Evening star., 1921-09-25
The Latest and Best Story by H. c. Bailey

with him, which you may think was
| only fair. 1t was very late before
his highness (who took morbid
interest in his limbs) could be got to
Reggie went to bed, but all the while
the Giulia was steaming back to Tor
mouth, and when Reggie came on
deck again pink and beautiful. az
he remarked to his mirror. thanks TO
razor and linen OF .s Spo,stos. Sds ,son aas nd
through the morning haze.
! Already upon deck were Spoleto
| and Hilda, walking together, nego-
tiating, as it appeared, a defensive
alliance.
"How is my uncle. Mr.. Fortuner'
"stiiI asleep, thank heaven"
He Is not in any dangerr' said
| Hilda.
well, you know. he's SO anxious
| II should never forgive myself If
anything happenedw Spoleto cried.
| t''Oh. ! should, you know. should
Reggie murmured theughtfully. They
did not attend to him.
| But you are not to blame Hhda
was interested ia Spoleto. You are
not to blame for anything"
"You say that" spoleto cried.
Thank you, my cousin" and he kissed
her hand.
"oh, but you are absurd" said Hill
da. and flushed family and turned
away.
spoleto made a gesture Of despair.
! quite, quite" Reggie said $50 wed
better have breakfast" During that
meal he might have heard. if he had
tions of the Comte de Spoleto. He
escaped from them to visit his patient.
The prince was much cheered by a
night of sleep. still excessively In
terested in his injuries, but now hope
full about them. He gave great honor
TO Reggie's treatment of the case.
MY dear sir. must consider it provi-
Dental that you were on board. Oh,
but certainly providentiaL"
We'll. sir, the affair might have
] taken a different turn without me-,
Reggie admitted modestly.
Indeed. yes" said his highness:
Good God. Mr.. Fortune. and how I
resented your appearance yesterday
He became thoughtful. II think what
annoyed me most was that any one
should have discovered my plans
/ He gazed at Reggie. "Are you free to
tell me. Mr.. Fortune? I am much in
terested to know what brought you
here. Did Hilda say anything to her
mother? Or is there a traitor in my
camp? spoleto-that little actress?
Here's the traitor. sir" Reggie
took out of his pocket the Hottentot
Venus.
"Good heavens.' The prince took her
affectionately. MY new paleolithic
Venus"
YOU left her in the library at the
Tormouth school. There are not many
men in the world who have a Hotten-
tot Venus to lose. So she suggested
to me that the Prince of Ragusa was
| taking action with regard to Hilda
| Crowland."
"You have a great deal OF acumen.
Mr.. Fortune" said the prince. and the
sound Of the cable broke on the con-
versation.
THERE is a hospital at Tormouth.
The Comte de Spoieto went on
shore to bring off its X-ray man.
| Reggie stretched himself in a deck
chair to wait events. They were not
long in arriving. A shore boat brought
OF the Hon. Stanley Lemas. dapper
as ever. and a woman whom Reggie
| identified by her hair and her mag
nificent figure as the mother of Hilda
Mrs. Crowland-the Princess of
Ragusa. Reggie went down the
gangway to meet them.
! Lomas sprang out OF the boat
The princess was handed out and
went up the gangway. Good God
Fortune" Lomas shook hands. You're
a wonder! How did you bring them
| back?"