The evening world. Newspaper, August 23, 1915, Page 11

‘Theat Begins et mera. Oe Peek & Monee Onmmenr ee even! m, at the end of one of trotting Up to me, stopped at na. times to whine eight years of thankless drudgery aa @ period after i ran away to sea from my Boglish home, bad terminated three days betore, upon receipt of @ legacy, and I had at once jeft Tom Carson's employment. Bix thousand guineas—thirty thou sand dollare—the will aald, I bad not seen my uncle since | was a boy. Hut he had been a bachelor, we were both Hewiletts, and I had been named Paul after bum ‘The Eskimo dog was growing un- easy. It would run from me, jooking round and uttering @ succession of short barks, then run back and tug at my overcoat again, I began to become interested in its manoeuvres. Evidently it wished me to accom- pany it, and I wondered who its master was and bow it came to be there. 1 stooped and looked at the collar. ‘There was no name on it, except the maker's, scratched and illegible, I rose and followed the beast, which showed its eager delight by running abead of me, turning around at times to bark, and then continuing on ite way wil 4 precision which showed me that it was certain of its destination. As I crossed Madison Square the light on the Metropolitan Tower flashed the third quarter, Broadway was in full glare. The lure of electric signs winked at me from every corner. ‘The restaurants were disgorging their patrons, aud beautifully dressed wom- on in fine furs, accompanied by escorts in evening dress, stood on the pave- pag ‘Taxicabs whirled through the slush. 1 began to feel a renewal in me of the old, old thrill the city had inspired when I entered it @ younger and a more hopeful man, The dog turned down a street In the Twenties, ran on a few yard: bounded up a flight of stone steps an began scratching at the door of @ house that was apparently empty. I say apparently, because the shades were down at every window and the interior was unlit, so far as could be seen from the street; but I knew that at that hour it must con- tain from fifty to a hundred people. This place I knew by reputation: It was Jim Daly's notorious but de- cently conducted gambling establish ment, which was running full blast ata time when every other Institution of this character had found it con- venient to shut down. So the creature's master was in- side Daly's, and it wished me to get him out. This was evidence of un- usual discernment in his best friend, but it was hardly my prerogative to exercise moral supervision over this adventurous explorer of a chillier country even than his northern wastes. I looked in some disuppoint- ment at the closed doors and turned away. I meant to go home, and I had pro- ceeded about three paces when the lock clicked, 1 stopped, The front door opened cautiously and the gray head of Jim's negro butler appeared. Behind it was the famous grille of cast-steel, capable, according to ru- mor, of defying the axes of any num- ber of raiding reformers. Then emerged one of the most beautiful women that I had ever seen. I should have called her a girl, for she could not have been more than twenty years of age. Her hair was of a fair brown, the features modelled splendidly, the head poised upon @ wless throat that gleamed white beneath a neckpiece of magnificent le, he carried a eable muff too, and under these furs was a dress of un- usually stylish fashion and cut that contrasted curiously with them. I thought that loose sleeves had passed away before the nineteenth century died, In one hand she carried a bag, into which she was stuifing a large roll of bills. ‘As she stepped down to the street the dog leaped up at her, A hand fell caressingly upon the creature's head, and I knew that she had on servant who would be faithful unto death. She passed so close to me that her dress brushed my overcoat, and for an instant her eyes met mine, There was a look in them that startled me—ter- ror and helplessness, as though she had suffered some benumbing shock which made her actions more auto- matic than conscious. This was no woman of the class that one might expect to tind In Daly's, ‘There was innocence in the face and in the throat, uplifted, as e sees it in young girls. on was bewildered, What was a girl like that doing in Daly's at 12.30 in the morning? ‘She began walking slowly and rather almless, it seemed to me, along tho street in the direction of Sixth Avenue. My curiosity was un bounded. I followed her at @ decent interval to seo What she was going to do. But she did not seem to know. Tho girl looked as if she bed stepped out of a clvinter into an Un know n world, a the dog added to ‘ho strangeness of the picture, ‘ The street loafers stared after her, and two men began walking abreast of her on the other side of the road, T followed more closely. As she stood upon the curb on the east side of Sixth Avenue I saw her glance timidly up and down before Venturing to cross. There was little trafic, and the cars were running at wide intervals, but it was quite half a minute before she summoned reso- lution to plunge beneath the struc- ture of tho elevated railroad, When she had reached the other side she stood still again before continuing westward, ‘The two men crossed the street and planted themselves behind hor. They were speaking in a tongue that sound e@ Like French, and one bad & patch The Romance of a Mystery Trail HAPTER 1. A Dog and a Dameel. #1 eat ona bench in Madioon Bquare afier half-pact in New York even at the beginning of December, @ Gog came ere le nothing remarkable in having « strange Gog run to cing the creature rise on its hind loge and paw et you for poties Only this happened to be an Bake oked the beast, which lay down at my feet, raising tte head some- and sometimes darting off @ Uttle way and coming back to tug at the lower edge of my overcoat, But my mind was too much ecou- pied for me to take any but & perfunctory interest in tte manoeuvres, Medison Squere +. 4, apmens on in the those mild days tha! sometimes cour my feet and whined My clerk, following on « brief adventurous or his eye I was sure that they! were in pursuit of ber. j The four of us were almost abreast fn the middie of the jong biock be- tween Bixth and Seventh Avenues We were passing « dead wall, and the street was almost empty. Buddenly the man with the patch turned on me, lowered bis head and butted me off my feet, 1 fell into the roadway, and at that instant the sec- ond fellow grasped the girl by the arm end a tax whirled up 4 he girl's assatianta seemed to be trying to force her into the cab, One ned her waist. The bag flew open, | tering a shower of gold pieces upon the pavement. And then, before I could get upon my feet again, the dog had leaped at the throat of the man with the patch and sent him stumbling backward, Before ho recovered his balance I was at the other man, striking out right and left. It was all the act of an instan' and in an instant the two men hi jumped into the taxicab and were ing driven swiftly ¥. iy standing beside the terrified girl, hile an iil-looking crowd, ther- sur- harples for the coins which lay scattered about. I laid my hands on one who had grabbed a gold piece from between my feet, but the girl pulled at my arm distractedly, She wae white and trembling, and her big gray eyes were full of fear. “Help me!" she pleaded, clinging to my sleeve with her little gloved hands, “The money ts nothing. I Bhe spoke in a foreign, bookish ac- cent, as though she had learned Eng- lish at school, Fortunately for us the mob was too busily engrossed in its @earch to hear her words. So I drew her arm through mine and we hurried toward Sixth Avenu where we took an uptown car, We had reached Herald Square when it occurred to me that my com- panion di* not seem to know her destination, So we descended there. I intended to order @ taxicab for her, I had forgotten the dog, but now the beautiful creature came bounding up to us. “Where are you going?” I asked the girl. “I will take you to your home—or hotel," I added with a upward intonation on the last “1 do not know where I am going, she answered slowly. “I have never been in New York until to-day, “But you have friends here?” I asked, She shook her head, “But are you really carrying eight thousand dollars about with you in New York at night?’ I asked in amazement. “Don't you know this city is full of thieves, and that you a are in tire worst district?” For a moment It occurred to me ¢, that Into Daly's, And yet I knew it was not that sort of place; indeed, Daly's chief desire was to remain as incon- spicuous as possible. It was very dif- ficult to get into Daly's, “Do you know the character of the place you came out of?” I asked, trying to find some clue to her actions, “The character?” a) parently puzzled That is Mr. Daly's came to New York to play at roulette there.” She was looking at me #o frankly that I was sure she was wholly igno- rant of evil. “My father is too self,” she explained, “so { must find a hotel near Mr, Daly's house, and then I shall play every night until our for- tune ia made, To-night I lost nearly $2,000, But I was nervous in that strange place. And the system ex- Pressly says that one may lose at first, To-morrow 1 raise the stakes and we shall begin to win, See?” She pulled a little pad