Evening star., 1925-04-11
THE SEVEN SLEEPERS.
AsThriIIing NopeI OF By FRANCIS BEEDING
International Intrigue co,a 100, ,I e.oo5
By FRANCIS BEEDNG

preserves the army lists of all who
were our allies during the late war.
We just rang up Paris and had you
Identified
Il see" 1 sad 80 now you know
all about me-"
1--WE do" assented De Blanche
garde, with a friendly smile. And
I've an idea that you won't be at all
sorry to part with that unlucky doc
ument. It's not exactly an insurance
policy"
I've discovered that--toNmy cost
1 replied unfortunately, however
can't oblige you at the moment
The document is not al present in my
possession"
you've been robbed OF it already
cried De Blanchegarde, in dismay.
1 hesitated. Was this perhaps al
inspired maneuver Of the resourcefui
Fritz? A glance at the. eager LITTLE
Frenchman reassured me immediate
ly. l found it impossible to doub
his good faith.
III tell you the whole story
said.
The car, which had turned off the
main road, had entered a carriage
drive, and it stopped a moment later
in front of a capacious wooden chalet,
which was vaguely outlined in the
darkness. De Blanchegarde jumped
out, went up to the door and rang
the bell. A moment later the door
was opened by a short, grizzled man
servant, addressed by De Blanche
garde as Jules"
How is our guest? De Blanche
garde inquired.
'TolerabIy quiet, NJ CASTOR" re-
piled Jules, but inclined to be nerv-
GUS He prays that We shall refrain
| from cutting his throat"
Good" said De Blanchegarde.
We all descended from the car and
few minutes later we were seated
| in a warm and pleasantly furnished
! sitting room.
And now, please" said Rehmy,
well have that story you promised
to tell u.s.
Certainly" said. but for the love
of Heaven give me a drink
! / sank into an armchair, and De
Blanchegarde was Immediately all
| concern.
Mon pauvre ami" he exclaimed.
| "Etienne, you're a perfect savage.
Can't you see that Capt. Preston is
tired out?" and in a few moments he
| was shaking me up what proved TO b.
an excellent and very welcome cock
/ tail.
After that we settled down, and /
| began the history of my adventures.
| They heard me to the end, and as
I proceeded with my tale, l found my
self adopting more and more of an
| official manner, as though I were
| making a report, as 1 used to do in
| the army.
II think that's everything, gentle
men," 1 concluded.
| l could see that my new friends
| were, each in his individual way,
! tremendously impressed. De Blanche
garde could with difficulty restrain
| his excitement Now and then he
| would bound in his chair and his eyes
light with the JOY of battle as the
| more striking episodes were re-
| counted. Rehmy looked more and
| more concerned. and at the end he
| had the worried look of a man faced
| with problem Unexpectedly difficult.
1t was amusing to note how, when my
| tale was finished, De Blanchegarde,
4 though it was clearly difficult for him
to restrain his eAuberance, waited be-
| comingly for his more collected Of
ficial superior to take the lead.
Rehmy allowed himself a moment
| for reflection before breaking the
silence which had fallen between US.
He then spoke with a grave courtesy
| that accorded well with his somewhat
ascetic face and tired eyes.
''As we have already informed you,
! NdPl- SlOIlt lie De gan, W e are ac-
credited agents OF the French Repub-
lie Owing TO an entirely unforeseen
and extraordinary series of CoinCi-
| dences, you have become involved in
our operations. You will ! am sure
| as a man who has served his country.
| understand only too readily how diff
cult it is for US TO take you com
pletely into our confidence, since, al
| though you possess information of in
estimable value, We cannot expect you
| TO accept the risks and hazards which
| we ourselves are necessarily called
upon to face as Incidental 10 the per
| formance of our official duties"
1T seems to me-" I replied, that
have had my share of them al
ready"
That's no reason why they should
| continue" said Rehmy, "and we
wouldn't for an instant involve you
in unnecessary danger"
! These words put me on NV mettIe
l am not brave man, nor a particu-
larly rash one, but 1 had too much
national pride, and, it must be con-
| fessed, too much personal curiosity. to
abandon an adventure which by now
| deeply intrigued me, merely because
a French officer informed me that il
was dangerous. Besides there was
| Lavelle to consider, and even Beatrice
was implicated. I must at least go
| through with the affair till they had
been successfully and finally extri-
Gated
| CONTINUED in Tomorrow'e Star0