Evening star., 1925-05-11
THE SEVEN SLEEPERS
4 Thrilling Nopel of By FRANCIS BEEDING
International Intrigue ooo,r,ht 1925 by Little Brown Co,
By FRANCIS BEEDNG
Copyright, 1925, by Little. Brown d Coz

Then suddenly, suspended above
the fair hustle of the city, l saw, in
nv minds eye, lowering silver specks,
ten thousand feet up in the morning
air, raining abruptly down invisible
and remorseless death, making in a
moment of that happy scene deseV
and a shambles; and / felt an ir T.,
credulous wonder and a gratitude,
impersonal and immense, that fate
should have permitted me to assist in
foiing the powers of malice and dis
order which in every age must be
encountered and freshly overcome II
men are to keep and to increase
their inheritance.
But we had now arrived at the
Quai d 'Orsay. where my exalted mood
was. at the same time. chaStened and
fortified. Rehmy's chief, a grizzled
general. wearing the Legion and
Croix de Guerre. received US as
though the salvation of the world
was an occurrence of every day tas
perhaps it isl. Our interview was
strangely official, and our arrival
seemed to be taken as a matter or
course. Rehmy delivered the docu-
ment which had cost so much, to-
gether with the portfolio CASTOR had
taken from Fritz. His chief received
them, handed them to a secretary and
gave instructions for their safe de-
posit He finally shook hands with
us and thanked me gracefully, but
without emotion, for my collaboration.
CASTOR and Rehmy then went off
Immediately to draft a formal report
of our proceedings, and 1 returned to
Beatrice.
She was still very tired and in no
condition to continue the journey to
London in the evening. We accord
ingly decided to stay, for that day at
any rate, in Paris. l wired to Uncle
James, announcing my immediate
return, and to Jerry Cunningham, in
forming him of our safe arrival. The
afternoon we spent in the Rue de la
PaiX, choosing an engagement ring.
The lure of the Paris shops was
potent factor in Beatrice's recovery.
Beatrice and I We're married on
Christmas eve in the old parish
church at Steynhurst, beneath the
rolling Sussex downs. Jerry was my
best man, and both CASTOR and
Rehmy were present.
We walked down the aisle and into
the cold December air to the tune of
an ancient carol:
The holly and the ivy.
When they are both full grown.
OF all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
Oh, the rising of the sun,
And the running of the deer,
And the playing of the merry organ,
And sweet singing in the choir.
/ am again a man of commerce
and it is sometimes difficult for
Beatrice and myself of a f1reside
evening to credit the part we played
in the events which are here set
down. When, however, / am inclined
to doubt their reality, / have only to
take from my bureau a small en-
velope which contains two incon-
testable relics of our strange ad-
venture.
One is the ribbon OF the Iron Cross
won by Won Emmerich at Villers-
Brettoneux. The other is a, telegram
which reached me on the morning Of
our wedding. 1t was brief, departing
in this respect from the usual habit
of it's author:
"Heartiest congratulations and best
wishes till we meet again.
"ANSELM KREUTZEMARK." z.
1 have never mentioned the tele-
gram to Beatrice. She is supersti-
tious about the professor, and / think
1t best she should assume, with the
world at large, that he came by his
end in his own red room at Hanover.
For myself, I sometimes wonder
whether he meant anything in par
ticular by his final phrase.
The End.