from her bag covered with a maze of figuring. “But where do you come from? I asked. “Where is your father?” Again | saw that a look of terror come into her eyes She glanced quickly about her, and I was sure she was thinking of escaping from me, hastened to reassure her, ‘orgive me,” I said, “It is no business of mine, And now, if you will trust me a little further I will try to find a hotel for you.” It would have disarmed the’ worst man to feel her little hand slipped into his arm in that docile manner of hers, I took her to the Seward, the Grand, the Cornhill and the Merri- mac~each in turn, Vain hope! You know what the New York hotels are, When I asked for a room for her the clerk would eve her furs dubiously, look over his hook in pretense, and then inform me that the hotel was full. At the Merrimac I sat down tn the lobby and sent her to the clerk's desk alone, but that was equally useless. [ realized pretty soon that no reputable hotel in New York City would accom. modate her at that hour, “It is evident that you must go somewhere to-night,” I said, “I have two rooms on Tenth Street which I am vacating to-morrow, They are poorly furnished, but there 1s, clean linen, and if you will occupy them for the night I can go elsewhere, and I will call for you at 9 in the morning.” She smiled at me gratefully-—she did not seem surprised at all, “You have some baggage?” I asked, “No, monsleur,” she answered, She was French, then—Canadian- French, 1 had no doubt, 1 was hardly might have been decoyed {lL to play him- nema ne tee te The Evening World Daily surprised at her answer. I had ceased 4 be surprised at anything she told 6, “To-morrow I ghall show you where make some purchases, then,” [ said, “And now, mademoiselle, eup- pose we take a taxicab.” As her hand tightened upon my arm I saw & man standing on the west ree of Broadway and staring intently at us, He was of a singular appearance. He wore a fur coat with a collar of Persian lamb, and on his head was a black lambskin cap, such as is worn in colder climates, but is seldom seen in New York. He was about thirty years of age; he had an aspect de- cidedly foreign and I imagined that he was scowling at us mallgnantly. I was not sure that this surmise wus not due to an over-active imagi- nation, but I was determined to get ay from the man's scrutiny, so I called a taxicab and wave the driver address, “Go through some side streets and go fast,” I said. During the drive I instructed my companion emphatically. “Since you have no friends here, you must have confidence in me, Mademoiselle,” I said. “And you are my friend? Well, Monsieur, be sure I trust you,” she answered, You must listen to me attentively, then,” I continued. “You must not admit anybody to the apartment until I ring to-morrow. I have the key, and I shall arrive at 9 and ring, and then unlock the door, But take no notice of the bell, You understand?” “Yes, monsieur," she answered wearily. Her eyelids drooped; I saw that she was very sleep: When the taxicab deposited us tn front of the house, I glanced hastily up and down the road. There was another cab at the east end of the street, but I could not discern if it were approaching mo or stationary. I opened the front door quickly and admitted my companion, then pre- ceded her up the uncarpeted stairs to my little apartment on the top floor, I was the only tenant in the house, and therefore there would be no cau for embarrassment, As I opened the door of my apart- ment the dog pushed past me. Again T had forgotten it; but it bad not for- gotten its mistress, T looked inside my bare little rooms, It was hard to say good-by. “Till to-morrow, mademoiselle,” I said, “And won't you tell me your name?” She drew off her glove and put one hand in mine. “Jacqueline,” she answered, “And yours?” “Paul,” T said. “Au revoir, Monsieur Paul, then, and take my gratitude with you for your goodness. T let her hand fall and hurried down tho stairs, confused and choking, for there was a wedding-ring upon’ her finger, CHAPTER I, Back in the Room, Ba)S I passed up the street tho taxicab which I had seen j] at the east end came rapidly toward me. It passed, and I stopped and looked after it, I was certain that it slackened epeed outvide the door of the old building, but again {t went on quick- ly, until it was lost to view in the distanca gazine, Monday: A Had I givea the pursuers a clue by my appearance? I watched for a few momenta long- er, but the vehicle did not retura, and I dismissed the idea as folly. 