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Show CIIA1TKK IT. Desperate Tactics. ,- About this time Merrick's attention -was drawn to a commotion In the crowd, caused, as he soon discovered, by the advance of a tall figure that pushed and pressed with a determination determina-tion nothing could daunt. Of course It was Jones. Mark slapped him on tho back, and the look of anxiety upon Jones' bronzed and rugged face at once gave way to one of pleasure as ho turned to look upon his comrade. "Not hurt? Ooodl We're off at an early hour." "For whero?" "Oh! Monte Carlo." Merrick looked at him ho saw tho glow of triumph In Jones' eyes, and did not need to be told of the success that had come. "You secured It," he whispered, rc-: rc-: membering that there might bo cmls- w. sarles of Count Leon In the crowd 1, around them, and not desirous of giv ing them more points than were necessary. neces-sary. "You bet," laconically answered the Yankee. "Let us go In; tho danger it all over." Jones apparently had something on his mind. "Who set this flro going?" ho asked. "Oreat Scottl How could I tell? Tho hall abovo was full of smoke when I first heard the racket. I took caro to lock your door and here Is the key." "I have my gravo suspicions. Perhaps Per-haps I may be wrong in this case, but wo shall soon see wo shall see. Come up with mo and help unlock tho door." Something strikingly significant In his voice impelled Merrick to follow. "Ah! yes, you locked tho door?" said Jones, with fine satire, and Merrick Mer-rick confessed that Ills word seemed doubtful, sluco that door now stood wldo open. "By Jove! perhaps you wore right, after all, my friend," ho declared. "The paper Is gone." "Are you sure?" "Yes, as positive as that I stand here." Jones grinned. "Come, close the door If you can, and we'll examine tho queer legacy of the man I helped. Part of It we will trust to our memory, and with that portion destroyed none clso can utilize tho paper, even though- it bo stolen Jrs tnm us"" j So they amused themselven by studying the intricate problem which tho magician had left behind him. Merrick did not wholly understand tho geometrical puzzle, but tho result proved that It was a good thing, and results nro what count . 1 It was midnight when tho two n friends parted. Arrangements had been made for an early start, for, H though the season at Monte Carlo had hardly been fairly Inaugurated, Jones B was keenly desirous of commencing H his crusado against tho dragon that H yearly slew his scores, and ruined M hundreds, aye, thousands, of others. H Ho barricaded his door, made Burc B of the window, and then law down to Hj rest, with his revolver closo to his fll band. 9 When morning came ho Joined Mer- H rick at the breakfast table. jB Both of tho comrades were genu- B inely glad tho time had come to make jBJ a move. Hi Whtlo Merrick In reality cared very Hi Httlo about the successful issue of the Hi "system" at Monto Carlo, ho was hu- B man enough to tako some solid pleas- H uro In the knowledge that Jones' tri- B uraph meant a bitter doso for the R Jones had sewed tho precious plan of BB campaign In the lining of his coat, IHE under tho belief 'that It would bo safe B thero, since they must kill him in or- H? der to steal his garment. jJk, A. fly took them (o tho gato where STB their train awaited them. L, J Preceded by n porter bearing their RuB smalt luggage our two adventurers lH bought an obsequious guard body and H soul, and presently found themselves mWWt- tho sole owners of nil thoy burvoyed, H having a comfortable smoking com- HJ partment to themselves. IHft Whllo Merrick was watching nn ox- HK citing encounter between ono of tho X wooden guards and a stout woman SHf from Marseilles, who demanded her HW, 'rights as a citizen of tho republic In a HEk , manner that mado him think of thoso jH (Amazons in history who led tho mobs H? (during the bloody Reign of Terror, jHJBL 'Jones broke in upon his reverie with BH an exclamation: BJJEt "Lay low, my boy, thero she comes," mjK' and to-hear tho tono of consternation BHu which be used in making this outcry n). ono might have been pardoned for be- IQQk living that somo terrlblo Bho dragon HjK was bearing down upon them, instead HEtf of a most beautiful and charming MHK; woman, chatting as vivaciously as &K usually only a French woman can, H with the gentleman at her side. HB Of course, It was tho princess per- 9H haps she, too, wn being drawn by the HI alluring glamour xrl the famous gam-MHHf gam-MHHf ing place far away at tho border of HWKj, Italy, or elsj she had learned of Mark's HJHt going thither. jlpH "Did you notlco her companion?" HkH