Evening star., 1934-03-04
INSTALLMENT XVIII.


IT WAS the fact that the Chateau
BliSSac was being run on lines OF
the strictest teetotaliSm that had
taken Senator Opal to the town
this lovely afternoon. Accustomed
as he was in private life to deviate
somewhat from those principles which
he upheld SO eloquently in public, the
c1ateaus aridi.s mad occasioned him
good deal of inconvenience, neceSSltat-
ing as it did, tiresome series OF daily
visits to the cocktail bar of the Hotel
des Etrangers, where more liberal
views prevailed. 1t had become q
practice of his to drop in there of an
evening for the modest refresher
which his system demanded, and it
was thither that he had repaired after
leaving Mr.. Carlisle.
AS rule, it was his habit to pass
through the lobby to his destination
at the speed and with something Of
the look of a steer approaching a
water hole in the Painted Desert; but
this afternoon his progress was or
rested by the sudden appearance CT
Packy. The latter. having slowed Mr.
Gedge away on the Flying Cloud and
moored the motor boat to the jetty,
had proceeded to the hotel to COM
municate the latest developments to
Soup Slattery. His arrival in the
lobby conceded with that of the Sem
ator.
The Senator, who preferred to be
alone on these occasions, was not too
pleased at the encounter. "Ah, Frank
ayn." he said with touch Of reserve.
''Hullo, Senator" said Packy. What
brings you here?"
Il nave just remembered an mpor- :
tant cable which must be dispatched
to New York without delay. I came
down here to send it"
I've come to see Soup"
Soup"
"My colleague. Mr. Slattery. The
man who's going to bust the safe for
us"
Senator Opal frightened Capital!
Have you-ah-made any plans?"
"Oh, yes. Everything's fine. No.
body will be sleeping in Mrs. Gedge's
room. The coast will be quite clear
You'll have that letter tomorrow"
Senator Opal extended his right
hand to clasp Packy's and laid the
other affectionately on his shoulder,
rather in the manner Of the preSi-
dent of the firm in a magazine ad-
vertisement congratulating prom
Using Junior on having had the re-
sourcefulness to take a correspond
ence course of business training.
MY dear boy!"
"I thought you'd be pleased"
"Is this man in the hotel?"
"Yes. I'll tell you all about every
thing later
quite right Do not waste a mo-
ment.'
With feelings too deep for words
he watched Packy cross the lobby
toward the elevator. Feeling that If
ever an occasion justified an extra
cocktail this was it, Senator Opal was
turning to resume his journey when
Q voice spoke behind him.
"I beg your pardon"
The Senator wheeled round and for
space stood breathless. The voice
had been a musical one, but 1t had
not prepared him for its owners over
whelming beauty. This was the love-
liest girl Senator Opal had ever seen
and in an instant he was all courti-
ness and gallantry.
II saw you talking to Mr. Franklyn.
Can you tell me where he is staying?
They say at the desk that he Is not
at the hotel"
If anybody had told Senator Opal a
moment before that he would shortly
be regretting having met this out
standingly handsome girl he would
=; 14I %l,o UaS 1,a
heard these words, there did come
to him a definite feeling that he was
sorry their paths had crossed The
last thing he desired at this very
critical point in his affairs was the
arrival of persons aware of Packy's
identity.
He choked a little. Then, recover
ing, he prepared to lie stoutly. "Mr.
Franklyn?"
"You were talking to him just now"
mot to any Mr.. Franklyn, my dear
young lady. To the best of my recol-
lection, I do not know any one Of
the name of Franklyn. My recent
companion was the Vicomte de
Blissac."
What"
1.-THE Vicomte de Blissac," said the
Senator firmly. "A very old French
family"
The girl was staring at him and
he was sorry to observe that her stare
was the stare of incredulity. How
ever, he stuck to it bravely.
'These close resemblances are, be-
lieve. not uncommon. Every one has
had experience of them from time
to time. myself. L remember once
In Washington :"
The duty of a chronicler to his
readers is to sift and select. Whatever
of his material is not, in his opinion,
of potential interest he must exclude
Out, therefore, in toto goes the story
of nat Senator Opal remembered in
Washington. 1t would not grip 1t
was very long and its only merit was
that it served to give its narrator
the breathing space he SO sorely
needed. BY the time it had wound
to its conclusion the mere sound of
his own voice had made him his
calm, comfortably pompous self once
more.
And that sort Of thing" he con-
cluded, sis happening all the time.
I have no doubt that there must exist
very striking resemblance between
the vicomte and your friend, Mr.
Franklyn, but I can assure you that
the young man you have just seen
is the vicomte and no other I am
in a position, I may add, to speak
authoritatively on the point, for he
is engaged to be married to my
daughter"
Engaged to your daughter!'
Precisely"
'Are you sure?'
OF all the remarks which she could
have made, this struck Senator Opal
as perhaps the silliest He chuckled
fatty.
You would not ask that If you
had seen them together. It is beauti-
full in these cynical modern days to
witness affection like theirs. They are
completely wrapped up in one another