1 had turned up Fifth Avenue, and had reached Twelfth or Thirteenth Street, when I thought I heard the patter of the Eskimo dog's feet be- hind me, 1 spun around, startled, but there was only the long stretch of pavement, But the idea came to me to return "A to my rooms and see If Jacqueline was safe, I did so, She did not answer my knock. I entered my aitting room. “Jacqueline!” Paul, Paul, your friend, sate, Jacqueline?” Now I saw, under the curtains, what Jooked like the body of @ very small animal. It might have been @ woolly dog, or @ black lambkin, and it wae lying perfectly still, I pulled asido the curtains and stood between them, and the scene stamped itself upon my brain, as clear @s @ photographic print, forever. The woolly beast was the fur cap of 4 dead man who lay across the floor of the little room. One foot was ex- tended underneath the bed, and the bead reached to the bottom of the wall on the other side of the room, He lay upon bis back, bis eyes open and staring, his hands clenched, and his features twisted into @ sneering smile, His fur overcoat, unbuttoned, dis- closed a warm knit waistcoat of a gaudy pattern, across which ran the heavy links of a gold chain, There was a tiny hole in his breast, over the heart, from which a littie blood bad flowed. The wound had pierced the heart, and death had evidently been instantaneous, lt was the man whom I had seen staring at us across the street, Beside the window Jacqueline crouched, and at her feet lay the Eskiino dog watching me silently, In her hand she held a tiny, dagger-like knife, with a thin, red-stained blade, Her gray eyes, black in the gaslight, I whispered, “it is Are you Stared into mine, and there was neither fear nor recognition in them, She wag fully dressed, and the bed had not been occupied, 1 flung myself at her feet, I took the weapon from ter hand, “Jacque- line!” I cried in terror, 1 raised her hands to my lips and caressed them, Sho seemed quite unresponsive, I laid them against my cheek, I ame imploringly; 1 spoke to her, but she only looked at me and made no answer, Still it was evident to me that she heard and ua- derstood, for she looked at me in a called her by her puzzled way, as it 1 were @ complete stra S did not seem to res my there, and aha did not seem afraid of the dead man, She seemed, in a kindly, patient manner, to be trying to understand the mean- ing of the situation, “Jacqueline,” 1 cried, “you are not hurt?) Thank God you are not hurt. What has happened?” “I don't know," phe answered. don't know where I am.” “y I kneeled down at her side and put my arms about her. “Jacqueline, dear," I aaid, “will you not try to think? I am Paul-- your friend Paul. member me?" f monsieur," she sighed. then, how did you come here, Do you not re- Jacqui 2” I asked, “LE do not know," she answered And, a moment later, “I do not know, Paul, That encouraged mo a little, Evl- dently sho remembered what I had Just said to her. “Where is your home, Jacqueline?” do not know,” she answered in an apathetic voice, devoid of inter- est. ‘There was something more to be said, although it was hard. “Jacqueline, who—was—that “Who?” sho inquired, looking at me with the same patient, wistful gaze. “That man, Jacqueline, That dead n. “What dead man, Paul?” She looked idly at the body of the dead man, and | was sure that eh saw nothing but the worn woodwork of the floor. I saw that it was useless to say anything more upon this subject. “You are very tired, Jacqueline? T asked, “Yes, monsieur.” I raised her in my arms and laid her on the bed telling her to close her eyes and sleep, She was asleep al- most immediately after her head rest- ed upon the pillow, She breathed as softly as an infant, 1 watched her for a while until I heard a distant clock strike three, This recalled me to the dangers of our situation, I struck a mateh and lit the gas in the bedroom. But the yellow glare was so ghastly and in- tolerable that I turned It down, And then I set about the task be- fore me. CHAPTER II, Covering the Tracks, RAISED the dead man tn my arms, looking apprehensive- ly toward the bed. I was afraid Jacqueline would awaken, but she slept in heavy peace, undisturbed by the harsh creaking of the sagging floor be- neath its double burden, I put the fur cap on the grotesque, nodding dead head, and, pushing # chair toward the wall with my foot, mounted it and managed with @ great effort to squeeze through the hole, pulling up the body with me as I did so. I car- ried the body te an alley and left it there, Four o'clock was striking while I was climbing back into the room again, Jacqueline lay on the bed in the same position; she had not stirred during that hour, While she elept I set about the completion of my task. 1 took the knife from the floor, where I had flung it, scrubbed