Show the maids of 0 f ff paradise DIM ua 3 U by robert roberl W chambers author ol of cardigan the conspirators maids alarms al at arms etc 0 I 1 by 0 irwin invin myers iwa by robert W Gb amberg g VMS IAU ij P r ST cowe r bon boa SYNOPSIS CHAPTER I 1 scarlett S c ariett an american soldier of fortune in the employ ot of the fre french imperial police at the outbreak of 0 the franco prussian war la Is ordered to arrest john luckhurst Buckli Duck hurst a leader of 0 uio the communists who Is suspected ot of having tolen stolen tho the french crown jewels while marching ear ching tor for Buck burst scarlett Se arlett Is ordered to arrest countess do and her group of at socialists anil and escort them to eno CHAPTER II 11 scarlett finds banna ivan elvon of the odeon disguised us as a peasant and carries her bar to la trappe where the countess and her friends are assembled CHAPTER HI all are arrested the countess saves scarlett from a fatal fall from the root ot of the house bouse he ha denounces luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurat hurst as the leader ot of tho the reds anil and the countess conducts him to where buck hunt burst Is secreted Cli CHAPTER APTER IV german uhland descend on the place and buckhurst luckhurst Buck hurst escapes during the melee scarlett la is wounded CHAPTER V he recovers consciousness in the countess home at Mors bronn where he js Is cared tor for by the countess countes ss A tierce fierce battle Is fought in tho the streets between fran french c h and prussian soldiers CHAPTER VI buckhurst luckhurst Buck hurst professes re pen tence and returns the crown jew jewels to scarlett he declares lie he will give himself up to the authorities scarlett doubts his sincerity luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst urges the countess to go to paradise CHAPTER VII luckhurst Buck Ruck burst hurst admits that he ie receives pay from the prussians for information which he does not give ile he secures passports to the french lines tor for scarlett the countess and himself CHAPTER ani scarlett reports to the secret service in paris and finds mornac shadow of the emperor in charge lie he deposits the crown jewels and later when making a detailed report finds that pebbles have been substituted for the real stones speed a cov comrade in the service warns searle scarlett that mornac 1 Is dangerous he also informs ti him lm that all the government treasure Is being transported to the coast for shipment out of the country scarlett and speed escape to join a circus CHAPTER IX the circus arrives at paradise where scarlett secures a license from the mayor C CHAPTER PTER X an order Is received by the mayor calling the citizens to arms CHAPTER XI Jacquel lne daughter of the lizard offers to join the circus to give exhibitions in the character of a mermaid CHAPTER XII scarlett makes friends with the lizard CHAPTER XIII scarlett calls on the countess at her home in paradise lie he finds sylvia elven also there lie he learns the countess has withdrawn from the so m they rhey swear eternal friendship there Is every hope I 1 said bald save the hopes of youth the hope of 0 a womans comans love and of that happiness which comes through love I 1 am a man past thirty madame thirty five I 1 believe my dossier makes it it has taken me fifteen years to bury my youth lot let us lie talk of 0 mornac yes yee we will talk of 0 mornac she uld said gently so with infinite pains I 1 went back and d traced ft or her the career ol of buck back hurtt burst sparing her nothing she sat motionless her face ace like cold marble as I 1 carefully gathered the threads of 0 the plot and gently twitched that one which aich galvanized the mask of 0 mornac mornac she stammered aghast I 1 showed her why buckhurst luckhurst Buck hurst desired to come to paradise I 1 showed her why mornac had initiated her into the mys mysteries ot of my dossier taking that wernal infernal precaution although he had every reason to believe he had bad me practically in prison with the keys in ills ils own pocket she told me that backhurst buckhurst Cuck Buck hurst came I 1 to her house housa here in paradise early in september that while in paris pondering on what I 1 had said she had determined to withdraw herself absolutely from all organized socialistic associations soc lations during the war that she believed slie she do the greatest good by living a natural and cheerful life by maintaining the position that birth and fortune had given her and by using that portion and fortune tor for the benefit of those less fortunate this she had told luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst burst and the rascal appeared to agree with her so thoroughly that when doctor delmont nion t and professor tavernier Tavern ler arrived they also applauded the choice she made of luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst huret as ot of money food and clothing to the provincial hospitals now crowded to suffocation with the wreck of battle then a strange thing occurred doctor delmont and professor tavernier Tavern ler disappeared without any explanation they had started tor for st nazaire with a sum of money twenty thousand francs locked in the private strongbox of the countess to be distributed among the soldiers of chanzy and they had nover never returned in the light of what she had learned from me sho