fePOOL/ [ COPTOtCHT 1909 By VANCE g 2 SYNOPSIS. The story opens at Monte Carlo with Col. Terence O'Rourke, a military lance anil something of a gambler, in his hotel. Leaning on the balcony he sees a beautiful girl who suddenly enters the elevator and passes from sight. CHAPTER 11. After that bitter disappointment his interest in his personal appearance dwindled to the negligible. In a black temper with himself (whom alone he blamed for the deception to which be had fallen too facile a victim) he searched blindly for a fresh tie, found It somehow, and knotted it round his collar in the most haphazard fashion Imaginable. Then he shrugged a dress coat upon his shoulders and marched forth to dine. In this humor he propelled himself ■with determination into the public res taurant of the establishment, and, ob livious to the allure of many pairs of bright eyes that brightened all too feadily to challenge his, insisted upon a table all to himself, and dined in soli tary grandeur, comporting himself openly as a morose and misunderstood person, and to his waiter with a man- ! ner so near rude that the latter be gan almost to respect him. After some time he was disgusted to discover that he felt better. An im pulse toward analysis led him to probe the psychology of the change, with the result that he laid the blame for it at the door —or the neck —of a half-bottle of excellent, burgundy. So he ordered another, and, resolutely dismissing from his mind the woman who had no right whatever to be able to sing a certain song the way she had, set his wits to work on the riddle of To morrow. To a man whose trade was fighting, the world just then was a most dis tressful place, too peaceful entirely. Over his coffee the adventurer nod ded in despair and frowned in dis gust; then rousing, he summoned the waiter and paid his reckoning with a secret grin at himself, a fifty-franc note and a gesture which splendidly obliterated altogether every trace oi j suspicion that he intended to take J back any part of the change due him. i Trimming and lighting a cigar, he j reviewed the restaurant with a list- ; less eye which discovered no one of | his acquaintance; therefore, with } neither haste nor waste of time, he rose and betook himself to the Cauiuo —that is, to the one place where one may feel certain of encountering, soon er or later, everybody who is anybody within tht bounds of the principality. This night, more particularly than on any preceding it, now that he had made up his mind to seek betterment of his fortunes elsewhere, he played heedlessly, little concerned with the fate of what money he had about him. He had set aside a reserve fund oufli cient to settle his hotel bill and carry him a considerable distance into the unknown which he was resolved to beard, and was resigned to lose the remainder. It was a tenet of his creed of fatalism that chance seldom favored hir.i when he had money in his pockets; the tide of his affairs must be at its lowest ebb ere it turn ed. His policy then was obvious — childishly plain: he must, fling to the winds all that which he had. Now never was there a man whs played to lose who didn't win his point. Colonel O'Rourke's case can be cited as no exception to this rule El bow to elbow on one side with an art less old lady from Terre Haute, who risked her minimums with the fero cious jealousy of a miser making an unsecured loan, on the other with an intent little Austrian gambler absorb ed in the workings of his "system," the adventurer scattered gold upon the numbered and illuminated grid iron as unconcernedly as though he bad been matching shillings, and saw the coins gathered in by the greedy rake as often as the little ivory ball ceased to chatter on the wheel. For the better part of an hour this continued. And the little group of sycophants which had gathered be hind his chair to watch his play in sensibly dissipated. A whisper ran through the ranks of the habitues that the luck of the mad Irishman had turn ed; and forthwith he ceased to be an object of interest. Only the little Austrian, having risked the number of stakes prescribed by his system for one evening's play, put away his note book and pencil and, surrendering his place to another, lingered behind •C'Rourke's chair. At length, inexpressibly bored and tot impatient to defer the inevitable "by niggardly wagers, O'Rourlce ran sacked hts pockets and placed the pro ceeds —several hundred francs—l am as ignorant of the amount as he was Indifferent to It—upon the red. There fell a lull, the croupier hold ing the wheel to permit an unbaked i>uD of Chicago millions to cover the cloth with stakes too numerous