tt, and placed it in my suit case, Then | scrubbed the floor clean, afterward rubbing it with @ soiled rag to make its appearance uniform, I washed my hands, and thought I had finally removed all traces of the affair; but, coming back, I perceived something upon the floor which had escaped my notice, Lt was the leather collar of the Eskimo dog, with tts big silver scuds and the maker's eilver name-plate, All this while the animal had re- mained perfectly quiet in the room, crouching at Jacqueline'’s fect and beside the bed, It had not attempted to molest me, as I had feared might be the case during the course of my gruesome work. 1 came to the conclusion that there might have been a struggle; that It had run to its mistress’s assistance, and that the collar had been torn from it by the dead man, My first thought was to put the collar back upon the creature's neck, bus then 1 came to the conclusion Maurice Ketten oe eee ne ugust 23, 1915 pr nee tee By C. nly thing to do my © clue jective, further mn the CHAPTER IV. Simon Leroux. ITH Jacqueline’s arm drawn through mine I patd a visit W to the bank in whieh I hy deposited my legacy, and drew out fifteen hundred dollars, next depositing Jacqueline’s oney to my own account, It amounted to almost exactly eight | thousand dollar “Jacqueline,” I eatd, u know that you will require an outfit of hes before woe start for your hom Not too many things, you know,” I continued cautiously, “but just enough for a journey.” “You, Paul,” she anawered, tT she inquired, a hundred, and took ight in it. on 1 a large department a bought an outfit and @ suit- case to put it in. It was while Jacqueline was ex- amining the sult-cases that my at- tention was drawn to @ tail, elderly ridiculous We Mined weather-beaten face, and wear- ing & massive fur overcoat, open in front, who was standing in the divi- sion ‘between the trunk department and that adjoining it, immediately be~ hind Jacqueline, He was looking at me with an unmistakable glance of recognition. 1 knew that I had seen him several times before, but, though his features were familiar, | had forgotten his name, In fact, I had seen him only a week before, but the of the past night had made a week seem like a week of years, I stared at him and he stared back at me, made an urgent sign to me, Keeping an eye on Jacqueline, and not losing sight of her at any time, [ followed the tall man, As I neared that this might possibly serve as & means of identification, And It was essential that no one should be able to identify the dog. So 1 picked the collar up aud car- ried it into the next room and held it under the light of the incandescent gas mantic. The letters of the maker's name were almost obiiter- ated, but after careful study 1 was able to make them out, The name was Maclay & Robitaille, and the place of manufacture Quebec, This confirmed my _ belief concerning Jacqueline’s nativity. 1 pried the plate from the leather and slipped it into my poe! I put the broken collar into my suit case, together with the dagger, and then I set about packing my things for the journey which we were to under- take. Jacqueline’ bag lay open on the bureau, displaying many bills, There were rolls and rolla of them-—elght thousand dollars did not seem too much. Besides these, the bag contained the usual feminine properties; a handkerchief, chet bag, @ pocket mirror and some thin papers, coated with rice powder, Presently she stirred, opened, and she sat up. pillow at her back. She gazed at with apathy, but there was also reco, nition in her look. “Do you know me, Jacqueline?” I ed. “Yes, Paul,” she answered, “My friend, Paul “Jacqueline, I am going to take you home,” I said, hoping that she would tell me something, but I dared ask her no more, I meant to take her to Que- bec and make inquiries there, Thus [ hoped to learn soinething of her, even if the sight of the town did not awaken her memories, “Lam rot = to take you home, Jac- quelin I repeated, “Ye aul,” she answered in that docile manner of hers. “It is lucky you have your furs, be- cause the winter ia cold where your home tas." “Yes, Paul,” she repeated as before, and @ few more probings on my part convinced me that she remembered nothing at all, Her mind was like a person's newly awakened in a strange land, But this state brought with It no fear, only @ peaceful quietude and faith which was very touching, “We have forgotten a lot of things that troubled us, haven't we, Paul she asked me presently, “But we shall not care, since we have each other for friends. And afterward per- haps we shall pick them up agata, Do you not think so, Paul?” “Yes, Jacqueline,” I answered. “If we remembered now the mem- ory of them might make us unhappy,” she continued wistfully. "Do you not think so, Paul?” “You, Jacqueline,” There was a faint and vague alarm in her eyes which made me glad for her sake that she did not know, “Now, Jacqueline,” | said, “we shall have to begin to make ready for our Journey.” 