Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-08-21

worst fear by describing him as the
guard who watched beneath her win
dow. He was known TO her as n thief
OF International fame,
"You We're no match for Chester
NaiSmith. DO o look 81 Slum. The
Shrewdest police officers in Europe
have never been able to cope with
him. Why should You despair"
He sprang to his feet. 'By cad. he
hasn't got away with il yet he
grated. II will u this scoundrcl down
il l have To devote the remainder of
my lie to the task"
She sighed. ".Alas. l fear that ]
shall have 10 tell you a little more
about this wonderful man you know
as SprouSe. Six months ago the
friends and supporters of the legiti-
mate successor TO my country's throne
contaminated Il plan whereby the
crown Jewels and certain documents
of state We're surreptitiously removed
from the palace vaults. Instead of de-
posting the treasure in Paris. 1t was
sent TO this country in charge Of Il
group of men whose fcalty could not
be questioned. The man YOU know as
Loeb is in reality my cousin. l have
known him all my life. He Is the
youngest brother of the %pretender to
the throne, and a cousin of the prince
who is held prisoner by the AuStrians,
This prince has a brother also, and 1t
was 10 him that l was supposed to de-
liver the jewels. | travelled from New
York, but not alone as you may sus-
pect. was carefully protected from
the time | left my hotel there until
well, until arrived in Boston.
"While there l received a secret
message from friends in Canada di-
reCting me In go to Spanish Falls,
where l would be met and con
Quoted by Prince Sebastian himself
TO the place called Green Fancy,
which was near the Canadian border.
a safe escort would be provided for
us, and We would be on British soil
within Il few hours after our meeting.
1t is only necessary to add that when
l arrived ut Green Fancy / met Prince
Ugo-and understood! / had careful
ly covered my tracks after leaving
Boston. My real friends were, and
still are. completely in the dark as to
my movements. SO Skilfully was the
trick managed.
"-And now FOR Chester Naismith. 1t
was he who, acting for the misguided
loyalists and recommended by certain
young aristocrlts who by virtue of
their own designations had come to
know him as a man of infinite re-
so~urcefulness and daring. planned and
carried out the pillaging of the palace
vaults. Almost under the noses of the
foreign guards he succeeded in OBJ
tanning the jewels. No doubt he could
have made Off with them at that time.
but he shrewdly preferred to have
them brought Ia America by some one
else. 1t would have been impossible
for Tim 70 dispose Of them in Europe.
You see how cunning he is?
she was no doubt thwarted in his
design to waylay me on the road from
Spanish Falls by singular occurrence
in this tavern. He was attacked in his
room here, o~verpowered. bound and
gagged ny two men. He knew the
men. They We're thieves as clever and
as merciless as himself. They too
We're watching for me. l do not know
how these men learned of my inten-
ton to come to Green Fancy"
"They came to the Tavern four or
five days before your arrival mt
Green Fancy Barnes interrupted.
"SprouSe told me that they were Sc
cret service men from abroad and that
he was working with them. My theory
is this, and l think it is justified by
The men were really secret
agents, sen here To watch the move
ments of the gang up there. They
came upon SprOuse and recognized
him. On the day mentioned they over
powered him and forced him to reveal
facts connected with affairs at
Green Fancy. Possibly he led them to
tHiL Nbh Hfl' bIlt VI lllc ttf-
spiratOrs. They waited for your ar
and then risked the hazardous
trip to Green Fancy. They We're dis
covered and shot"
81 believe you are right" she cried.
''Then we have accounted for Mr..
SprOuse, and | am no longer interested
in the unrayeling Of the mystery sur
rounding the deaths Of Room and
said Barnes. "There is nothing
to keep me here any longer, Miss Cam
/ suggest that you allow me to
escort you at once to your friends,
wherever they"
She was opposed 10 this plan. While
was still "a chance that SprOuse
might be apprehended in the n%eighbOr-
hood, or the possibility of his being
by the relentless p%ursuers, she
declined to leave.
'"Then, / shall also stay" said he
promptly, and was repaid by the .
smile she gave him. He a
hclplessly in love with this beautiful I
cousin Of kings and queens. And ,
when he thought of kings and queens {
ne realized that beyond all question ,
MS love was hopeless.
CHAPTER XVII.