Show I 1 I 1 I 1 Z i F F the 1 maids W 0 oi paradise r a by robert er W chambers A author ili ot of C cardigan the coa conspirators P to maids alarms al arms anns etc cc 11 I 1 lr by 0 irwin myers I 1 igna by robert W chambers cg py ahl aa bj br r f P S F culler son sea SYNOPSIS CrI CHAPTER APTER I 1 scarlett an amerlean american 80 soldier idler of fortune in the employ of the french imperial Im police at the outbreak of tile the franco prussian war Is ordered to arrest john dunckhurst buckhurst Buck Duck hurst a leader of the communists who Is suspected of having stolen the french crown lewill lew Je wils ill while searching for Buck luckhurst burst scarlett Is 0 ordered r to arrest countess do de and d her group croup of socialists and escort them to ane M a bellani doreen CHAPTER II 11 scarlett finds elven of the odeon disguised as a peasant and carries car rie her to la trappe where the coun less and her friends are assembled CHAPTER ill III all are arrested the countes 3 saves scarlett elt from a fatal tall fall from the roof of the house he ha denounces buckhurst luckhurst Buck hurst its as tile the leader of the reds and the countess co U atess conducts him to where buck hurst ht la Is secreted CHAPTER IV german uhland descend 0 on n the place and buckhurst luckhurst Buck hurst escapes during the melee scarlett Is 13 wounded CHAPTER V iio ho recovers consciousness in the countess home at Mors Mora bronn where he ll Is cared for or by the countess A nerce fierce battle Is fought in the streets between french and prussian soldiers aoi diers CHAPTER CrI APTER VI luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst hurat professes re pen tence and returns the crown jewels to scarlett lie he declares axes lie ho will give himself up to the authorities scarlett doubts his hl sincerity luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst urges the countess countes to go BO to paradise CHAPTER VU vir Buck Duck burst admits that he receives pay from the prussians for or information which he does not give he secures passports to the french lines for or scarlett the countess and himself CHAPTER VIII scarlett Sc ariett reports to the secret service in parts and finds ll Bl shadow of the emperor in charge ite he deposits the crown jewels and later wh when en making leaun ln aun a detailed report finds that pebbles have been substituted for or the real stones speed a comrade in the service warns warn scarlett that mornac is dangerous daog erous H ho also informs him that all the government treasure Is being transported to the coast for shipment out 0 of the country scarlett and speed escalo to join a circus PART SECOND CHAPTER IX the road to paradise on the 3rd ard ot of november byrams american circus traveling slowly overland toward the spanish frontier drew up tor for an hours rest at Quim perle 1 I however as usual prepared to ride forward to select a proper place f for or our encampment and to procure the necessary license we were in seedy circumstances an endless chain of bad luck had followed us from chartres the fortune that byram byrain had bad made mad 0 in the pr previous erious year was already gone we no longer loneer traveled by rail we no longer slept at inns we could barely pay for the food tor for our animals got enough cash for the license asked byram uneasily plenty governor dont worry I 1 replied and set my horse at a gallop over the old stone bridge I 1 passed a stone house bouse another then the white road curved under the trees and I 1 rode straight into the heart of paradise my horses hoofs awaking echoes in the silent stone paved square A young girl with a face like the madonna bl adonna stole across the square squared in her felt shoes can you tell me where the mayor lives I 1 asked looking down at her from my horse home ho la monsieur sill eli taut fa ut men blen the mayor Is at breakfast in his kitchen yonder I 1 thank you my child I 1 turned my horse across the shady square to a stone house banked up with bed on bed of scarlet geraniums the windows were open a tat fat man with very small eyes sat inside eating an omelet 1 I told him that I 1 wanted a license tor for a circus to camp for ond one night that I 1 also desired remission permission to pitch camp somewhere in the vicinity he made out the license stamped lt it handed it to me and I 1 paid him the usual fee f ee how much will it cost to hava hare your town crier announce the coming of the circus I 1 