The Dermott news., 1919-07-31

her
 Suddenly I realized that my eyes were wide open and that l was star ing at the moon over the housetops. With consciousness came pain. My head throhhed almost uuhearably. and I was stiff with cold l raised myself weakly and then I became aware that somebody was bending over me.
 II was roughly dressed. rough looking denizeu of the low quarter into which had Strayed
 "niahle, I thought yon were dead - I could make out amid the stream of his dialect but the remainder of his speech waS beyond my understanding.
 looked around in hewilderment.
 "Where am I?' l asked. still bound 1 by that first memory of New York.
 "ln Sous.le-Cup m'sieur,H answered the man.
 1 fell n my pocket for my watch and drew | out II was strange that the men had not robbed me, but l sup pose they had become terrified at their work and had run off However l did i not think ef that at the time. T. was few minutes past eight And the boat sailed at nine must i have lain stunned in SouSle-Gap street for an hour and q half. at least l and ouly the supreme necessity of awakening realized through uucon= scIou~nese. had saved ne from dying under the snowS.
 l fuund that could walk and hay 1 ing explained to the man that wished to so te the Chateau. wis taken hy him te the top Of winding road. near at hand. from which I could see my destination at no great distance from me
 pisms>ing my friendly guide and sending him back rejoicing with lib era largesSe. hurried aS quickly as l could make my way until burst into the Chateau at half past the hour.
 must have presented dreadful spectacle. for my hair and collar were matted with blood. and saw the guests stare and shrink from me. The clerk came toward me and stopped me at the entrance to the elevator.
 Where is Miss Iewlett?" I gasped.
 Didn't Nou meet her? She left here nearly m hour ago
 caught him by the arm. and l think he imagined that was going to seize hIm hy the throat also, for he backed away from me. and l saw look of fear come into his eyes.
 Your friend came for her and said that you had met with an accident" the clerk continued She went with l him at once He took her away in a sleigh was sure that you had missed her when you came in"
 But already I was half way across [ the hall and running for the door. raced wildly across the court and toward the terrace.
 The meaning of the scheme was clear. Jaequeline was on Captain Du- hamers boat. which smiled at nine. and only twenty minutes remained to me. had undereStimated LerOux's l Shrcwdness. He must have tele graphed instructions from New York ] before my train was out of the country. secured the boat laid his plans during l his Journey northward and had me struck down while Jacquelinc was i stolen from my care, I should have l read him better. I had always daw- l dled trusted to the future instead i of acting What chance had I against i a mind like his?
 must have been running aimlessly i up and down the terrace, blindly searching for road down to the lower town. for man seized me by the sleeve and I looked into the face of the hotel clerk again.
 "This way!" he said, and hurried me to sort of subway entrance and down a flight of steps. Before me saw the turnstile which led to a cable railway. He paid my fare and thrust me into car. A boy came to close the lat ticed door.
 The car glided down the cliff and stopped few seconds later. I emerged through another turnstile and found myself fin the lower town again | al the foot of the precipice. above which rose the Chateau with its i'm 1 posing facade. the ramparts and the 1 towering citadel.
 reached the wharf and raced along | the blanks. l was In time, although 1 the engines were throbbing In the Sainte-yierge. But it was not she, but the dark Claire I sought at that mo- ment, and I dashed toward her man barred my approach. He caught me in his strong arms and held me fast.
 "Diabie! Are you mad. monsieur7" he burst out as continued to struggle And then I recognized my captor as l Captain Dubois.
 "Jacqueline Is on the Clairel" I l cried, trying to make him understand. They took her there. They" | Ut Is all right" answered Dubois holding me with one hand, while with | the other he wiped blood drop from