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Show STORY4g Mr. Barnes, American By Archibald Claming Gunter A Sequel to Mr. Barnes of New York Author of "Mr. D.rnei of Nw York," "Mr. Potter of T.x..." "That Frenchman." Etc I J Ooprrlght, VM. Dodd Head A Co., N. T. SYNP8IS. Burton H. narncn, a wonlthy American JourlnK Coralra, rescues tho young 12np-Huh 12np-Huh lleutcnnnt, Kilwnrd Oernnl Anstrutli-er, Anstrutli-er, nnd Ills Corslcnn lirlde, Marina, daughter of tlio l'aolln, from the raur-doroun raur-doroun vondcttn. lindemtnndltiK that his reward Is to bo the hand of tho girl ho IpVcs. Enid Anstruthcr. sister of tlio Kng-llsh Kng-llsh lieutenant. The four fly from AJac-clo AJac-clo to Marseilles on lionrd tho French steamer Constantlne. Tho vendetta pursues pur-sues and as tho quartet are nbout to hoard tho train for Ixindon at Marseilles, Mnrlna Is handed a mysterious note which onuses her to collapse and necessitates necessi-tates a postponement of tho Journey. Hnrncs gets part of the mysterious note and receives letters which inform htm that lie Is marked by tho vondetta. Ho employs nn American detectlvo and plans to boat the vendetta at their own game. I' or tho purposn of securing tho safety of tho women Ilarnes arranges to have I.ady Chartrls lease a secluded villa at Nlco to which the party Is to he tnken In a yacht. Suspicion Is creatdd that' Marina Is In league with tho Corslcans. A man, believed to bo Corrcglo Danella, Is seen passing tho house and Marina Is thought to havo given him n sign. Marina Ma-rina refuses to explain to Uarne which fact adds to his Intent suspicions, Harnes' plans for tho safety of tho pnrty are lenrned by the Corslcans. The carrlago carrying their party to tho local Inndlng Is followed by two men. Ono of tho horsemen Is supposed to be Corrcglo. They try to murder tho Amerlcnn. Tho cook on the yacht n Krcnchmnn Is suspected sus-pected of complicity In tho plot. Tho party anchors at St. Tropei. The yncht Is followed by a smnll boat. Tho cook Is detected giving signals to tho bout. Dnrnes attempts to throw him ovcrbonrd, hut Is prevented by Marina and Enid. Tho cook Is found to be Innocent of tho supposed plot and Is forgiven. The party nrrlvo at Nlco nnd nnd I.ndy Chnrtrls and her daughter Maud domiciled In the villa rented with Ilarnes' inonoy. Darnes Is amazed to find that Count Correglo Is nt Nlco nnd Is acting tho role of admirer to Lady Chartrls. Ilarnes and Enid make arrangements for their marriage. Tho net tightens nbout Ilarnes. He receives re-ceives a noto from ti nolle Ulnckwood, the Amerlcnn ndventurcHS. Ilarnes hears that Elijah Emory, his detective, has been murdered by tho Corslcans. He learns thnt the mnn supposed to bo Correglo. Cor-reglo. who followed the pnrty on their wny to tho bont, wiim Snllcetl, n nephew of tho count, nnd thnt Count Correglo had been In Nice for soma time prior to tho pnrty's arrival CHAPTER VIII. Continued. "Will that woman never lot mo alone?" thinks tho American, and pushos tho note back In his pockot. "I'll forget Sally Spotts forever by going go-ing nnd seeing the minister." Hut at the cntranco to tho resldonco of tho divine a suspicion entors his mind that ho Is being followed. He makes his Interview with tho minister of tho church of England a very short one, nnd coming rapidly out of the house, his quick eyes porcelvo two men on the opposlto sldo of tho street. Theso turn casually toward the traffic of tho busy avenue from tho railroad station nnd aro lost In tho crowd from an arriving train. Now that his footsteps are being dogged, ho thinks ho had better seo Perrler, the French detectlvo recommended recom-mended by tho Plnkerton man. Therefore, There-fore, keeping his oyes about him sharp at any dark corners of tho streets, ho walks to tho Hue Palormo, nnd rings the bell at the houso mentioned In Emory's letter. Here an old woman concierge Informs In-forms him that Monsieur Perrlor's room Is number four on the socond floor. Barnes, pushing his way to numbor four on tho second floor, is confronted nt the door of this apartment by a man of vory brisk manner, sharp, ponotrat-Ing ponotrat-Ing oyes and a noso whoso peculiar uqulllne formation Impresses Itself on Ilarnes' momory. "In order to avoid any mistake," whispers tho Amorlcan, "I simply mon-tlon mon-tlon to you tho word 'Vendotta.' " "And I simply reply 'Marseilles,'" answers tho man, "but I don't wish to havo anything to do with the affair." "You aro Monsieur Perrler?" "Yes, of course; you know by my returning re-turning tho word of recognition to