for his half-developed intelligence to-keep count of; and the adventurer shifted in his seat, reviewing the assemblage. For some moments, through the mys terious working of that sixth sense which men are pleased vaguely to de nominate intuition, he had been sub consciously aware of being the object of some person's fixed regard, that somebody was not only watching, but weighing him. He sought the source of this sensation and, for a little time, sought it unsuccessfully. Annoyed, he persisted. He heard the croupier's mechanical "Rein neva plus," follow ed by the whirring of the wheel, but cared so little that he would not turn [ to watch the outcome. Only an ex- j clamation of the Austrian's appraised j him oT the fact that red had won. He ; glanced listlessly round to see the money doubled, and let it rest, turn ing back to his survey of the throng. A moment later his attention became fixed upon two men who stood in the doorway, looking toward him. Again the whe?l buzzed, the ball clattered and was still. The word rouge among oth ers in the announcement told him that again he had won; this time, however, he did not turn, but, frowning in [ speculation, stared back at the two. Stared? Indeed and he did just that. If it was impertinent, sure and I were they not staring at him? And who should gainsay an O'Rourke the ] right to stare at an; body, be he king ) or commoner? Furthermore, who | might these men be, and what their j interest in himself? The one was tall and slender, sat urnine; an elegant, owing as much to the art of his tailor and upholsterer as to his own indisputable, native dis tinction; a Frenchman —at least of a type unquestionably Gallic. His face j was very pale, his fine, pointed mus tache very precise, jaw square, fore head high, eyes deep and dark be neath brows heavy, level and black, manner marked by a repose almost 1 threatening in its impassibility. His companion was shorter of stat- | ure, a younger man by at least ten j | years, rather stout and very nervous, j j with a fresh red face marred by hall- j marks of dissipation; British, every 1 i inch of him. "That, I'm thinking," mused 1 I O'Rourke, "will be the Honorable I j Bertie Glynn. Faith, he looks the 1 part, at least; 'tis just that kind —in- | bred, underbred, without brains or real stamina—that would run through a half-million sterling inside a year." But the other? "Monsieur," the little Austrian stam i mered excitedly in his ear, "for you the red had doubled a fourth time." "Thank ye," replied O'Rourke with out moving. " "Twill turn up seven, this run." The system-gambler subsided, petri fied. But the other? O'Rourke continued to probe his memory. Something in the man's personality was curiously reminiscent. . . . Of a sudden he remembered. The Frenchman had been pointed out to him, years ago, in Paris, as a principal in a Boulevard scandal which had terminated in a duel —a real duel, in which he had been victorious. He was accustomed to anticipate such an outcome of his affair of honor, however; that was why he had been named to O'Rourke; Des Trebea (that was the name; the Viscomte des Trebes) was a duelist of international disrepute. "Monsieur," the agitated voice flut tered in his ear, "you have von yet again—for the sixth time!" "Let it stand for the seventh, mon ami." Why should Des Trebes be watch ing hlin so openly, so pointedly? As he watched he became aware that these two, the Frenchman and the Englishman, were not alone; detached though their attitude was, they wera evidently of a party of ladies and gen tlemen whose gay, chattering group formed their background. "Monsieur, the seventh turn!" "Yes, yes." "Rein neva plus," croaked the croupier. One of the ladies turned to speak to the Honorable Mr. Glynn. Smiling, ho nodded, and offered her an arm. She lingered, addressing Des Trebes. The latter bowed, lifted his shoulders and laughed lightly, plainly excusing himself. A general movement took place in the party; It began to disin tegrate, men and women pairing off, all moving at leisure toward the lobby. Des Trebes aloue remained. O'Rourke could see that the personnel of the gathering was largely British. He recognized Lady Flinlimmon, whose yacht (he had heard casually) had ar rived in the harbor that niorining. Evi dently this was her party. Another woman's figure caught his attention; her back was turned, but she had an : air, a graceful set of the shoulders, au individual pride and spirit in the poise of her head, that O'Rourke could have sworn he knew. He was conscious that he flushed suddenly, that his heart was pounding. He made as if to rise and follow, but was prevented, al most forced back by a hand which the Austrian in his feverish interest had unconsciously placed on the Irish man's shoulder. "Monsieur, monsieur!" he gasped, his eyes, protruding, fixed upon the wheel. