| Show Ib LE t r NV nt le Mr r. r r IMer tn Ruff mui made one b hi f in rt bis lIs career It b he hi ever eyer rull really wished tb tb Double ow Ol i I j 3 10 to h U bo ho Joined fl rw e. e ho comes oat of ot retirement It Is It Pe field of ot ftC ae- P It Ie con out In a new flEW guise gulte He lies In II a different sphere but lb ho IK IR tilt stilt Rut Ruff Just the tile same till tm t to toot d 4 al that Jail lias Q been hin to to recent fiction not Ot altogether a Ii mp Cf c CAm mp at that R 9 adventure lire arc toM tOld by the master of oC nil 1111 O of oC my ti tales There will 1 b be ten each uch each complete In Itself Here's Heres the tho fc rh re flUb fifth entitled Tho 0 Th SU Seven Seren 11 Suppers E c I cf ot Konut will appear tiet SUD Sunday SuDey t C 1311 1111 l 1 tS t'S f th the Literary P L K GHOST and his hs wito were dining O I J together it tt the corner table in a a. fashionable a but somewhat bohemian bohe- bohe nilan mian restaurant Both Both had haj been In the ther r V humor for or reminiscences and they ther had hadL L d most moat of their K I r i wonder what people really think r O of u us uc Violet Jolet ren remarked a lcd p pensively W. I II i I I told Lad Lady whon when she shO asked us is s to go 0 there this evening that v e e alas ala's always al- al ways as a's dined together alone i luce a week and who Nhe absolutely refused 7 to believe belle me With VIti your own o hue bund band m n my dear sho kept on repeating repeating- y Her la ladyships y tastes aro moro more catholic cath cath- olic th the baron baron replied dryly h Yot Yet I after alter all Violet tho the real philosophy philosophy- of ot l married life lite demands something something- of JC this t 8 5 sort rt II Violet smiled and and- fingered r d her hel pearls I for a minute S' S What hat the real philosophy of oC mar- mar nod lIf life mn may bo be I do not l know now she 1 said but I am ani perfectly content with our our of It What a fortunate fortunate- tiling tUlni Peter eter with your Intensely practical turn of ot mind that endowed endowed en en- J dowed doWe you with HO o much sentiment De Grost Crost gazed cd aT-cd reflectively at the cigarette which he had just selected from his caseWell case t Well Vell he ha reflected there have ha been times when J I have havo cun etI myself for COl aO a a. O fool tool but on the whole sentiment hoeps many fires burning I Sho She lean leaned d towards to him and dropped J. J her voice olce a n. little she sho do OU ever Tell me begged you think of ot the years cars w wo we spent t together ii Inthe In hi hithe r the country Do you ou ever eer regret I Ho lie smiled thoughtfully It lt II la lit a hard question that he adI ad ad- I There Thero were vere days Ilas there which ft T i loved lo but there were da days day too when hen the thc restlessness s came clune days la s 's when I II I longed oU to lo hear the hum hunt of at the city and andi i 1 to hear men speak whoso whose words were of life and death and the great reat pa passions I am not sure Violet heth whether r aft r all lt t Is well ell for one who has hj lived to withdraw absolutely from the thrill of life lite but gaily She laughed softly 1 J J J am with you ou she declared ab absolutely ab- ab I think thin I that the fairies must ha e have poured Into m my blood the jo joy of or I living for its own o sake sake I sho should ld be bo bemi mi un ungrateful woman indeed 1 If I 1 found round ada 1 Yet Iet J anything anything- to complain of or no nowadays 8 e there is one thing that troubles me ehe he went t on after atter a moments moment's pause And ll tha that l' l he asked The danger dang she he said eald slowly I Ido I do hi not want ant t to lose you Peter There arc nrc times when hen J r am nm afraid De Dc Grost flicked the asu asi from his cigarette The d days s 's are pL passing he he- remarked ed wh when n men point revolvers ers at one another an an- other olber and hire assassins to gain their ends cuds Xo Now It Is 6 more a a. battle of or wite L We play chess on tho the board of life stillI still I but wo o play with ivory hon pieces instead of or steel teel and poison t Our brains braiDs direct ct and rot riot our muscles Sho She sighed It Jt Is only the one man of whom I nm afraid sho she said You have ha outwitted outwitted out out- witted him so often and he does doea not forgive DC De Grost Groet smiled It was an n Imm immense nse compliment this Bernadine ho hn murmured d softly otherwise oi- oi friend the Count Von Yon II Hern i ern Bernadine she repeated All 11 that you ou sa say In is true truc but when hen one fails tails with mo modern ern weapons one changes the form i. i of or attack l Bernadine at heart is a a. sav- sav I n D age ge Th The hate of or such a a. man De Grost r markell complacently Is worth hay hav ing lag He has hall had his own wa way over here for years He lie seems to have hate found oun the l knack of oC living in a a. maze of ot intrigue Jc and remaining untouchable There were a dozen thing before I came upon the scene which ou ought ht to have c ruined him Yet there thor never novel ap appeared ap- ap to be anything to take hold of Kven the tho ven criminal l department nt once thought ht the they ha hud had a A. chance I 1 remember ber Sir John Dor Dory telling me mc In disgust that