1 had just remembered that the storage company which was to ware- house my few belongings was to call that day, The van would probably be at the house early in the morning, and {t was essential that we should be gone before tt arrived. I prepared breakfast and we ate it. Then we eet forth, “What a lot of money I have," she sald, handing me the roll of bills, “I hardly thought there was so much money in the world, Paul, It was past eight when we left the house, 1 carried my suitcase and, him my remembrance of him grew stronger. 1 knew that powerful, siouching gait, that heavy tread, When he turned round I had his name on my lips. It was Simon Leroux, a man who had once or twice visited my em- er. Diable! So you've got her!” he began in @ hoarse, forcible whisper. “Where did you pick her up? I was hurrying away from Tom's office when I happened to see you two en- tering Mischenbush's,” I remembered then that the office in which I had drudged was only a couple of blocks away, I made no answer but waited for him to lead again—and [ was thinking hard, “There's the devil to pay!” he went on in his execrable accent. “Louts came on post-haste, as you know, and he hasn't turned up this morning yet. Ah, mon Dieu, I always knew Tom was close, but I never dreamed you knew anything, When I used to see you sitting near the door In his office writing In those sacre books I thought you were just a clerk, And you were in the know all the time, you were! You know what happened last night?” he continued, looking furtively around, “It was an unfortunate affair,” I said guardedly, “Unfortunate!” he repeated, staring at me out of his bloodshot eye: Tt was the devil, by gosh! who was he?’ sils face was flery red, and he cast so keen a look at me that I almost thought he had discovered he was be- traying himself, “tt was lucky I was in New York when Louls wired us she had flown,” he continued-—I omit the oaths which punctuated his phrases, “Lucky I had my men with me, too, I didn’t think I'd need them here, but I'd promised them a trip to New York—and then ccmes Louis's wire, I put them on the track, I guessed she'd go to Daly's— old Duchine was mad about that crazy system of bis, and had been writing to him, “Ho used to know Daly when they were young men together at Saratoga and Montreal, and in Quebec, in the times when they had good horses and high-play was there, I tell you it was ticklish, There was millions of dol- lars’ worth of property walking up Broadway, and they'd got her, with a taxl walting near by, when that devil's fool strolls up and draws a crowd, If I'd been there I'd have”—~ A string of vile expletives followed his last remark, “They got on his track again and followed them to the Merrima he continued, “And they never camo iW tow HOR ITETT MEAT WEEK'S COMPLETE NOVEL IM TRE EVENINGS WOMB A Soldier of tho Legion | jand A. mM. WILI man with @ hard, drawn, and deeply ® 1AMSON hanktuly at sed impreaeed Oy my wi An « whether Tom's F pot” he gaat ie ne tol you, young maa, ) to keep in with me aad fol any price, name at” wavy over me tho tor ure and yught | saw a shadow of Then the memory was miling again, re to call a mee~ ave the suitease takes at once bagrage room te the Grand Central # you ta ward we will 0 media way of a shop. daring plan to escape him, Carson's offices were in « large, n building, with many elevators and entrances, I walked tow it equelineg, being satisfied wan following us twenty-five yards before him, adéd in the elevator, getting , ever, the floor above that which the offices were. 1 was satisfied that Leroux would follow me a minute later, under the impression that we had gone to the Northern Exploitation Company, and so, after waiting a minute or two, & took Jacqueline down in another vator, and we escaped through the front entrance and jumped inte « taxicab. 