you," remarks tho Frenchman. "I must havo a reason for your declining de-clining to aid me. This mattor Is too Important for you not to listen to mo." "I havo been Informed," answors Porrler, "by my poor friend Emory's letters of this peculiar nnd most un-fortunato un-fortunato affair, but I do not wish to cngngo In It." "Why not?" asks Harnes, shortly. "Don't you think 1 havo money to pay for It?" "Of course, I know Monsieur Is rich," answers tho Frenchman, depre-catlngly. depre-catlngly. "Utit my llfo Is my only as-set. as-set. I havo a wlfo nnd children. I snw ono vendetta In Corsica a fow years ago, nnd I don't want to get Into another an-other cat light whore cats nre armed with stilletns. Your enemies already know your location at Vlllefrnncho, Bernardo Snllcetl has como from Corsica Cor-sica hoping to win tho election In his Island by vengeance flpon you. Ho nnd Enrico Danella, tho dead Musso's nophow, aro In Nlco." "Has Enrico a scar upon his forehead fore-head over his yeft eyo?" ask Barnes, eagorly. "Ho has." "Then I'vo tho nnmo of the scar-fuccd scar-fuccd gentleman, thnnk you," remarks Burton. "Now It Is necessary you come Into this nffnlr, Perrler. You'vo got to aid not only me, but two wdincn." The answer thnt comes causes Barnes to look aghast. "I dare not," answers Perrler, shortly. short-ly. "Tho fate of my poor friend Emory Em-ory Is too horrible." "Fnte! What fate?" "Why, ho was to bo hero two days ago, according to his letters to mo, to arrange for guarding your villa. Ho Is not hero oven to day. His Inst noto from St. Tropcz Indicated he was close upon tho track of thoso who havo sworn this blood feud against you nnd all who aid you. That letter was written four days ago and whnt has become of Emory?" "How can I tell?" mutters tho American Amer-ican gloomily, "But I can," answers tho prlvatn do-tectlvo. do-tectlvo. "Madamo Blackwood, for whom I hovo executed somo llttlo commissions', com-missions', called on mo two days ngo oxcltedly. 'Porrlor,' sho said, In her Amorlcan abruptness, 'I want you to bring to justlco some villains who murdered a Yankeo dotectlvo nnmod Emory, tho other day near St. Tro-pez.' Tro-pez.' 'You saw him killed?' I asked. 'No, but I'vo got evidence a few words from' she, checked horself; but ndded, 'I don't daro to tell Mr, Ituggles of this; he's so Impulslvo ho'd spend his money and his blood, too, to bring a murdoror of ono of his countrymen to Justlco. So you Just go on nnd get tho evidence against theso follows and trot them to tho guillotine' But tho fate of Emory warned me, I determined to give up tho whole affair," adds Perrler. "Thank you again," sneers Barnes, nnd coming out tho American laughs to hlmsolf. But the mention of Madamo Ma-damo Blackwood reminds him of her lottor. "By George, Sally's note hinted hint-ed at grave dangor to me. It must bo this Emory business!" nnd without moro ado Mr. Barnes, hurriedly keep-lug keep-lug his eyes alort for sudden daggers, mokes his way to tho promenade, by tho sea and shortly after enters tho luxurious Hotel St. Petersburg. It Is ton In tho evening. Ho is nbout to send up his card to Madamo Blackwood and request nn Intervlow "Why He Was to Be Here Two Days Ago." when sho enters. As sho comes In by tho ladles' entrance, tho Kansas cattle king, who nttends her, chances to glance Into tho office nnd calls out: "Whew, Barnes, that was a lucky address ad-dress you gave mo In Paris five weeks ago," and, taking him nsldo, whlspors, "I caught tho lady. Tho goods came high, but they'ro worth tho money. ' Stop up nnd have supper with us." This Invitation Barnes finds It impossible im-possible to politely decllno, as Sally Blackwood has already pnt her beautiful beauti-ful eyes upon him nnd Bold: "So glad you're here. You mustn't rofuso, Wo Baw so llttlo of you In Monto Carlo.'-' A moment later Barnes finds hlmsolf hlm-solf ushorcd Into La Blackwood's private priv-ate parlor, where supper is shortly served to them. Sovoral times Burton Is about to hint at tho purport of hor noto, hut the oxpresslvo eyes of tho adventuress warn him to hold his tongue. Coffeo, however, Is no sooner servod than tho fascinating crenturo says: "Now, Dan, supposing you run downstairs and have your smoke thero. I want to talk with Mr. Barnes of Now York something I don't want you to hear. That needn't mako you jealous It's nbout my parents In Ohio." Tho minute tho cattle king disappears disap-pears tho lady's manner changes. Sho cries airily: "Guess what mado mo write to you?" "Hato," mutters Barnes, botweon puffs of his cigarette. "No, though