The Washington times., 1919-02-12
CHATTER VIII.
A SenaafionaI Hohbary

a SENSATIONAL hoDDeFW.
Seated in a comfortable rocking
chair on the terrace Of his villa,
Comte d'AbazOli-Viscosa. the. morn
ing after his departure from Paris
was watching. between the puffs Of
his cigarette, the sUnbeams reflected
in the blue waves OF the sea, whose
little white teeth were gnawinS the
sand OF the beach.
He was rejecting. Does not for
tune most frequently escape US just
at the moment we think we have it
IN our grasp, and is II not the very
height of ill-Iuck to miss . scheme
so well prepared Just at the very
instant success seems ours2
But who was this man whQ. had
come to his house in the. place OF
the one whom ne was expecting
and what fatality had so suddenly
placed this stranger on his track?
Was it not singular that, Occu-
pying the next room to Mrs. Tah&-
cry in the family boarding house at
Passy, he should have given details
OF her murder so exact that u
seemed impossible he should not
have witnessed it?
Was IT not incomprehensfb4e that
he should know concerning him
self as we'll as Nam, particulars
whose secret both were sure Of be-
ing the sole possessOrs,. precisely
as IL he were ignorant OF no fact in
their past life?
Finally, was IL not extraordinary,
when the police themselves had not
thought Of associating the murder
Of the American lady with that OF
Baron Plucke-Strohe. he should
have OWNED that their authors
were the same and that, as IL he
had been an accomplice OF the in
genious swindie invented by tha
Hindoo, he should have doubted thu
existence Of the Maharajah'S jewelA
which. until now, had not been done
by anyone?
To ask all these questions was not
TO answer them.
The important point. for the mo-
ment, was that, with this mans dis
appearance, all danger was ayerted-
His hat and oyercoat with the note
slipped into its pocket, found on the
bank OF the Seine, would prevent any
other conjecture than that Of sui
eide and, in a few days, someone
would draw from the river the body
which Nam would throw there
after having taken It from its steel
prison.
But. before hurllng himself so i'm
prudently into the jaws OF the wolf
from which he was never to come
forth alive. had he told Baron
PIucke OF his cOnjectureS? Had he
put him on his guard against bis
borrower? Had he even merely
urged him to be distrustful and
cautious?
And, ignorant OF what might
happen, thinking OF the sword OF
DamOcles suspended over his head.
the comte, excellent gambler as he
might be. did not feel wholly reas-
sured.
Suddenly a voice behind him
reused him from his reverie.
"Of what is NJ. le Connie think
ing?"
Turning. he saw Nam looking at
him with an ironical expression. A.
the comte made no reply, he went
on calmly:
Certainly. at this season. II Is
pleasanter here than in Paris.
There's nothing better 20 clCares the
lungs than this salt air from the
sea. But" ne added. you are not
Of the same opinion? You seem to
be little veXed this morning."
The comte, with a nervous ges-
ture. flung his cigarette away.
You see. Nam" he murmured.
Il am thinking OF the famous say
ing OF a queen OF France
(which one? Could It be this:
Here ! am, here l will stay" Upon
my word, with this brilliant sun
and this magnificent sea. she would
be decidedly sensible"
mo. YOU do not know our history
the sentence to which I alluded
is: We'll ripped, my son, the point
now is TO sew il again"
(Which means:T
That TO have shut this young
man up in this steel prison, to have
destroyed forever with him the Sc
crPts which ne ought to have pos
sessed is very we'll: but we must
now think Of the future"
"And them"
CrO BH cOHTUUED FO4oA8O