Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05

came
room. This Artus-he is. in fact, gone He
left Paris the day before yesterday Exactly as
his servant said
las soon as he had Beaucourt's letter about
Miss Everard"
That is not sure. If he received it before
ne left he went at once. What Is sure-he is
gone to little country house he has in Berry
He Is there now"
Berry? That's round Bourges, isn't it?" He
went to the telephone and demanded a car for
o tour, big car
Me- am not on a holiday" said Dubois.
This isn't" Regis mumbled
The car made speed over a bleak and drah
nat country, where the few farms were squalid
ana every creature, human or beast looked old
Cheery!" Reggie mumbled.
1t Is one of our deserts The Sologne"
oh yes. Yes. This is where he painted his
Other picture, Harvest'?"
The road led down from that plateau to
richer land, and before them the towers of the
cathedral Of Bourges rose from its hill
through quiet quaint streets they came to a
little square in the center of the town and a
hotel Of solid old comfort This will do. ehP"
DuOois SAID Rest in peace. I go to report
myself to the police"
Reggie wandered away to the cathedral
looked up at the Last Judgment" where Christ.
strong and terrible sits above the angel of
JuSClce, and went into the peaceful infinitude of
the nave The windows glowed, the great
spaces, were warm with every gracious color of
light He stood long. When he came out his
round race was grave and benign He looked
again at the Last Judgment" and saw the devil
with a goats face claiming that child-woman
VINO waits, meek hands folded to hear her
doom. He wandered away into the town and
loitered by the castle house of JACQUES Occur
faithful minister of king who plundered him
.no oroVe MIN into exile On either side of the
door Is carved scranton the left a man:
on the right woman-as If they were LOOKING
out of windows
Dubois came up. AHA. That is an IRONY
Maitre jacques Occur he had his servants mt
up SO Tor kindly jest. And one morning he
goes out, and he comes back never Five
hundred years ago. and still the faithful SER
wants look out for their master And see his
motto, A Vaillants occurs rien impossible, A
great irony, what? To valiant hearts nothing ia
impossible" He chuckled. "You do not like
tne omen, my friend? But do not despair vet.
Ae least Monsieur Artus has come back. He is
SAFE IN MS house. 1t is four miles out of the
town He has had the house some years now
1hey know nothing against him. It is the most
respectable household. One or two old servants
ana monsieur never has company He lives
there only to paint think we can leave hin,
20 tne morning" Dubois winked. I'VE might
see him paint then. A little stroll before din
ner, eh?"
Reggie let himself be led through the winding
streets while Dubois lectured on the history Of
Bourges. They came to a garden below the
cathedral, empty in the gloom of the chilling
air.
reggie dragged on Dubois arm
Look! That's Miss Everard!" woman
fitted through the dusk
Are you sure? She was alone?"
Eyes. Yes. I think So"
Come. then" Dubois quickened his STEP
1ney swung around by an open space to avenues
of trees and then heard a faint crv a fall
When they reached her. she lay upon the
ground. Under her shoulder Reggie found the
hit OF knife
dubois spat out an oath. Before my eyes!
1cha, before my eyes! !" He whistled The doz-
ing town awoke with clatter and scurry. He
snapped orders to painting policemen and came
back TO Reggie. She is dead?"
Not yet"
Care for her. my friend. I do not forgive
mysrH This becomes an affair Of honor"
1t always was" Reggie nurmured The
woman was carried away and he followed her
/ ATE that night Dubois met him at the hos
pital. "She lives then?"
so far, yes. think we've stopped the bleed
ing. It's been internal of course Rather nasty.
But she had some luck. The knife seems to
have missed anything fatal. should say the
fellow knew his job, but was fiurried Probably
we hustled him"
Dubois made queer noises. "That-that is all
can do! The woman in the case work on
l let her be stabbed before my eyes, But I
hustled the assassin Poor old Dubois! Go
grow cabbages."
Yes. Haven't shone have we? Warning
against pride, this case. But speaking ration
ally, we couldn't know. I did think she might
come here after him. That's why I was in a
hurry to come, too I never thought she'd be
Killed to keep her away. Why should Artus
XII her? Why should any one? What Is it
that's worth her life? This isn't decent human
crime
some one is mad, yes. should have known
" when the thing began with that cursed pic