I ought to hato you. What I want to seo you about" La Blackwood's oyos become Intenso and hor volco falls to a whlapor "Is to Bavo your llfo If I can. Dp you know that half of a communo In Corsica want your blood?" "I'vo guessed It In the last row days," observes Barnes grimly. "Aro you acquainted with a cortaln Count Clprlano Danolla?" "Novor havo seen him." "No, but you'vo hoard of him?" "Oh, yes, ho's a brother of tho Danella Da-nella who was killed In Corsica." "Yes. Now, this gontloman, who Is a vory good mnn nnd very tenderhearted, tender-hearted, obtnlncd nn introduction to mo about threo days ago on tho dos Anglais. From somo words of a Lady Chartrls, u cousin' of yours, ho has learned that you aro to marry vory shortly tho pretty girl whoso lips 1 threatonod to kiss at Monto Carlo. Well, this Clprlano Danella, who looks qullo romantic in his Corslcan mourning, mourn-ing, while making lovo td mo till Dan got Jealous." sho Inughs slightly, "hinted "hint-ed to mo that It would bo very unfor-tunato unfor-tunato for AJIss Anstruthcr should sho becomo Mrs. Barnes of )4ov York; that, as your wlfo, sho would be drawn Into this blood feud that has been declared ngalnst you. 'Now,' suggested Count Clprlano, 'you nro jjio lady best fitted by past friendship and present charm, to prevent this dangor dan-gor to tho pretty English girl, by destroying de-stroying the wedding.'" "You have brought mo horo for this?" snys Burton, his oyes growing angry. "Walt! Llstenl As nn Amerlcnn, my desire is to protect you from death. I appeared to accede to Clprl-ano's Clprl-ano's request to fasctnato you again. I wonder If I could do It?" Sho looks at him roguishly and laughs through her whlto teeth. "Don't bo frlghtonod of mo. So I pumped tho romantic Corslcnn, who mndo half lovo to mo while ho tried to porsiiado mo. I found out that not only was tho communo of Boco Bocognuno or something of that kind anxious for your blood, but that sovcral gcntlomon from that neighborhood woro horo In ordor to obtain It, nnd to mako their task oasy, they had dono up In some way or other oth-er a detectlvo you had employed to shadow them, a Yankeo named Ejnory, I bollovo. Thercforo, I said to mysolf 'I'll tako caro If posslblo to Inform Mr. Barnes of tho dangors that surround him, and if ho is tho man I think htm, ho Is nbout as woll ablo to protoct himself and his coming brldo as anyone any-one I know." "Hold up a moment. I want to ask you a question," Interrupts Barnes. "What makes you think the devils have dono up poor Emory?" "Well, a careless expression of Count Danella only this: 'He won't bother thorn again,' something of that kind from Clprlano." "I must bo going. I'm deeply grateful grate-ful to you." Burton rlsos. "Mr. Ituggles" Itug-gles" "Don't bo afraid. Dan won't bo Jealous." Jeal-ous." Sho extends to him hor beautifully formed whlto fingers dazzling with rings. "Good by, I hopo you'll bo happy hap-py on your woddlng trip, but don't lot lovo mako you careless, mon Bayard." Barnes takes her hint. Ills pistol Is ready ns ho throws opon tho door of hor apartment and passes cautiously out; so all Uio way down tho stairs of tho hotel ho Is careful as to corners,, and out on tho street, woll peopled as Is tho Dcs Anglais, tho American has a wary eyo about him. Lady Chartrls Char-trls has doubtless told Clprlano Danella Da-nella of his. visit to Nlco and that ho returns with her to hor villa this evening. even-ing. Ho thercforo breaks his appointment appoint-ment with Prunella and taking a hired carrlago watches till tho lady, tired of waiting, drives angrily home, then Jogs along n fow hundred yards bo-.ilnd bo-.ilnd hor, ready for any omergoncy. But nothing of a threatening nature Is scon. As tho vchlclo entors the grounds of tho villa, tho sight of a Scotch tar on tho lookout gives tho coming bridegroom bride-groom confidence In tho sailor's watch. As ho wakes up in tho morning, notwithstanding not-withstanding tho thought that It is his wedding day Is dominant in his mind, ho reflects ovor tho matter. What has this Clprlano Danella dono except to arouso his suspicions? "Even tho count's conversation with la Hollo Blackwood didn't disclose that he meditated any attack upon mo or my bride," ho reflects, moodily, "only that Clprlano wished to prevent nn Inne cent young girl being drnwn Into this frightful foud. Hnng It, I cn"h't shoot tho cuss on suspicion and yet!" Th American closes his jaw with a snap and goes down to breakfast, to meet as charming a brldo as the sun has shone upon. (TO BE CONTINUED.) |