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. He trembled as though his own fortunes hung on the change, j Impressed, O'Rourke could not for- i bear to linger, to cast a reluctant glance at the table. 1 The size of his pile of gold and | notes on the red was a somewhat 1 i startling sight to him. His breath | stopped in his throat. The ivory sphere was rattling over the compartments to its predestined place. What if he were to win? O'Rourke began to cal culate mentally how much he had at stake, hr much he might win if his careless prediction that red would turn up the seventh time should come true —lost his bearings in a maze of intri cate computation and was on the | I point of abandoning the problem when j black was called. | "Great God!" panted the Austrian, I withdrawing his hand. O'Rourke rose. "The fortunes of ! | war, me friend," said he with a laugh j j so unforced that it sounded unnatu | ral. He strode away hastily, search j ing the throng in the lobby for her | with whom his mind was occupied to the exclusion of all else. The system-gambler followed him i with a stare of incredulous amaze- I ment. "What a man!" said he j to himself, if half aloud. A second j later ho added: "What admirable act- j lng!" But he was mistaken. There was nothit.g assumed in O'Rourke's air of j apathy. He was actually quite indif- j i fereot and already preoccupied with ! 1 his new interest—the pursuit of the i i woman whose unexpected appearance i I in Monte Carlo seemed likely to upset i all his calculations. The sails of the barque of his fortunes had all his ! life long been trimmed to the winds; j of Chance; he was accustomed to see j ing them fall ilat and flapping, empty, ! Just when a venture seemed most propitious. The loss of the money was nothing; the initial nmount had ; been little enough in all conscience, though the major part of all that he possessed; but to him the woman was everything—the worlcl and all. And now she was gone, had disap peared with her companions! In that instaut in which he had turned from her to the table, she had made her es cape. He cursed roundly the weakness that had lost her to him, and passing rapidly through the lobby, left the Casino, pausing before the entrance to look right and left. There was no sign of what he sought; the party had vanished. And who should say whither? "Damnation!" he grumbled. "Monsieur." a voice intruded at his side. "He turned with a start, annoyed. "Well?" he demanded curtly, recogniz ing De Trebes. The Frenchman bowed. "I have the honor to address Monsieur le Colonel O'Rourke?" Reflecting that the man might af ford him the information he sought, O'Rourke unbent. "I am he, Monsieur des Trebes." Surprised, the latter lifted his eye brows, showing even white teeth In a deprecatory smile. "You know me, monsieur?" "By sight and reputation only, mon sieur." "I am honored." "No more than meself, if it comes to that." The vicomte laughed "Then I may presume to ask the favor of a word with you?" "Are ye not having It, monsieur?" "True . . . But in private?" "One moment. Ye can do me a favor, if ye will. Afterwards—" "I am charmed." " 'Tis not much I'll bo asking ye— merely a question or two. Now that gentleman ye were talking with awhile back: Isn't he the Honorable Bertie Glynn?" "The same, monsieur." "And the lady who spoke to him —?" "Madame Smyth-Herrlott, I believe; I know her only slightly." "Then ye are not of their party?" "Party?" Des Trebes appeared per plexed. "What party?" "Why, Lady Plinllmmon's, of course." "I have not the honor of that lady's acquaintance, monsieur." "Oh, ye have not? But Mr. Glynn?" "Is here with me, monsieur—a fly [ lng trip. W* ran down from P&rU but yesterday. Our meeting with Madame Smyth-Herrlott was quite accidental." "Oh, the divvle!" said O'Rourke be neath his breath. Plainly he might expect nothing more helpful from this man; he had Jumped prematurely at a baseless conclusion, it seemed. And by now it was much too late to think of further pursuit, "That Is all I wished to know, monsieur," lie admit ted lamely. "There was a lady In the group whom I thought I recognized. I wished to find her, and fancied ye might, perhaps direct me. Ye didn't by any chance happen to hear Mrs. Smyth-Herriot say where she was go ing with Mr. Glynn?" "Unhappily, no, monsieur." "Very well then. What can I have " the happiness to serve ye In?" | The Frenchman hesitated briefly. "This is a trifle public," he