1 was satisfied that I had thrown x off the scent, but 1 took th tely lighting @ I bit upon a rather ff, on pistols and @ hundred eart- ridges. The man would not sell them to me there on account of the law, but he promised to put them in and have them delivered at the sta~ tion, and there, in due course, I found, them. ‘ But I was very uneasy until we found ourselves in the train. And then at last everything was accom plished—our bagguge upon the seats before us and our berths secured, At 3 precisely the train pulled out, and Jacqueline nestled down beside me and we looked at each other and were happy. And then, the wheels began to revolve, stepped down from a@ nel, train. ome us. je started and glared, and then he came raving back toward us, shaking his fists and yelling vile expletives, his fury despite the fact doors were all shut, A porter puahe¢ him back, and the last 1 saw of he was sul pursuing us screamin,” with rage, =_ I knew that he would follow on the 9 o'clock train, reaching Quebes about Sf 6 the following afternoon, That gave us five hours’ grace. It was not muo! but it was something to have Jac- queline safe with me even until the marrow, par opened one newspaper’ that [ had bought at the station book. stand, dreading to find in flaring let- ters the headlines announcing the dis~ covery of the body. I found the announcem i small type. The murder was asor! to & ga! be identified, and apparently both ce and public considered the merely one of those dally alayings that occur in that city, For the present I felt safe. I be- Meved the affair would be a soon, And meanwhile here was Jac- queline, Then we had a y atte enppen iy the dining car. Afterward I it broken dog collar a ross fields. That was the Unk thas bound us to the past. —_—-—— CHAPTER V. HE very obvious decision at which I arrived after « night of cogttation tn m; berth was that Jacqueline my plan to her at breakfast, “You see, Jacqueline,” I explained, “4t will look strange our travelling te- gether, unless some close relationship might subject you to embarrassment —so I shall call you my sister, Miss Hewlett, and you will call me your brother Paul” And I handed her my heard my surname before. “L shall be glad to think of you as my brother Paul,” she answered, look- ing at the card, She held it im her to the car entrance and flung the tho M. le Cure. was to pass aa my sister, I explained ts supposed to exist between us It visiting card, because she had never Tight hand, and it was not until middle of the meal that the left hand came into view. Then 1 disgovered that she had taken off her Wedding ring. out, They waited all night till nine e e out. My God, | thought her a dd Quebes, sirl—it's awful! Who was he? Bay, We b hardly gone on board the how much do you know?” His face was dripping with sweat, and he shot an awful look at Jacque: @ as she bent over the suitcase, could hardly keep my hands off him, but Jacqueline's need was too great for me to give vent to my pussion, I rememberd now that, after send- ing Jacqueline to the clerk's desk alone, she had gone to a side entrance and I had joined her there and left the hotel with her in that fashion, Atany rato, Simon's words showed me that his hired men were not acquainted with the rest of the night's work, I gathered from what he had sald that the possession of Jacau vitally important both to L to my ex-employer, Tom some reason connected with line was the Northern Exploitation Company, and that they had endeavored to kidnap her and hold her till the man Louis arrived to advise them, “How much do you know? hissed Simon at me. “Leroux,” I sald, “I'm not going to tell you anything, You will remembor that | was employed by Mr. Carson,” “By ——!" he sworg “ain't I as good as Carson? What are you going to do with her?" You'd b@ter go back to the office 2 ferry boat when an incident occurred that greatly disturbed me. A slighth built, well-dressed man, with a small, upturned mustache and a face of notable pallor, passed and repassert us several times, staring and smiling with cool effrontery ut both of us He wore @ lambskin cap and a fur overcoat, and I could not help assoct- ating him with the dead man, avoiding the belief that he had travel led north with us, and that Leroux had been to see him off at the station, I was @ good deal troubled by this, but before I had decided to address the fellow we landed, and a sleigh swept us up the hill toward the chateau to the tune of jingling bells, It was a strange wintry scone—the low sletghs, their drivers wrapped ta furs and capped in bearskin, the hooded nuns in the streets, the priests, soliiers and ancient houses, The air was keen and dry, “This 19 Quebec, watd. I thought that she remembered wn- wiliingly, but she said nothing, I dared ask her no questiong I fancied that each scene brought back ts own memories, but not the ideas associated with the chain of scenes, (To Be Continued.) Jacqueline? 1 ’ aa ‘pitt Digs thee at the very moment when ‘I onthe As he passed our window he sit” ee we i battle—the man could no. “ay atte ony a <a 29 cd a. eat vt . om Se oon ce, mit He tried to swing himself aboard in tte it se