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Show i fLiL THE MAIDS OF tmhk PARADISE ) sSftgfHj Robert W. Chambers 9BBm 88Author f "Cardigan" the Conspirators' 'W'PjJjPij VWffi ,Q.lrv-.iNMvcM CnovniMi,t-7byPFCollcf45on 8YNOP3I8. CHAPTER I-Scnrlott, an Amerloan Doldlar of fortune In the employ of tha French Imperial Vollco at tlio outbreak of tho Kriwco-rruaslan war. Is ordered to arront John IJuckhurat, n. leader of Uia Communlsu-. who Is suspected of having stolen tho French crown towels. Whlla searching for Uuckhurst Scarlett Is w-dered w-dered to arrest CountcM do Vasaart and hor Kroup of socialists and escort thenf to the JJclglan border. CHAPTBR 11-Scarlett finds Sylvia Elven of tho Odcon dlsculsod as a peasant peas-ant aad carries her to La. Trappo, where tho oewntess and hor friends aro ossein hld. CHAITKH Ill-All ore arrcstod. The counteaa saves Bcarlott from a fatal fall from the roof of the houso. He denounces Uuckhurst as tho lender of the lteds and tho countess conducts him to where Uuckhurst Uuck-hurst Is secreted CHAPTBR IV-Cormnn Uhlans descend, on tha placo and Uuckhurst escapes during dur-ing tho molco. Bcarlott Is wounded. CHAPTJ2R V Ho recovers' consciousness conscious-ness In tho countess' homo nt Morsbronn. whero ho Is enrod for by tho countess. A flcrco batllo Is fouulit In tho streets between Kronen and Prtisatun soldiers. CIIAI'TKll VI Uuckhurst professes rd pontenco and returns tho crown Jowcls to dcarlott. Ho declures ha will Kivu lilmMult up to tho authorities. Scarlett doubts bit sincerity. Uuckhurst urges tho countess to ico to Paradise. CHAPTER VII. A Strung'0 Foreshadowed. I took my breakfast by tho window, watching tho German toldlory cleaning clean-ing up Morsbronn. 1 A soldier canio In nnd rtartcd tho flro in my fireplace. When ho went out I drow my code-book from my breeches pocket and tossed it into tho flro. Aftter It followed my commission, my momornnda, and cvory scrap ot writing. Tho diamonds I placed In tho bosom of my flannel shirt. A Qcrmat nmbulanco surgeon nr rived to bco mo In tho afternoon. After a brlof examination ho sat down and resumed a very bad cigar, which had been smouldering between his carefully kept fingers. "Do you know," ho said ndmlrlngly, "that 1 have never before- seen Just such a wound. Tho spinal column Is not ovon grazed. As fnr uh I can soo tho blow from tho bullet temporarily tempo-rarily paralyzed tho spinal cord. Thoro Ib no fracture, no depression. 1 do not soo why yon should not walk If you doslro to." "When? Now?" "TT.V II.'; frffr-tofejflfr. I tried. Apart from a cortaln muscular mus-cular weakness nnd a great fatlguo, I found It qulto posslblo to stand, ovon lo movo n fow steps. Then I sat down again, nnd was glad to do so, Tho doctor wns looking at my legs rather grimly, and It suddonly flashed on mo thai I had dropped my blankot and ho had noticed my hussar's troupers. trou-pers. "So." ho said, "you nro a military prlsonor? I understood from tho provost pro-vost marshal that you wero a civilian." civil-ian." Ab ho Bpoko Uuckhurst appoarcd nt tlio door, and then snuntcred In, quietly qui-etly greeting tho surgeon, who looked around nt tho sound of his Tootstops on tlio stono floor. Thoro was no longer a vestlgo of doubt In my mind Hint uuckhurat wns n German agent, or nt least that tho aonunns believed him to bo In tholr pay. And doubtless ho wus in their pay, but to whom ho wna faithful nobody could know with any certainty. "How In our patient, doctor?" ho askod. "Can ho travel today?" "lleforo ho travola," said tho olllcer, "It might bo well to find out why ho wears part of n hussar uniform." "I'vo oxplalned that to tho provost,'' observod Uuckhurst, examining his woll-kopt flngor-nnlls. "And I have a pass for him also if ho Is In a lit condition to travol. Tho officer gavo him n glanco full of frunk dislike, adjusted his saber, pulled on his whito gloves, nnd, bow-Ing bow-Ing vory slightly to mo, mnrched stialght out of tho loom nnd down tho stairs without taking any notlco of Uuckhurst. Tho lattor looked nftor tho olllcor, then his lndlfforont oyes returned to mo. Presently ho sat down and produced a email slip of papor, which ho vory carorully twisted Into a cockod hat. "I uupposo you doubt my loyalty to Franco," ho said. Then, logically continuing my rolo of tho morning, I began to upbraid him for n trnltor and swonr that I would not owo my salvation Co him. "V6u nro unjust nnd n trlilo stupid." ho said. "I nm paid by Prussia for Information In-formation which I never glvo. Hut I hnvo tho entro of their linos. I do It for tho unko of tho Intornatlonalo. Tho Intornatlonalo has n fow peoplo In Its service. . . . And it pays thorn well." Ho looked squarely at mo ns ho said this. 1 almost tremblod with delight: tho man undervalued mo, ho had taken mo nt my own figure, and now, holding hold-ing mo In absolute contompt, ho wnu going to begin on mo. "Bcarlott," ho snltl, In Kngllsh, "lot us como to tho point. I am a mercenary merce-nary American; you nro an Amorlcan merconnry, paid by tho Kronen gov-ornmont, gov-ornmont, Vou enro nothing for that govornmont or for tho country; you would drop both today If your pay ceased Vou and I nro outsiders; wo nro In tho v.orld to watch our chancos And our chnnco fa horo, "Tho tlmo Is coming when tho richest rich-est city In Europo will be, put to tho' sack. You don't believe 11? , Yet you shall llvo lo sea Parlabesleged, and you shall live to soo Parls'surrendor, and you ehall llvo to see tho International Interna-tional rlso up from nowhere, selzo tho government by the throat, and cholto It to death under tho red flag of universal uni-versal ahom I . . . license" fho faintest sneer enmo into hls'pallld fnco "nnd ovory city of Franco shall bo a commune, and wo shallpar.s from city to city, leisurely, underjthu law otir laws, which wo will mako and I pity tho man among us who cannot placojiis millions In tho bank's of England Eng-land nnd America!" & He Iwincd forward in hlsjhnlr, Idly twisting his crumpled bit of. paper In one hrnd. X "I ,nni not fopl enough to bellliv that our rdgn will last," he-'-suId. "It may last n. month, tyvo months, perhaps per-haps throo. Then we' leaders SvIU bo nt one nnothor'a throatsand tho game Is up! It's n'lwnys so mob ruin can't last It novor has fasted and never will. Hut the prudenf man will mnko hay before tho brlefounijhlno Is ended; I expect to economlzo n little, nnd sot asldo enough well, onough to mnko It pay, you'seo." "Ho's bound to get toParndlso. Why?" I wondered, nnd said, aloud. rWlml do you want of tnb?" "I want Immunity from tho' secret pollco, Mr.. 8carlett." "Thoro la one thing I want to nsk you," said I. "Why do you 'doslro to go to Paradise?" ' ? "Well," ho said, slowly, "Ishall not toll yon." "Why not?" 1 demanded.;"" " Uut I'll sny this," ho Continued. "I want you to como to PnrSdlso with mo nud that fool of a woman.' I want you to report to your government that you are watching tho housoln Paradise, Para-dise, and that you aro hoping to cat,ch mo thoro." -3r "You rofuso to tulljiio whyyou wlah .to stay at tho houso In Paradleo?" "Yes, ... I rofuseliP'And, by-tho-way, tho Countess Is to 'think that I havo presented mysolf InraTfS and that tho government has? pardoned mo." Ho roso and walked to tha window; at tho snmo momont I hoard the sounk of whoels below, "I bollnvo tlmjjp our.UUiaR.ol.hn Bald. "Aro you ready tostort, ife Scarlett?" "Is tho Counteso do Vassart to go with U8?" I asked, trying to And a reason rea-son for tlioso oveuj which wero succeeding suc-ceeding ono another too quickly to suit mo. IIo gnvo mo an nbscnt-mluded nod; a moment later tho Countess entered, nuckhurst aided rao to rise, tho Count- iu "I Suppoco You Doubt My Loyalty to France." csa throw my hussar jacket ovor my shoulders tind buttoned It. "I congratulate congrat-ulate you on your convuloscenco," alio snld, lu a low voice. "Loan on mo, monsieur." Hy head ewum; hips and knees woro without strength; uhu ultlod mo down tho stairway and out Into tho pale sunshlno, wlioro stood tho sumo mud-splashed, mud-splashed, rusty vchlulo which had brought us hither from La Trappo. As I stood besldo tho carriage, wondering won-dering how I wus going to get In, I felt an nrm ollp under my neck nnd another slldo gently under ray knees, and Uuckhurst lifted 4no. Tho CountefeB stepped Into tho carriage car-riage and took hor placo besldo mo; Huckhurut followed, seating himself opposite us, nud tho Alsntlan driver mounted to tho box. "Your safe-conduct carries you lo tho Fronch outposts nt Saverno," said the provost dryly. "U there nro no longer French outposts nt Saverno, you may domand a vlso for your pass and continue south to Strasbourg." Huckhurut half turned towards tho driver. "Alloz," ho snld, quietly, and the two gaunt horses moved on. "la thoro a rallroud at Savorno7" 1 asked, "You will tnko a train at Strns. bourg," ropllcd Uuckhurst "And then? Aro wo going direct to Paris?" "Mndamo do Vnssart dcilrcs to go thoro," ho said, glancing at her with n sort of sneaking deferuice which ho now assumed in her presence. "It Is true," said (ho Cdunfess, turning turn-ing to mo. "I wtelt to rest for n Uttlo while- boforo I go to Point Paradise. I am curiously tired of poverty, Mpn-slour Mpn-slour Scarlett," sho added, nnd hold out her shabby gloves with a geoturo of despair; "I am reduced to very little I havo scnrcely anything loft . . . and I nm weak enough to long for tho scent of tho winter vIolotB on tho boulevards." (Contlued next week.) n |