his shoulder.
aer eyes were closed. her lips parted
IN the ecstasy Of passion.
Eyes, she breathed. so family that
ne barely heard the strongest word
ever put into the language Of man.
Half an hour later he was speeding
iown the avenue i'm n taxi. His blood
was singing. his heart was bursting
with joy-his head was light, for the
feel of her was still In his arms. the
voice of her in his enraptured ears.
He was hurrying homeward to the
"diggings" he was soon to desert for
ever. He was to spend the night at
his sisters apartment. When he Is
sued forth from his "diggings" as half
past seven he was attired In evening
clothes. and there was not a woman
In all New York. young or old. who
would have denied him a second
glance.
Later on In the evening three OF the
countess friends arrived ut the Court
ney home to pay their respects TO their
fair compatriot and to discuss the
crown jewels. They came and brought
with them the eonsoling information
that arrangements were practically
completed for. the delivery of the
jewels into the custody of the French
embassy at Washington, through
whose Intervention they were to be
allowed to leave the United States
without the formalities usually OBJ
served In cases Of suspected Snug
Cling. Upon the arrival In America of
trusted messengers from Paris. headed
oy no less n parsonage than the am
1assador himself. the imperial treas
IRE was to pass into hands that would
larry Il safely to France. Prince Sc.
oastian. still In Halifax. had been ap-
prised by telegraph of the recovery OF
the Jewels. and was expected to SAL
'or England by the earliest steamer.
And while the visitors at the Court
aey house were lifting their glasses
% toast the prince they loved, and. in
urn,-the beautiful cousin who had
oraved so much and Jared so luckily
and the tall wayfarer who had come
nto her life, a small man was stOup
.ng over rified knapsack In room
Tar downtown, glumly regarding the
'esult of an unusually hazardous un
iertaking, even for one who could per
'orm such miracles as he. Scratching
ais chin, he grinned-for he was the
kind who bears disappointment with
4 grfn-and sat himself down at the
Dig library table In the center of the
Dom. Carefully selecting n pen-poInt
lie wrote:
sit viii be quite obvious to you tha
[ called Unexpectedly tonight. The
week was up, you see. I take the lib
srty of leaving under the paperweIght
At my elbow a two-dollar bill. Il
ought to be ample payment for the
damage done to your faithful travel
ng companion. Have the necessary
stitches taken In the cash and yor
Will find the kit as good as new.
was more or less certain not to fint
yhat / was after. but as have done
10 irreparable injury I am sure yor
Will forgive my love Of adventure anC
excitement. 1t was really quite dIfn
.ult to get from the fire escape Il
sour window, but 1t was a delightful
experience. Try crawling along tina
ten-insh ledge yourself some day ant
see IL 1t isn't productive of a pleasan
thrill. / shall not forget your promis,
to return good for evil some day. Goo
knows hope I may never be In a DO
sition to test your sincerity. We ma,
meet again. and I hope under agree
able circumstances. Kindly pay mi
deepest respects to the Countess Ted
and believe me to be,
'Yours very respectfully.
"SPROUSE.
'P. ST. saw ODowd today. III.
left message for you and the count
ess. Tell them, said he, that I ash
Gods blessing for them forever. III.
Is on tomorrow for Brazil. He wa,
very much relieved when he hearC
that l did not get the Jewels the frs
time i went after them. and immense
ly entertained by my jolly description
or how went after them the second
BY the way. you will be interested Il
learn that he has cut loose from IN,
crowd he was trailing with. MostI,
nuts. ne says. Dynamiting munitior
plants In Canada was a grand project
says he, and II would have come e
something II the id women haf
only left the id men alone. The
explosives are O'Dowd's."
Ten hours before Barnes found this
Illuminating message on his library
table he stood at the window. of O
lofty Park avenue apartment building
his arm about the slender, yielding
figure of the only other occupant OF
the room. Pointing out over the black
housetops, he directed her attention
to the myriad lights In the upper floors
OF a great hostelry to the south and
west and said:
THAT Is where you are going Ia
i've, darling"
1.-THE END.I