Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23

down the road, Sprang on to his bicycle, and
left me- watched him make mad progress
toward Nice, his exhaust open. his light faring
down the road. Soon his companion followed.
Directly they had disappeared, started my
car and drove slowly on to join my companions
in misfortune. They were very frightened
men. both of Them very angry The one /
recognized first was Van Nestos, an Armenian
millionaire, the other an American motor
manufacturer. also enormously wealthy.
Did they get away with it?' asked.
"a hundred thousand from me-" Van Nestos
confessed.
And more than that from me-" the Ameri-
can grunted. Say, where's the police station
at Monte Carlo, Maj. Forester"
In Monaco replied. I'VE can be there
I'm 10 minutes. Come along"
1 went first to show them the way and we
arrived at the comnisSariat in little more than
the time mentioned. My companions told their
story, and mine. The listening functi0nary
was intelligent and gendarmes were out on
their motor cycles within half an hour. After
ward Van NestoS, vino was still shaking with
fright and anger. insisted that I stop In at
the Hotel de Paris for a drink.
Tomorrow" he announced. 81 shall offer q
$4,000 francs reward. If the police in this part
of the world are worth dime, Wen have
them"
I made my adieux.
The police here are clever enough" as
sured them. but so are the criminals"
OF course. there was nothing else talked
about from one end of the Riviera to the other
for the whole of the following week but this
sensational robbery on the Corniche road. There
had been two previous attempts.
This time the robbers plans had been per-
fectly laid, and they seemed, so far as one
could gather, to have disappeared from the
face Of the earth.
Van Nestos' $1,000 francs reward remained
unclaimed. found myself studying the bills
announcing the reward. Fifty thousand francs
was q very useful sum of money. Yet, but for
one circumstance Of apparently trivial import.
the criminals might as well have driven their
car over the side Of the road into the Medter-
ranean for any clue they had left behind them.
A S soon as the excitement Of my adventure
had In some measure abated, I found
myself lunching again at Beaulieu. Conditions
at the famous restaurant seemed unchanged.
Madame. with her enormous appetite, was
still there. lunching alone this time. I sat
her out. waited until her maid had departed
with the Pekingese, and she herself had taken
her leave, passing down the room between q
little row of bowling walters. She fingered at
the door to talk with Louis for few moments,
but as soon as he returned took him by the
arm and led him out on the terrace.
Look here. Louis" I said, something Is
preying upon your mind. Do you mean to tell
me that you are allowing that woman to make
you miSerable?"
Monsieur is mistaken" he began
mo more of this, Louis" interrupted firmly
'Ten me why you permit yourself to be wor-
ried almost to shadow by that outrageous
female"
He looked around to be sure that we were
not overheard
Go on, Louis"
Every day." he confided miserably, cit n
the same. You see what she is like. monsieur
IA terrible woman! She seems to have taken
some absurd fancy to me. My life is becom-
ing a horror" the man went on when she
sends for me, have to arrange to be fetched
i'm a few minutes on important business. She
is always asking me to dine with her ut Nice.
shudder when hear the telephone from
the hotel or when the page comes across. II
she doesn't soon let me alone, Monsieur For
ester. must go-although I am earning more
money than ever before In my life and am
devoted to Monsieur Leon. He will never
forgive me. II, by any chance, she should be
offended and should leave"
I leaned across the table
'Is this the whole truth, LOUISE" I asked
him earnestly.
The mans honesty was transparent
what more could there be?" he exclaimed
Louis" advised, keep your mind from
dwelling upon the situation She'll give it
up in time. What If promise to bring an
other admirer along, and distract her atten-
tion?"
81 should be Monsieur's grateful slave" Louis
declared dejectedly, "but it will not happen.
Many Of my clients here, knowing who she is.
and of her wealth, have been more civil to
her than I can bring myself to be- She is
simply rude to them. There is another gen.
tleman from Nice who visits her frequently
but she never brings him in here. Her smiles
are for me- and me alone"