suggest ed. "Will you not be kind enough to walk with me a little distance, while we converse?" "Gladly, monsieur." Des Trebes produced a cigarette case, pnd together, smoking, the two turned their backs upon the casino and wan dered off along the paths of the ter j raced gardens. Ever descending, they ; came at length to the secluded, little | lighted and less frequented portions of | the grounds which border the water i front, and presently sat side by side i upon a bench, looking out over the j harbor. Then and then only did Des Trebes approach his subject—some thing which he had until now studious ly avoided, distracting the not over patient Irishman by a falling fire of j banalities. "1 dare say, Colonel O'Rourke," he "I Have the Honor to Addreas Monsieur Le Colonel O'Rourke." suggested abandoning his mother tongue for excellent English—"l Uare say you are wondering—" "I am that." "I feared so. But It was essential that we should speak in privacy." "Yes —?" "But before I proceed, may I put you a question or two bordering, perhaps, upon impertinence, yet not so con ceived ?" "What a long-winded beggar!" O'Rourke commented mentally. "As for that," said he aloud, " 'tis impos sible for me to calculate the imperti nence until 'tis put to me. Eh?" "Believe me, sir, 1 am anxious only to avoid indiscretion. It Is the ques tion of your identity alone. 1 desire only to be assured that you are the Colonel O'Rourke I take you to bo." "My faith! And who else would I be, now?" "There's the bare possibility that two of the same name might exist." " 'Tis so bare that 'tis fairly Inde cent," chuckled the Irishman. "But tire away." "I am not mistaken In assuming that I address the Colonel Terence O'Rourke who was at one time a party to le petit L,em«rcle's mad Empire da Sahara project aid who later raar ried I.emarcier's widow, Madame la Princesse de Grand lieu T" O'Kourke took a long breath and looked his questioner up and down. "Ye have a very pretty taste In the matters of impertinences," he Baid gravely. "However, let that pass. I'm the same man." "A thousand pardons. Caution in matters such as this —" A shrug com- : pleted the thought most eloquently. ! "You can give me proofs of your Iden tity, then?" "Proofs!" O'Rourke got to his feet. "Believe me, monsieur, ye have all the proof I'm willing to give ye, and that's my last word. If ye find it Insufficient, why, then —" "Pardon!" Des Trebes Interrupted, rising. "I ain myself more than con tent. But the Government of France—" "The Government of France —!" O'Rourke whistled. "Is more exacting than I. It knows a certain Colonel O'Rourke and him alone does it need." "The divvle it does! And what will it be wanting with me?" "I can say at present no more than that I represent Government in an affair demanding secrecy and dispateh. ! I have a certain diplomatic mission to ' discharge, and shall have need, mon sieur, of a man strong, bold, venture- i some, willing to undertake a long and perhaps perilous Journey." Had Des ; Trebes been inspired he could have j formulated no speech better calculated to intrigue the Irishman; the merest echo of its import would have fired his hearer's fancy. He added: "And I am authorized to retain for that pur- i pose, should I bo fortunate enough to find him unengaged, a certain Colonel Terence O'Rourke." "Say noi more, monsieur. 'Tis ' enough. 'Secrecy—dispatch—a long ' and perilous Journey!' Faith I'm just your man!" "You have no other business of the moment?" "None whatever." "Then I am indeed fortunate. And j now, I presume, you will no longer object to satisfying me as to your iden | «ty." I "Not In the least. Although, to be ! | candid, monsieur, I'm not In the hab- j |it of carrying me Bertillion record ; about me. But if ye'll have the good nes to accompany me to the Orient, over there, I'll put your mind at ease I before ye can say knife." j Des Trebes nodded. "I should be I delighted, but unfortunately" he ] snapped the case of his watch —"I | have an appointment with a confrere. May we fix a time—in half an hour. say—when it will be convenient for you to have me call at the OrientT" "In half an hour? I'll await ye then, monsieur." "Pardon, then, my haste. I am late. I must be off." The man's hand touched O'Rourke's in the most brief of clasps, singularly firm and cold. The Irishman pondered the sensation for some moments after Des Trebes' hurrying llgure had van. ished in shadows. "I don't like it,"he averred; "'tis a bad sign—a hand that's naturally cold. I never yet touched one like it j that belonged to a man ye could trust. I misdoubt he's sound at the core, Des Trebes. . . . But then, what's the