Berna Bernadine lne was wa like one of ot those marvelous mar criminals one nc ne only ony reads r about obo in fiction who eem when the they pass along th tho dangerous places to walk tall upon the air Ir and leave lel no trace trae lH behind 1 I. I Before BeCore you rou came she said She he ha had never nf known a failure Do you 1 0 think f that teat he is n n. man ikel to forgive J I 1 do 10 O not hOt De Do Grost Answered 1 grim grim- I ly It ft Is Ia a a. battle of course a battle all the time Y Yet Tet t. t Violet between you OU and me if B Bernadine were to go half the tue savor of ot life for me would depart with him j THEN HEN there c came camo o a a. curious and antI andi THEN i I wholly unexpected d Interruption A man in dark plain still wearing his o overcoat and carr carrying a bowler hat had hall been standing in the tho entrance of the restaurant for tor a a. moI moment moment mo- mo I ment or two looking around the room as though i in search of some om one At Al last jast e lie caught the eye yo of or the tho Baron Daron de do det t Gli Grost Groat and cam camo quickly ly toward him Charles tho the Baron Haron remarked rats rais ing lag Ji hl e eyebrows I 1 1 wonder what han he h wants an tio A sudden cloud had bad fallen upon their little feast Violet watched the comIn com com- In lug ing or of her husbands husband's servant senant and the tho reading of or the note which ho presented to his master with an anxiety which shIchi she he could not wholly conceal The Baron llalon read the note twice scrutinizing a a certain part of ot it Il closely closel with tho the aid or of the Uld which he ho seldom eldorn used Jibed Then ho izo folded It up and placed It lt it In the breast pocket of his coat At what hour did you OU receive this c Charles he lie naked asked h A messenger brought It In a a. taxicab about ten minutes ago Kir Hir the man 1 implied Ilo lIe said that it was of or th the utmost importance null arid that 1 I had k better bettel lJ try antI and find you ou A A district A 4 A man In ordinary clothes sir air Charles Charle answered Ho lie looked liko 0 a aj j porter In iii a warehouse or something somethIng- u of 01 that tort sort I forgot to say ay that 3 you ou were rung up on the telephone j times Umes previously pre b by Mr r. r Greening r The rime Baron nodded J.- J. You IOU can go 10 ho said eaid There is no reply J i r Th Tho man mait ho bowed d and retired De Dc Croat Grost called rOt for his hiI bill hill Is It anything serious Violet In Inquired In- In No so O. O not exactly serious ho he an an- I j do 10 not understand understand what has lias happened happen d but the they have sent for me to so go well well where Vt H t was agreed that i 1 should not go ro except pt as a matter o 0 Un urgent ent necessity blat Molet Iolet knew bett better r than to show Iho an any an signs of or disquietude J Jt it t IB It In London I the she he asked r Certainly her husband replied I IA A s Jt ill U lr tal take ea a taxicab from Crom here i 1 am on orr orry dear clear to hav IHL j one of or our even even- ings inge disturbed in this manner I 1 have havo always s 's done my mr b st to avoid ol it H but thIs summons im In urgent She h rose rosf and aul he ho wrapped her bet cloak i Hound her You wIll Aviu drive e straight homo home wont won't you ot he bo bogged begged I 1 dare way say that Imay t I- rn may b bi back an hour hOlu m myself s lr And If tr HOI sh she sho aI naked asked in a 10 low ton I If t n not 1 he replIed there thele there In i noth- noth t to n he ht- don clone P 1 Molt bit hit her her JI n hut ahe v u h h handed ndel hel ncr into the small mahi electric brougham rouSham was as waiting s she lc s smiled d' d into his race face You Xo l will come back bacle And soon Roon lio declared confidently T Thor i hor- hor er e you vou go ro J I am sure of or that You Youse You ion se sec 66 1 have e faith In m my star which watches over o you ou Ha Ite kissed d her hel fingers and turned awa away Tho commissionaire had already called him A taxicab To 10 London on Bridge he ho ordered after ofer a Ii moments moment's S h hesitation and ana drove of off orf T liE traffic cit had long since T THE I finished for tor the tho day dar and he her r reached his destination within ten minutes o of lc leaving the time restaurant Hore ho paid t the time man nn and entering the tIme station turned to tsie room room-n and ard ordered d a liqueur bland brandy While he lie sipped It It he hc smoked etI a 0 cigarette and r reread In a a. strong stronE JI light ht the tilt n note te he hOc hn had received Tho The aig- aig IA u. tl nature especially he pored on over r for fOl some ome time At la last t. t however he re rePlaced replaced re- re placed it In In his pocket pal paid his bill biH un and stepping out once more on to the platform entered a telephone booth A few Cow minutes later Inter he hp left tho the station and turning to the right walked slowly slow slow- i ly h as aa tar far as u Tooley Toole Street t. t He Lie l I pt on th the right-hand right side until he arrived at at al althe attile the tile spot whore the great arches with their theft scant scanty 11 lights 11 ts make a 1 gloomy gloom thoroughfare Into In time the shadow of time the first of or these Ii ho paused d end nud looked steadfastly across the tho