Evening star., 1934-03-07
INSTALLMENT XXI.

ENFORCED detention in his room
| ~ had long since started to prey
upon the nervous system OF
- Maurice, Vicomte de Blissac
| He was a young man who all
his life had liked mirth and gayety
and there are few things less mirth-
full and gay than protracted So
Journ in a French hotel bed room.
Tonight he had suddenly cracked
under the strain. Days of contem-
plation of the ceiling, the wash hand
| stand, the armchair. the other chair
the flowered wallpaper and the steel
engraving of THE Huguenots Fare
well' had reduced him to q state of
desperation, when he was prepared to
take any risk, no matter how fearful.
Like the heroine of modern play, he
wanted to get away from 1t all.
And it was as he wrestled with this
mood of recklessness that there came
to him what he recognized as quite
the brightest idea he had ever had in
his life.
Why should he not steal of under
cover of darkness to Packy's boat and
in the name Of their ancient friend
ship implore Packy to up anchor and
take him over to England, out Of the
jurisdiction of the gendarmerie of St.
ROGUE?
The more he contemplated the idea,
the better 1t looked. There would, of
course, be certain amount of danger
IN the passage of the streets that led
to the jetty. but he scoffed at danger.
All he wanted was to be away from
that ceiling, that wash hand stand.
that armchair, that other chair. that
lowered wallpaper and that steel en-
craving Of The Huguenot's Farewell"
so mere he was now, siding with
infinite caution through the crooked
little streets that wound down to the
harbor. Luck was with him. No
stern official voice bade him halt, no
hard official hand descended on his
shoulder. He reached the jetty, found
boat. climbed in, loosened the rope
and rowed off. 1t was a task Of some
little difficulty to discover the FLYING
Cloud among all the craft that rocked
at anchor on the incoming tide, but
he managed it at last.
He called Packy's name cautiously.
put there was no answer. Packy, it
seemed, was on shore. He decided to
go aboard and wait for him.
arriving on deck, he recollected |
sohetning very vital which he had
learned on his previous visit the To-
cation of the closet where Packy kept
his whisky. He made for it at his"
best speed. His whole soul was CRYING
out for q restorative.
IL was some moments later that he |
discovered that he was not the only
person on board who had been think
ng along these lines The first thing
ne saw as he charged into the main
,abln was little man of tubby build
whose fingers clutched brimming
)eaker OF the right stuff His back
vas to the vicomte. but at the sound
If the latter's footsteps he sprang up
n a furry of arms and legs. spilling
he contents Of his glass over the
,anned tongue which had constituted
lis modest dinner.
The vicOmte found himself looking
nto the protruding eyes of ]. Yelling
on Gedge. the man whom, he had
'een informed by usually reliable
ource. he had murdered three nights
go at the Festival of the Saint.
1t was some four hours later, when
he hands OF watch which he had
tolen in Cincinnati were pointing to
5 minutes after midnight, that Soup
'lattery's better self, which had been
tirring uneasily within him ever since K
'acky's departure. suddenly sprang to +
fe and took charge, IA