asked Jones, as he cautiously glanced kHJE'; nlnng tho plntform to see whtch car- hHJ rlnge the lady entered. ' Well, he seemed a pompous, severe old autocrat, a general' at MeaaL But then you told too she had princes and dukes and American nabobs dangling In her train, so why not a general?" "Ah! not General Mercler. Thero can be but one explanatldn of his presence." pres-ence." , "And that?" demanded Mark, curiously. curi-ously. "Ho has come personally to sco her leave the French capital, and the qulet-looltlng officer In their rear will nccompany her all tho way." "You mean she is suspected and is being chased out of Franco?" ' "That is literally true." "Oh! well, It doesn't interest us a bit," remarked Merrick, carolessly. Perhaps there were others on this early train for tho South who might Interest our two friends did thoy but know of their presence. Tho afternoon dragged. Thero were numerous stops at places of Importance, and, cramped by Inaction, Inac-tion, our friends found themselves compelled to step out In order to Btrotch their limbs. Jones had rather dreaded this, fearing fear-ing lest his comrade should In somo manner, ho knew not Just how, fall under the malign Influence of tho adventuress. ad-venturess. Of course sho discovered them, and Mark was of necessity compelled to obey the white hand that Imperiously beckoned him to the open window, where milady reigned supreme, with a maid, and accompanied by tho dignified dig-nified old ofllcor General Mercler had nppointed to see her over tho bori'sr In safety. It was only for a few mlnute3, and of couruo she begged him to take advantage ad-vantage rf tho abundance of room In her compartmont. so that she might entertain him during the long Journey with some of tho novel things sho had experienced. Merrick was equal to tho emergency, and offered as nn excuse that ho and his friend were engaged upon a match in their own carriage, which his absence ab-sence would break up. At least one pair of eyes had noted his warm reception by tho dainty and vivacious woman who leaned from the window of tho first-class carriage, and beamed upon him with such an ardent gaze. It was from tho very compartment adjoining tho one our friends occupied that this gentle eavesdropper If ono could daro bestow so harsh a name upon so lovely Mttlo creature as tho South African h ..-ess was enabled to observe without being herself seen, and tho fact that sho would thus stoop to a proccduro that her soul must have abhorred, was posltlvo evidence of nn intcro.it in the young man of far moro than ordinary Intensity. Nor could tho fact that on tho previous pre-vious night ho had carried her from the burning hotel at tho risk of his own life wholly explain her eagerness to fasten her eyes upon his face. Whatever emotions stirred Con-tanco Con-tanco Dare, as sho crouched thero, and, holding her breath, peeped from bo-hind bo-hind tho half-drawn curtain, she mado no move toward addressing Mark, oven when he passed within a yard of her, sauntering back to hla own compartment when tho cries of tho guards gave warning that tho southern south-ern train was about to pull out Jones followed him Jones who had remained on guard and watched it all. It required keen eyes like thoso of Jones to discover that the wondorful princess meant business for' perhaps tho first tlrao in her life that she had conceived a passion for tho daring young follow who had .chased her runaway run-away motor on a wheel and succeeded succeed-ed In saving her a spill that might nt least have risked marring the beauty Which was her capital. And, knowing this, shrewd Jones feared for his friend, though he hardly know himself In what way danger coulu como If Mark continued In tho samo frame of inind as at present. "Well," he sold, lighting a cigar, "let's drop tho princess for tho present. pres-ent. Wo have other fish to fry. that arc good enough for tho Joneses. Whllo you swapped glances with that enchantress, I looked around." "And from your tono, I Imagine you discovered something." Jones thrust his thumbs into the nrmholes of his vest, as he said, in a dramatic whisper: "Only this that our dear Count Leon and his yellow-topped Russian bear occupy tho next compartmont to tho rear!" When Jones mado his astonishing announcement Merrick did not appear shocked. "H'm!" was the way In which ha commented upon tho matter, "they uro very affectionate to snuggle up to us that way." "Yes," returned Jones, dryly, "wo quite won their hearts by the warm reception wo gave tho brethren at tho monaste.') meeting." Mark laughed In a cynical way. "Seriously speaking, have you any Idea as to what Is In the wind?" Jono3 shook his wIbo old head In the negative. "Heaven only knows." "When do wo reach Monto Carlo?"