inquired that will cost ten sous it if he drums and reads the anjou announcement from here to the chateau I 1 gave the mayor ten copper pennies the mayor glanced at me paris still holds out ho he asked with a yawn oh yes I 1 replied and the war Is it still going badly for us there Is always hope I 1 answered hope be grumbled oh ob yes we know what hope Is wo we of 0 the coast live on oa it when theres no bread but nope hope never yet filled my belly tor for me why not a keel has passed out of the port since august where to Is the fishing fleet where are the sardine sloops that ought to have sailed from algiers where are the Ic elanders have tho the german cruisers frightened all your cratt craft from the sea I 1 asked astonished yes Y e 8 partly then theres an ugly Y french cruiser lying off gr grola OIX yonder and her black stacks are dribbling smoke all day and a all 11 night we have orders to keep off and use lorient when we want a port you believe the cruiser out at sea 60 yonder Is goin going g to bring you evil I 1 I 1 she has brought it but its all the i 0 1 I 1 r j 9 i V C ell 01 I 1 i 31 2 I 1 11 UL 1 11 14 1 ill 4 i eez I 1 I 1 I 1 1 g 1 ill sly I 1 p ill cry your edicts and il ill I 1 drum for you tool samo bamo to me I 1 am mayor and exempt and I 1 have elder cider and tobacco and boudin tor for a few months yet at that moment we both caught sight of 0 a peasant running and waving a packet of blue papers in the air monsieur the mayor monsieur the mayor he called while astl still 11 tar far away cre cochon do de malbeuf malheur mal beur heur muttered the mayor turning pale hes got a telegram he turned to me almost bursting with suppressed prophecy it has cone come the evil that the blade black cruiser brings us you laug laughed hedl monsieur theres your bad luck in these blue morsels ot of paper and he snatched the telegram from the breathless messenger reading it with dilating eyes V when at length the magistrate had mastered the contents of his telegram he looked up with a stupid stare 1 I want my drummer wheres tae ibe town crier he demanded as though dazed he has gone to lorlena Lor tent the mayor ventured the messenger to get drunk I 1 remember imbecile why did he go today are there not six other days in this cursed week weeke who Is there to drum nobody nobody knows how in paradise seigneur dieu the ignorance of this town I 1 beleu the mayor ventured the messenger theres jacqueline Jacquel lne hot ho aral the lizards young onel one she can drum they say ake the little witch can drum them aw awake in kerls keris ker ls Is muttered the messenger the mayor rose looked around the square frowned then he raised his big voice in a bellow jacqueline Jacquel lne jao jac quell nel thou jacqueline Jacquel lne A far voice answered faintly breaking across the square from the bridge she la Is on the rocks with her sea rake the mayor thrust the blue telegram into his s pocket and waddled out of his garden across the square and up the path to the cliffs uninvited I 1 went with him CHAPTER X the town crier the bell in the unseen chapel cease ceased d ringing as we came out on the cliffs of paradise where on the horizon the sun hung low belted with a single ribbon of violet cloud below the cliffs on a crescent ot of flat sa sand nd from which sluggish rosy roey rivulets crawled seaward a man stood looking out across the water and the mayor stopped and called down to him one the lizard I 1 want somebody to drum and read a proclamation wheres jacqueline Jacquel lne at this instant a young girl a in mere ere child appeared on the beach dragging a sea rake over the ground behind her she was a lithe creature bare limbed and ragged with the sea tan on throat and knee the girl caught sight of the mayor and gave him a laughing greeting 9 which he ha returned with a shrug it if you want a town crier she ehe called up in a deliciously fresh voice scarcely arcely Ec tinged with the abc acc accent ent ili ill cry your edicts and ill drum for you too tool I 1 11 the girl threw her rake into a boat an and d leaped upon the rocks at the base of the cliff jacqueline Jacquel lne dont come up that way bawled the mayor horrified hey ey robert hoholl lizard stop her or shell break her neck breathless hot and laughing the girl pulled herself up over the edge of the cliff I 1 held out my hand to old her but she pushed it away crying thank you all the ba same bag G but hero I 1 1 I r to re be colliu continued uede C |