Evening star., 1933-01-05

/ he held her in his arms for a long
moment and then put her from him
almost roughly.
Good night" he said. II love you.
Too much! When are you going to
marry me. Alaci3? Never mind what
I may have said about waiting When?"
AS soon as this Job is over" she
| promised tremulously.
/ Then you're going to get up fright
fully early tomorrow morning. he
/ threatened her, because I'm not vast
/ ing any timel" She laughed and blew
/ him a kiss.
/ Coffee at 7. downstairs then!" she
/ agreed. IF 1 know Santini he won't get
/ started that early, no, not even if he's
/ fleeing justice! Just think, he may be
/ in this very hotel"
! He is not!" retorted Armand. 1--WE
made sure of that. And I'm making
daybreak tour of the garages by proxy.
| Old st. Nicholas at the desk has prom
1sed me to look in at all of them on his
way home to bed and to send me a
message if he finds the other Europa" !"
I hope you'll be as clever a husband
as you are detective" she threw at him
in parting. They're both jobs where
| thinking Of every little thing counts a
| lot!' Then she shut the door and 10
minutes later was sound asleep on the
excellent mattress which topped an
unpron siny-looking iron bedstead
Like the Inhabitants of all provin-
cial town. those of Avalon rise early.
/ Net only that. but by indirect methods,
/ cruelty efiicacious, they see to it that
/ the casual so5ourner within their gates
wakes up at the same time. An in
/ si5tent Changing of church bells, quickly
| followed by clatter of charettes over
cobblestones, together with a cheerful
/ exchange Of gossip as the easements
are thrown open to admit the morning
/ air, is the invariable procedure. Con-
| sequently. it was we'll before z o'clock
when Alacia stretched luxuriously and
! opened her eyes, expecting to find the
| wicked little golden cupid coquetting
with her from the front of her bed as
usual. But in his place a tarnished
knob of brass stared at her from be-
| meath an object which she slowly
| recognized as her own beret Suddenly
| she sat up, listening to the clamor of
| the bells in painfully nearby Steeple.
| Sunshine was already pouring into her
room and, springing out of bed, she
made a haSty toilet and went down.
stairs to find Armand, his hair still
wildly rumpled, sticking his head out
OF naively conspicuous wash room at
the side of the hotel desk.
Got a comb" he asked by way of
| greeting. There's one in here, but
| it's chained up, and no wonder-it
| might run away by itself, otherwise -
! Laughing, Alacia fished in her bag and
! drew out minute tortoise-shell affair
! with blue enameled hack to it.
Hurry up, I'm starving!" she COM
manded. 'Pll go order coffee. You
take two Jumps, as remember"
! Good training!" he called after her
Il guess I'll marry you after all!'
! The room marked sale a manger in
blue tiled letters over the door was big
and bare and simple. Alacia chose a
| narrow street and ordered. Cafe
creme, cros-sants, confture' The red
| faced maid repeated the command with
as smiling an interest as if there had
been something highly original about
1t, went away, and presently Armand
| came in and took the seat opposite.
The coffee was horrible, but hot, and
the bread divine. Two commercial
travellers, total strangers to each other.
exchanged a sympathetic glance when
the breakfast at the table by the WIN
dow was interrupted suddenly by a kiss.
That" sighed Alacia, sis terribly
love in public. Do It again.
II refuse!" said he. 1T takes nv
mind eff my business, and We have
several brilliant jewel thieves to catch
during the next hour or so'
ANY news from the night clerk?''
she asked.
"Of course, mott" Armand replied
cheerfully. Il made the mistake of
tipping him in advance"
Then I don't suppose" said Alacia.
I'VE shall ever know whether Santini
was in town last night. or notl" Hardly
were the words out Of her mouth than
from the end of the street came the
sound OF a familiar claxon and the
roar of e motor with the cut-out open.
| On the instant, both sprang to their
feet as the Europa tore past the hotel,
scattering pedestrians right and left
ana upsetting a oharrette full of vege-
tables in its passage.
"Santtnil" cried Armand. "Ouickl
Here, you pay the bill and follow mel"
/ he flung a note on the table, I'm
going to get the car" he added over
MS shoulder. 'The garage is lust
around that corner to the right"
| He was out of the room before the
sentence was well finished, and in as
short time as possible Alacia followed,
onlv 10 ma her fiance ruefully at the
/ 'front.' wheels of their car. Both tires
were flat as pancakes, and a ieisureiy
| mechanic was in the act of hosting
the axle with hand-jack.
/ Lock at that. will you?" Armand
demanded Indignantly, opening his
clerched hand. In the palm Law the
top OF an cir valve. IT picked this up
near the door where somebody had
! dropped 1t in huryi"
'What?" exclaimed Alacia. aghast
do you mean to tell me it was done
! ON purpose?" He nodded, grimacing
Il mean just that!" he said. mot
doubt OF it. The other valve is gone
entirely, and this boy here SAYS a man
stroLed in and admired the car not
half an hour ago."
Which means?" she suggested
That he knows we're after him and
doesn't like it," Armand replied with
a short laugh. Almost a confession
OF guilt, I'd call it" Just then a small
boy IN dirty blouse shuffled into the
entrance of the garage.
/ have message for a msieur from
the concierge Of the night" he re-
married, looking about inquirlngly.
;. Blen! snapped Armand. "OuC with
IT, my infant, what is it?"
Ms-eur le concierge" said the boy
wishes me to tell you that the Eu-a1I
car which is like yours, is in the garage
on the next streetl'
You mean was" said Armand "You
are Just little late, my young one
however, mere are few SOUS for YOU
TO buy yourself bridal bouquet and
start Tor the church; you'll get there
oy tne Time you are cid enough to
marry" W
But, m'sieur," said the child. "The
I 1Cf