- "Bless me If I can say, Thero are delays on the way, I was told. Pcr- iHiiHiilaixiHflflHIIBIiVliHHHHftiVHil haps twelve or fifteen hours will tee us at Nice, wh.L"i Is closo to Monto Carlo." "That means somo riding nt nl6ht" "Undoubtedly." "Well, depend upon It, whatovcr schemo they may arrange, if any, will be brought to n head while darkness covers tho eaith." "You voice my opinion, my dear boy." "Since we are agreed on that point, let's draw lots to see who shall stand the first watch, and let the other have a nap. I'm drowsy after that abominable abom-inable luncheon wo had." Thus the afternoon wore on. The two friends stood "watch and watch" whllo the train boomed on toward to-ward the romantic shores of tho grand Mediterranean, where fashion at Nice and along the Illvlera came In contact with tho mad spirit of gambling at tho quaint Mecca of sport, Monte Carlo. When night shut down over the scene they wcro fully on the alert, and apparently In a condition to stand guard until another day, If necessary. As tho night air grew very cool It was only natural that they should closo nearly all openings. A dim light burned above, totally Insufficient In-sufficient to allow them to read, and only ablo to keep tho gloomy shadows shad-ows at bay. Both men, while wide awake, were busied with their own thoughts, for thoso who havo passed through such checkered careers havo much to rolled ro-lled upon, while tho future holds out alluring hopes of new experiences. And It was Jones who suddenly sat up and began to sniff tho air with great vigor. Merrick paid no attention to him, being settled down In his corner as though It qulto suited his sybarlto views of comfort. Tho moro Jones used his faculties the moro Intense becamo his suspicions suspi-cions that all was not ns It should be. He aroso and made a move toward tho door with tho Intention of letting the upper glass part down so that a current of fresh air might sweep through tho carriage. To his surprise, ho found that his limbs actually ached, whllo his head felt as though It would split, such was tho almost Immediate effect of tho powerful gas that had been Injected Into their compartment by some mysterious mys-terious means. Jones grasped the truth. It was stranger than Action, more astounding oven thnn anything he and Merrick had conjured up when talking of tho possibilities that might bo taken ndvantago of by their bitter and relentless re-lentless foes. Jones did not stop In his well doing. If ono opening was good, two could be deemed much better. So he presently had a second window win-dow lowered, which allowed a strong breezo to sweep through. "Phew!" exclaimed Merrick, coming out of his lethargy suddenly with a shiver, "what aro you trying to do, old man? Freezo us to death?" "On the contrary, I'm bent on bringing bring-ing you back to life, for unless I'm mistaken, you were In a fair way to kick tho bucket," said Jones, stoutly. "Well, to ho sure, as tho old saying has It, I do feel ns though I had turned a Httlo pale. But for Heaven's sake, what Is that vile odor?" Jonea laughed hoarsely. ,"Ha! you get It now, do you? Well, for that nnd many other rank favors glvo thanks to our good friends next door, who watch over us as constantly as tho little cherub aloft looks after poor Jack at sea." "Tho deuce! Wo should havo them committed ns nuisances," said Merrick, Mer-rick, making for the opening in order to breathe without pain. "Perhaps It might be as well to go further and havo them up for attempted attempt-ed murder by asphyxiation." Hearing which tho other realized what It all meant "Good Heavens! the infernal monsters!" mons-ters!" ho ejaculated, showing somo signs of sudden anger. (To be continued.) Wanted to Obey the Liiw. President Eliot of Harvard Is one of those men who go to their work us it tho entire responsibility of its accomplishment accom-plishment rested upon their individual shoulders. Somo time ago Gov. Crano of Massachusetts Massa-chusetts was approached by a delegation delega-tion of business mon, who asked that President Eliot should bu appointed as ono of n commission to report on the proposed construction of n dam over the Charles river. The governor demurred de-murred to the proposition. The com-mitteo com-mitteo was urgent. "Would you mind stating your objections ob-jections to President Eliot?" said tho spokesmnn to the governor. "Well," replied tho lattor, "tho law says that tho commission shall consist con-sist of three men. If I nppointed President Pres-ident Eliot there would be only one." |