Evening star., 1926-01-10
BY JAMES FRANCIS DWYER.


! John Willoughby Denton tore the
message into fragments and with un
! seeing eyes stared long at the de
: serted road.
Then into the sweet hush that was
upon the countryside came distrub
/ ing clamor. Down the road that LED
! to Grasse came small American cal
| whose buzzing brought into the 81
lence of the morning the same feeling
of troubling effort that Il trapped fly
! brings to dew-wet web.
The sole occupant of the car was a
| girl. AS she came toward the spot
where Denton was sitting she slowed
down the car and leaning forward ex-
I amined the wall that separated
the property opposite the young
mans Sheltering tree from the public
highway. More properly speaking
the wall of rough stone prevented the
farm from falling into the roadway
The terraced vineyards We're fully IL
feet above the road; a 100 yards back
from the wall, the gable of an old
house showed through a gap in the
olive trees.
The girl piloted the car against the
wall and shut off her engine. Denton
wondered why she had not driven on
to the entrance some so yards farther
on. He had noticed the gateway as
he swung by. A wind and sun
warped sign told the curious that the
farm was known AS lie Jardin par.
fume" and the proprietor's name.
Jacques Larousse.
The girl glanced up at the top of
the wall, stepped resolutely on the
seat. then. clutching the projecting
stones of the wall. she started 10 climb.
John Willoughby Denton was de
lighted. Here was mystery.
:: :: = x
THE girl was athletic She drove
the toes of her little tan shoes
into the Crevices and climbed steadily
Denton had desire to offer help. but
he restrained himself. The fact that
she did not use the gate TO invade the
property OF Jacques Larousse told
him that his presence would not be
altogether to her liking. He might, to
ease his conscience, have shut his
eyes but-well. he didn't shut his eyes.
The girl reached the top of the wall
and sat upon the sods banked against
It. She took of her hat. famed her
self gracefully. and adjusted her hair.
Glorious hair. The young man in the
shade felt that the hair attracted
every sunbeam in the countryside.
Then she stood up. and diTed into the
trellised vines that lay between her
and the house.
John Wfloughby Denton sighed
softly as she disappeared from view.
For the time being the cablegram from
Daphne Louise Nanbrugh was thrust
from his mind. Men are like that.
Never saw anything that pleased
me more" murmured the young man.
I'D pay any price
He stopped short in his soliloquy
Il
which the girl had dived came
terrifying yell followed by a little
scream of alarm. Denton sprang to
his feet. He heard the crashing of
vines that suggested pursuit. then
upon the top of the wall appeared the
girl, her hair loose, the wash of fear
upon her face.
She fell upon her knees, gripped the
top of the wall and dropped into the
roadway at a point some 10 yards from
the place where she had parked the
car and, as she dropped. her pursuer
appeared upon the wall at a spot i'm
mediately above the machine. He was
a middle-aged dark skinned and de-
cidedly unprepossessing Pan. but
keenly alert to the advantage he had
gained.
Pan dropped from the wall as the
girl rushed to the machine. He clutch
ed her as she sprang upon the running
board, and he shrieked his grievances
in that queer mixture of French and
Italian that Is called Nicois, and is
used greatly by the working classes of
the Riviera.
You thought ] was away" he
cried "Ah, mademoiselle, l have
caught you. What is your business?
Twice you have trespa ssed on my
place! 1 have been watching for
your
The girl tore herself away from the
fellow. She ducked Cleverly as he
clutched at her. The ugly Pan stun
bled. then as he turned to pursue he
collided with a tall, athletic young
man who had apparently sprung from
the white dust of the roadway.
Pas 81 vite, monsieur" said Denton
softly. Go slow, old horse. Better