Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-27

ascending gradually fFom the Sea-levek.
he had climbed the mountainous read MnsA ha
had reached the fruitful plateau which en-
basenas the slopes Of the Lesser ALPS. Blue and
gold, the landscape lay below him, gray here
aHsd there, with the Skinner Of turning Otsvs
1eAves, the vineyards and meadows HE htsse
gqaAres Of patchwork, the sewer fields daHAas
Of brilliant ee5og, the river Winding IN way"
amongst thens, glietering thread Of silver. N
trent, barely q mile distant, was enc Of the cid
haM towns, tire houses Of which might well have
been carved out Of the living rock. The mir
around him was pleasantly brisk In the ma
beStie distance, the snow still lay upen the
us0tHtains
His ressing-place was peaceful and we'll
6h0sen. On his right was humble French do
main, . trim wtbt0 &euSe, with red rOof and
green shutters, separated from the read BY q
, carefully tendG4 vineyard an orchard Of Grange
trees wandering up to the plantation Of pines
eRhind. A very pleasant, Saany spot it seemed.
cut on from the world by the FaEine, en- the
farther summit Of which was the old town and
! NAe precipitous way by which one climbed from
The great thoroughfares below. Scarcely hu-
naan being In sight scarcely toiler in the fields.
An imaginary solitude. Tresholn started
he realized the fixed stare Of gaunt figure in
hue jeans standing only few feet away from
Saim In the vineyard. partially concealed by .
scrlbby hawthorn hedge. II was more than
the ordinary scrutiny Of the curious peasant:
In fact it became clear to Tresholm during
these frst few seconds that the man was not
peasant ut all.
LIE was tau and thin, and there was some
thing nne-eut about his features. The
brown fingers which grasped the pruning knife
were well formed and shapely, and rs he re-
turned that intense gaze, q queer wave Of re-
lnemDranee swept into Tresholm's BRAIN Like
pieces Of Q jig-saw puzzle those scraps Of menu
kNd Inn. he
the wilderness, dotted Al over with q maze Of
tin huts and framework buildings; the read e
o great city with its myriads G6 binding Lights;
q room high W In huge ofRetal building, the
thunder OF txafnc below tse~eeasesess meve-
nAent Of maltitoees crawling Eke ants aBeng the
pMNementg.
PsTheps the two men reached the end Of THAI
NMWindlng coll Ct Menosy at the same moment,
1sw the watcher in the vineyard turned abruptly
away and stTode eR toward the house with .
mastered exclamation. Tfe4Aolm pressed TIE
starting button Of his ear TUNED IN NJ the rude
uAtsvay. drove ID the Foek-strewn approach TO
the hOaSe. and pusaea up i'm las shadow Ne
descended. and waited for the man. who was
gkna climbing from belSw.
you're Dows, aren't year" he greeted him.
':Jaspcr Bows, Naval intelligence Department.
ut Washington? Let me see, how many years
awo7 3" Who cAxsS?"
The newcomer steppea ever the low feMes
which separated the vineyard fSosn the 1ToAs
q the house.
IT ana Jasper Bows, ali right" he admitted
nut Washington, Naval Intelligence Depart.
ment-T doE't know what you're taking about
AN gone! I'm . small landed proprietor Of Les
TOurettes. Eighty acreS-yeu can see the lot.
remember you, though. You're Tresholm, blast
yOu!'
why blast me?" his visitor demonstrated.
Jasper BOWS laughed bitterly and stood for .
moment in silence. When he spoke again, there
was change in his manner.
Some Of the resentment had gone.
Mot your fault, Of course, Tresholm," he
acknowledged. Come Ia and drink . bottle
Of wine. It's long enough since talked my own
language"
They passed into small sitting room, in
which were some quaint pieces of old Provencal
furniture mass Of flowers in . rude china
BASIN but with carpetleSs floor and empty walls,
poverty lurking even in its cleanliness. wom-
an rose hastily from a chair in a corner with
its back to the Window woman far too at
tFactive for her surroundings, obviously either
English or American, q little startled at the
sight of an unexpected visitor.
"A gentleman whom used to know, Sara"
the master Of the house announced. My wife,
Tfesholm. We want a bottle Of last years
vintage, dear, and q couple Of glasses"
She greeted Tresholm pleasantly, left them
for a few minutes and returned with q bottle
Of wine and two glasses upon tray.
THE most brutal thing ever did, to bring
her over here" Jasper DowS acknowledged, As,
with a word Of excuse, she hurried away again.
'rShe would come, though. She's that sort Of
woman"
But what was the trouhle?" Tresholm asked
gravely. when left Washington"
You knew nothing about it. Of course" the
other interrupted. THE trouble was disgrace
and ruin"
That's rather hard to believe"
There were a few men in my department.
who thought so at the time. They changed
their minds, though and out went. I got the
Co kad If he