she feared that luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst had won them ever but I 1 said patiently you have not yet told me where ho he Is IB 1 I dont know she said eaid A week ago a dreadful creature came here to see luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst they went across the moor toward the semaphore and stood tor for a long while looking at the cruiser which Is anchored off grola aroix then Buck luckhurst buckhurst hurst came back and prepared prepare d for a journey he said he was going to tours to confer with the red cross I 1 dont know where he went lie ha took all tho money tor for the general red cross fund when did he say he would return ile he said eald in two weeks that Is good news I 1 said wy gayly but n tell me lae one ona thing thina do you trust t rus it mademoiselle eiven ellent yes indeed Inde edl edt she bhe cried horrified very tery well said eald 1 I smiling ng only for the sake of caution extra and even perhaps useless caution say nothing of this matter to her nor to any living soul save me 1 I promise she said faintly now that mornae mornac Is not even a pawn in the game so indeed I 1 begin to believe he never really was but has been from the first a dupe of buck hurst burst it Is the duty of every honest man to watch buckhurst luckhurst Buck hurst and warn the authorities that he possibly has haa designs on the crown jewels ot of franco france which that cruiser yonder Is all ready to bear beai away to saigon how he proposes to attempt such a robbery I 1 cant imagine I 1 dont want to denounce him to general chanzy or Au relles do because the conspiracy Is too widely spread and too dangerous to be defeated by the capture of one man even though he be the head of 0 it what I 1 want la Is to entrap the entire band and that can only be done by watching Bucl Buck burst not arresting him meanwhile as long as wo we stay in paradise we both are your devoted servants aud and we beg tho privilege ot of serving you you ask aeb the privilege of serving me she said you could serve me best by giving me your friendship I 1 was silent have you never given women your friendship she asked not in fifteen years nor asked theirs she sprang up and caught both my hands in her hands wont you take my friendship and give me yours my friend yes I 1 said slowly As in a dream I 1 bent forward she abandoned abandond d her hands bands to me and I 1 touched a wom ans hands with my lips for the first time in fifteen years in all devotion and loyalty and nd gratitude I 1 said and in friendship say it in friendship 0 now you may go 1 if you desire to when will you come again when hen may I 1 when you will CHAPTER XIV the path of 1 the lizard about nine the next morning an incident occurred which might have terminated my career in one way and did ultimately end it in another I 1 had been exercising my lions and putting them through their paces and had noticed no unusual insubordination among them when suddenly alm our melek a big algerian lion flew at me without the slightest provocation or warning fortunately I 1 had a training chair in my band on which gimour had bad just been sitting and I 1 had bad time to thrust it into his face down gimour melek down down down I 1 said steadily accompanying each word with a blow ot of the whip across the nose the brute had only hurt himself when he struck the chair and now under the blows raining on his sensitive edse nose he doubtless remembered similar episodes in his early training and shrank back nearly deafening me with his roars I 1 followed punishing him and he fled towards the low iron grating which separated the training cage from the night quarters I 1 was not in perfect trim that morning not that I 1 felt nervous in the least nor had I 1 any lack of self con fi dence but I 1 was not myself the lions had been aware of it as soon as I 1 set toot foot in their cage and I 1 knew it As I 1 emerged from the cage speed asked me whether I 1 was hurt and I 1 gasped out that I 1 was not what went wrong he persisted 19 speed peed it was one of those seconds that come to us when the faintest shadow of indecision settles matters engineers are subject to it at the throttle pilots at the helm belm captala in battle men lien in love added speed I 1 looked him over in astonishment the matter with you he asked amused the matter with you I 1 demanded if you mean to intimate that I 1 have fallen in love you are certainly an astonishing ass dont talk that way he be said good humo 1 I dream ot of such a thing or of offending you scarlett I 1 had an appointment to meet robert the lizard at noon ano and I 1 was rather curious to find out how much his promises were worth when the novelty of lits his new gun had grown stale the poacher was sunning himself on his doorsill when I 1 came into view over the black bagale rocks to my surprise he be touched his cap as I 1 approached pro ached and rose civilly replying to my greeting with a brief salute yo you u are prompt to the minute I 1 said pleasantly come to the point maleu he said dryly we have struck palms lizard I 1 said give me your confidence as I 1 give you mine yeater yesterday on a a visit to point paradise I 1 saw a man lying belly down in the bracken but I 1 let him know I 1 saw him I 1 have served in the police I 1 think I 1 recognize that man he is known in belleville as trac he came here I 1 