Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-15
Go On With the Story
CHAPTER VII

~ INASI obhAhN5 IJoSn
Duchemin took back with him to
Nant, that night, food in plenty for
thought, together with a notion that
he had better resign himself to stop
en- indefinitely at the Grand Hotel
de IUnicers and see what he should
see.
That fatality on which he had so
bitterly reflected, had him now fair
ly BY the heels. Impossible-and the
o so the longer ne pondered it
to credit to mere coincidence che
innuendoes uttered at the chateau
by Mr.. Monk and his party.
No: there had been malice in that.
Duchemin was satisfied, if not some
darker purpose which perplexed the
most patient scrutiny.
Now malice without incentive is
unthinkable. But Duchemin search
ed his memory in vain for anything
he could have said or done to make
anybody desire to discredit him in
the sight of the ladies of the Chateau
de Montalais. Still the attempt so to
do had been unmistakable; the Lone
Wolf had been lugged into the con-
versation literally by his legendary
ears,
Surely, one would think, that
nocturnal prowler of pre-war Paris
had been so long dead and buried
even the most ghoulish gossip should
respect his poor remains and not dis
inter them merely to demonstrate
that the past can eve wholly die!
Had he, then, some enemy of old
hidden under n of those sleek sur
faces?
An excellent visual memory re-
viewed successfully the physical
characteristics of Messieurs Monk,
Phinuit and de Lorgnes, and theif
chauffeur Jules; with the upshot
that Muchemin could have sworn
that he had never before known any
of these.
And Madame la Comtesse? In
respect of ina one memory again
drew a blank, but remained unsat-
isled. When one thought of her
some remote, faint chord of remin-
iscence thrilled and hummed, but
never recognizably.
Setting aside then the theory of
positive personal animus. what other
reason could there be for the effort
to fasten Upon Duchemin suspicion
of identity with the late Lone Wolf?
A sinister consideration, IL any,
and one, Duchemin suspected not UNI
connected with the much-talked-
about jewels of Madame de Mont
aiais.
And then, partly to kill time. he
resumed his character as the pedes-
TRAN tourist.
He took the road in the heart of
a day even more oppressive than its
Yesterday. In the valley OF the
Dourbie the air was stagnant, llfe-
less. After eight miles of 1t Du-
rhemin was guilty of two mistakes OF
desperation.
In the first instance he paused In
La Deque-Sainte- Marguerite and
to1mented by thirst, refreshed him
self at the auberge where the ba-
rouche and guide had been hired to
convey the party from Montalais on
10 Montpelier. The landlord re-
Duehemin and made be-
6eve he didn't, serving the wayfar-
sgr with a surly grace.
Duehemin drank sitting on a
bench outside the door OF the
auberge. He could near the voice of
the landlord inside, grumbling ana
crowling, to what purport ne
rouldn't determine. Before Duche-
min was finished he found himself
the of more than a few
pair of eyes set in the ill-fayored
faces Of natives of La Rogue.
One gathered that the dead guide
had enjoyed q fair amount of local
popularity.
while Duchemin drank, a lout OF
r lad shambled out of the auberge,
caught and saddled a dreary animal,
mounted, and rode off in the direc-
tien Of Nant. -
Then Duchemin committed his
second error of judgment. which
consisted in thinking to n better
and cooler air on the heights across
the river.
bic, reached the top in a oath OF
su and sat down to cool ana
breathe himself.
The view was splendid, almost
worth the climb. Duchemin could
sae for miles up and down the val
Iav. Across the way Duchemin iden-
ti6ed the figure of the landlord,
STANDING in the door of the auberge
WITH arms raised and elbows thrust
nit ON a level with his eyes,; the pose
~ a man using a feld-glass.
. Haying rested, he picked himself
,.n found his road, a mere trail OF
wagon tracks, and mindful of the
! cneiing drinks to be had in the Gale
Re TUniverse, put his best foot fore
host. ..u a. tn
st;nct. impelled him to look back the
srav he had come. Half a mile dis
+ant he saw the figure of a peasant
foiiowing the same road. Duchemln
stonped and waited for the other to
como IN. But when he stopped the
man stopped, sat him down upon a
rock filled a pipe, and conspicuous
~ rested. notort aos-
.,re and moved on. After another
nile he glanced over shoulder again.
The same peasant occupied the saihe
relative distance from him.
In dusk Of evening he
down into the valley again ana
struck the river road about midway
between the Chateal de Montalais
and Nant. At this junction several
dwellings clustered. Duchemin no.
feed a few shadowy shapes loiter-
inc about, but was too far gone in
fsfieue and thirst to pay them ally
heed, He had no thought but to
stor at the first house n beg a
eun of water. AS he lifted a hand
To knuckle the door he was attacked.
with no more warning than a
crv. the signal for the onslaught,
and the sudden scuffling noise OF
several pair of feet, he wheeled,
ound himself already closely pressed
Nv a number of men,, and struck
ont at random. His stick landed
on somebody's head with a reseund-
Ing thump followed by . yell of
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