odds? Can I not take care of me self? And since 'tis the Government j of Prance I'm treating with, and him- j self only the medium —that puts alto- ! gether a different complexion on the matter." He spent the ensuing half-hour loi tering in the more populous portion of the grounds, smoking as he stroll ed, his eyes keen to scrutinize each woman who came his way. But he dis covered none resembling her whom he hod seen in the Casino. (TO BJC CQNTLNUKOJ Reading maketh a full man. 80 does tlia wine when it's red. For years flnt'tleld Tea has been on the mar ket. This must 1110 all a remedy wonii while. A good memory is essential to a successful liar. A very successful remedy for pelvic catarrh is hot douches of Paxtine An | tiseutic, at druggists, 25c a box or sent i posrpaid 011 receipt of price by The Paxton Toilet, Co., Boston, Mass. Too Favorable a Description. 'That man is a pinhead." "You flatter him. A pinhead knows Just how far to go." Important to Mothe:9 ! Examine carefully every bottle of 1 CASTORIA, a safe and sure remedy for ; Infants and children, and see that it Bears the s/tt , . ■ """* Signature of In Use For Over 30 Years, j Children Cry for Fletcher's Castovia Less and Less. "This is a great age we are living - In." said Brinkley. "We have smoke less gunpowder, horseless wagons, I wireless telegraph—" I "Yes." interrupted Cynicus, "and |we have moneyless foreigners com j ing here and contracting loveless j marriages with heartless heiresses." | —Judge. Slow Travel. j Yx>wn in Oklahoma they have a rail- I road called the Midland Valley, which [is noted for its slow trains. It is told ; that a young man of Tulsa asked the | hand of a daughter from her parents and was refused on the ground that j The daughter was too young. "My daughter is going to Pawhuska | tomorrow for a visit," said the father, j who is a traveling man,"and if she ioesn't remain more than a day or two i she will be old enough when she gets : back." "But she may be an old maid by j that time," protested the young man. I —Kansas City Star.. Oddities cf Justice. That, the whole theory of penal i codes is practically unsound and op posed to the modern conceptions of the relation of the state to crime, is the contention of Eugene Smith of the New York bar, writing in the May j number of Case and Comment, the lawyers' magazine. Illustrating the absurdity and disparity between pen ; alty for crimes in different states, i Mr. Smith says: 'The average san- S tence for perjury in Florida is ten i years, in Maine one year; for larceny. | in Delaware ten years, in the District of Columbia ten months; the penalty for arson in Pennsylvania is twice ; that of burglary, but in Connecticut the guilt of burglary is twice that of | arson: the guilt of counterfeiting in | Ohio is twice that of perjury, but in Rhode Island the guilt of perjury iu twice that of counterfeiting. ON A BUSINESS BASIS. Big Sister —Now, Jack, I'll give you a nickel if you'll be good and not bother when Mr. Softly calls tonight. Jack —All right, sis, and for a dime extra I'll promise not to put dad wise | dat he's there. WELL POSTED. A California Doctor With Forty Years' Experience. "In my forty years' experience as a ; teacher and practitioner along hy gienic lines," says a Los Angeles physician, "I have never found a food ! to compare with Grape-Nuts for the 1 benefit of the general health of all classes of people. "I have recommended Grape-Nuts for a number of years to patients with the greatest success and every year's i experienfe makes me more enthusias tic regarding its use. "I make it a rule to always recom mend Grape-Nuts, and Postum in place of coffee, when giving my patients in structions as to diet, for I know both Grape-Nuts and Postum can be digest ed by anyone. "As for myself, when engaged in much mental work my diet twice a day consists of Grape-Nuts and rich cream. I find it just the thing to build up gray matter and keep the brain in good working order. "In addition to its wonderful effects as a brain and nerve food Grape-Nuts : always keeps the digestive organs in j perfect, healthy tone. I carry it with I me when I travel, otherwise I am al j most certain to have trouble with my stomach." Name given by Postum Co., Battle Creek, Mich. Strong endorsements like the above from physicians all over the country have stamped Grape-Nuts the most scientific food in the world. "There's a reason." Book in p'igs. for the famous little book. "The Road to Wellville." Krrr rend the nbove letterr A tiew our nppenrn from time to time. They ■re centilne, (rue, and full »i hniuau laterea t.
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