New Britain herald., 1924-07-07
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY

NOW 60 ON WITH THE sToHN
 "But yes. monsieur" He almos capered in delight. As I have said my French Is feeble. Yet l managed to gather from his excited speech that all the applicants had been ad mitted to club membership. but moi only were there no dues. but thai those members who were In need were to he granted annultios, thai the club was to have an outing upor a river steamer next week, on which occasion detailed plans were to hf submitted to the membership by it, benefactor.
 "Did you meet the patron him self?" I asked.
 "Mr. Armand cochet? But surely monsieur. A noble gentleman, white of hair. and with manner of z prince"
 T think I saw him enter, then, said I. "A man with a great nose 2
 Monsieur is correct" said the man. 'sAnd with an eye like ar eagle, and the heart of dove. Of a truth. great man"
 |
 I congratulated my friend. parted from him with mutual expressions oi esteem. and walked toward the river And the farther I walked, the more | incredible it seemed to me that the White Eagle, or M. Armand Cochet could be engaged in such an astound- ing philanthropy as that in which l had discovered him this morning. And yet, battling against my dis | belief was my knowledge of the i'm | petuous kindnesses of those who live by their wits. Perhaps the White Eagle pacified his conscience by such a typically Gallic charity.
 But criminals do not ordinarily in vite public attention. Of course, though, must not forget that ac- cording to my fair companion of last night, the White Eagle had never yet been convicted of crime. Perhaps he did not fear public interest in him. But it was among the ordinary probabilities that one or more of the l applicants attracted by his bizarre advertisements should be of the crim- ina class. One would expect the White Eagle to be fearful of recog- milton by such a one. Still, beggars can't be choosers, and I suppose the White Eagle felt that those in need of charity, for the Club was obviously a charitable affair, would not be in clined to question the source of the revenues which were to be applied to their wants.
 But I had given altogether too | much of my thought to the White Eagle and his affairs. I confessed myself, finally, beaten. could neither understand what could be the relation between the supercrook and the millionaire, nor why the White Eagle should institute philanthropy. I vowed that l would think no more on these matters. If the dealings be- tween Higgins and the white-haired man there lay opportunity for me, ] would forego 1t. l would not drive myself to distraction by futile specu- lation. Nor would I he ashamed of my inability to strip the disguise from the figure of Opportunity. l would await her next passing, hoping that she would be more easy of recognition then.
 Even though one has rented a fur nished apartment, and has lived in it only a few months, one finds that little by little one has acquired a con siderable quantity of possessions. ] was sailing in two days; I could not afford to be willfuly extravagant; so I spent the rest of this day in deal ings with secondhand merchants, realizing a few thousand francs. The next day ] spent in packing and ship ping my trunks and in purchasing some necessaries for the trip. And the next morning. promptly at nine o'clock. I passed through the train gates at the Care du Nord, and en- tered first-class carriage.
 Having seen to it that my bags were safely deposited in corner of the carriage, l walked to the platform to watch the rest of the travellers. l strolled as far as the train gates, puffing at cigarette. l was about to turn back when I saw, accom- panied by maid, a valet and an obseauious-seeming youth who was unauestionaby the milionaire's sec retary. NSr. and Mrs. Higgins.
 had not examined the passenger list, and so was surprised at their ar rival. But beyond a natural interest at the coincidence, I should have thought very little about it, had not they been followed through the gates by a man who was blind in one eye. Net merely that, but he was indis- putably one of the group with which I had collided on corner of the Rue des saintes Peres!
 l could not be mistaken: the fact that his dress was much improved, that he had been to a barber. made no difference. In that first moment of shock, when I had realized that all these loiterers on the sidewalk were blind. the features of those whom I beheld were ineradicably in- pressed upon my memory.
 All my resolutions, that I would worry no more about Higgins and the White Eagle, left me. Indeed. l watched eagerly for the arrivel of the supercrook But he did not come. though I waited until the last mo- ment before the train started.
 | strollcd through the train short ly after we pulled out from the sta. ton. The Higgins party occupied fwo pri, ate commandments as l could