street There were wele few people passing and pra practically no io traffic In front of oC him him Wits a ro row of oC warehouses warehouse all save 0 one I of oC which was wrapped in complete complot darkness It was as tho the one where herd some somo were still burning which De Dc Grost stood and antI watched Th lights such Buch as the they were ee med to illuminate the ground floor only From his 1118 hidden post he be could see the shoulders of a a. man apparently bending over a ledger diligently writ writ- At tt the next window a a. youth h seated upon a tall stool was engaged In presumably the same annie avocation a There Thera was nothing about tho the place Inthe In Inthe inthe the least mysterious least mysterious or out of ot tho the wn way Even tho time blinds bunds of or the offices hind had beci hecim left n Th The man and the boy who w were re alone visible seemed in a n. sense to be working under pro protest est E Er Every r no now and then tho the former r stopped to yawn and tho the latter hatter performed performed performed per per- formed a R difficult balancing feat upon his stool tool D De Do Grost Groat having satisfied 1 life his curiosity camo came pre presently from his shelter almost t running into the tho arms arns of a policeman who looked at him clo closely eh The Baron who ho had an unlighted un- un lighted cigarette In iii his Ills mouth stopped to ask ak for a u. light and hIs Ills appearance appen-anc to A A n h u HI uLo tt L 0 Ill I'll Ull 3 DU H nil policeman might have had 1 have o a u. warehouse m myself down n n these parte Parts he remarked as he struck tho time match but I dont don't allow m my people to work as af late as that He pointed across the wa way and th the policeman smiled They The are aree very en often otten late there sir h he lie said Its a continental wine business and ther theres there's 8 always 8 one or w two of them over ver time Its Hg bad all the same de de- de Goodnight Goodnight Good Goodnight Grost declared pleasantly night policeman sir ir CT night Good od c cD B GROST crossed th the road cad diagonally D DD DE as though thought about to take the short cut across London bridge but as ns soon goon os as the policeman man was a out of eight sight he retraced his steps step to the building which they had hind been discussing discUssing- and turning the batt battered red brass handle of or the door 1001 walked calmly in On his right and left were Ore counting J houses framed trained with glass glast In front the cavernous cn and ugly depths of a gloomy gloom 1 warehouse use He knocked d duton upon ut the window pane on the tho right and passed forward a step or t two o as though to enter t the h e office Tile The boy I 1 L 1 t 1 I. I IC t. t s HU U in V cn 4 counting house came gliding rpm his lila place passed silently behind the time theIs visitor via vis and turn turned tI th the I ke key c of ot tho the outer door What Wheat followed seemed to happen happen hap hap- pen pan as ns though by some m mysteriously directed force The Tho figures of ot men camo canto stealing out from mi the time hl hidden pla places e The cl clerk Jk who wile had been workIng working work work- ing inK so hard han at nt his desk deek calmly divested di himself of or a n. false mustache and wi wiand wit wig wigand and assuming a A. more more familiar ap appearance appearance ap- ap strolled e-d e out Into the time ware ware- house Do Grost Groat looked aroun around him with absolutely unruffled composure composure H He HI was tho the centre centro of or a little circle of f men r respectably dressed but every e everyone everyone one of or them hard featured with something something some some- thing In their Ir faces which suggested riot not the ordinary r toiler toller but the CI fight fight- ht- ht lug ng animal tIme thc the man who lives by 11 hl his wits and und knows something of dan danger el On th the outskirts of ot the circle sto stood l B Bernadine e ma dine Really P de GroAt Grost declared d. lug Ing ng his cigarette from his mouth for fOl a moment this Is most unexpected In Iii Inthe the tho matter of dramatic surprises m my friend BernadIne you vou are arc certainly In Ina ina a 0 class clasH b by yourself Bernadine ln You rou will understand of or cour course coure c he le said that this little entertainment Si I B entirely for Cor amusement Well ell stage mann managed e p perhaps but m my supers are not to be taken seriously Since you 1 0 are here Baron might I ask you ou tf to te precede e mo rue a few steps step to the tho last taH- Ing tm-IF o Ice D By nit all means is do 1 01 GlO Grost Groat t answered ch cheerfully It Is this way 1 walI I believe f Ho He walked with unconcerned footsteps footsteps foot foot- steps down the tho warehouse e. e on Oh either bide side of or which were great reat bins and a wilderness of racking until ho lie came caine cameto to n Ii glass enclosed office built out from the wall all Without hesitation hos tion don he en entered it an and T removing hl him lint liat selected H lect d the more comfortable 01 oi of tho tito two to chairs D alone of or oftie tie others other followed him Insl inside e. e doling cbs dol In ing the door behind DC De Grost Groat who ho appeared red comfortable stretched out his hand hantI and ond took a small Im black |