believe to see a man called luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst can you find this trac tor for me do you perhaps know him yes said the lizard 1 I knew him in prison how long has lie he been here in para r for two months he Is 18 a filou a 4 town rat he camo came h here ere to meet a man named luckhurst buckhurst Buck hurst 1 I have seen been that man Buck huret too what to Is he h doing here asked ur s 1 s 12 dhatt that box asked the lizard that Is what I 1 want you to find out and help me to find out I 1 said voila now you know what hat I 1 want of 0 YO you u think out a plan which will permit me to observe this monsieur trac at my leisure without I 1 myself being observed that Is easy he said bald 1 I take him fa food od today the village square in paradise was nearly deserted the children had raced away to follow the newly arrived gendarmes gen darmes as closely as they dared and the women were indoors in doors doore hanging about their men whom the government summoned to lorient Lor lent far away towards sainte asole we saw the blue woods which were our goal however we had no intention of 0 going there as the bee flies files partly because trac might see us partly because the lizard wished any prowling passerby passer by to observe that he was occupied with his illegitimate profession all the while we had bad been twisting and doubling and edging nearer and nearer to the sainte boole woods until we were already within their cool shadow and I 1 heard the tinkle of a stream among leafy depths the lizards poachers eyes began to glisten and shimmer in the forest dusk like the eyes of wild things that hunt at night presently he beckoned me stepped steppe d into the moss and crawled without a sound straight through the holly thicket watch here he whispered count a hundred when I 1 disappear then creep on your stomach to the edge of that bank before I 1 had counted fifty I 1 heard beard the lizard cry out bonjour trac but I 1 counted on obeying the lizards orders as I 1 should wish mine to be obeyed I 1 counted one hundred and crept forward to the mossy edge of the bank under the yellow beach leaves below me stood the lizard intently watching a figure crouched on hands and knees before a small ironbound iron bound box the jarson addressed as trac promptly tried to bide the box by sitting bitting tin down on it Flu flute tel 1 ho he snarled like a mud rat you creep with no sound ceat pas polite norn nom dun dnn nom W b C that t box asked the lizard a abruptly lar u apt ayat box I 1 dont see any box youre sitting on it observed the lizard in it dont know replied talc trac with brisk interest 1 I found it IL the lizard was silent did you bring me anything to chew on inquired trac sniffing at the poachers sack bread cheese three pheasants cider more than I 1 eat in a week said the lizard quietly it will cost forty sous song he opened his sack and slowly displayed the provisions I 1 looked bard at the ironbound iron bound box on one end was printed the geneva cross doctor delmont and professor tavernier emler had disappeared carrying red cross funds was that their box arlo trac having devoured the cheese bread and an entire pheasant made a bundle of the remaining food emptied the elder cider jug wiped his beardless face with his bis cap and announced that he would be pleased to broll broil a cigarette the lizard laughed and trac disgusted stood up settled hi his a cap over his wide ears humming bumming a song as aa he loosened his trousers belt who mo are you gaping at he added abruptly bon ma geule et aares drop that box the next time you come here to sell your snared pheasants come like a man nom de dieu and not like a cat of the Gla clere or ill find a way to stop your curiosity he picked up his box and the packet of provisions dropped his bis revolver into the side pocket of his jacket cocked his bis greasy cap blew a kiss t to the lizard and started off straight into n the forest on oil our way home I 1 drew from the poacher that trao had named mornac as head of the communistic plot in brittany that mornac was coming to paradise very soon and that then something gay might be looked for and that night I 1 took speed into my confidence and finally kelly eyre our balloonist CHAPTER XV forewarned the lions had now begun to give me a great deal of trouble oh they knew and I 1 knew that matters bad gone wrong with me that I 1 had tor for a time at least lost the intangible something which I 1 once possessed that occult right to dominate that morning as I 1 left the training cage where among others kelly eyre stood looking on I 1 suddenly remembered sylvia elven and her message to eyre which I 1 had never delivered my son said I 1 politely do you think you have arrived at an age sufficiently mature to warr warrant arLt my deev ering to YOU yott a message from a anra pretty girl ly theres The no harm tn in attempting it 14 ray my venerable friend he Ze replied PlIed laughing this Is the mes 1 message sago I said bald 0 on sunday paris the book stores are clo closed bed in in a who gave you that message sea scar lett he be starn stammered meted he was so 80 young so eo manly so go spoiled ed and so red that oh an impulse un I 1 said kelly it was wae mademoiselle elven who sent you the message hla his tace face expressed troubled aston astonishment ish ment is that her name he asked well |