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Show k --- THE MAIDS 0F K3i PARADISE' -SSBy Robert W.Chambers kyP!l SjlX Author of "Cardigan",rhe Conspir-tors" 'jvw 'j-i9nvv w&Wfif .oirwiN Myers Ccpri4hllWbyPFCollierA5oo (Continued from Last Week.) ' of us . . . you remember? Wo started experiments ror tho army. . . I was Intensely Interested, nnd . . . there was not much talk about eecrecy then. ... 'I mado nn invention n llttlo electric screw which steered a balloon . . . somotlmos . . ." Ho laughed, a mirthful laugh, nnd looked at mo. All tho color had gone from his race. "There was a woman" I turned partly townrds.hlm. "I know," I aald. "Somehow wo always talked about military balloons. And that evening . . . sho was bo Interested In my work ... I brought Homo little sketches I had made " "I understand," I said. Ho looked nt mo mleornbly, "Sho was to return tho sketches to mo at Caiman's tho fashionable book store, . . . next day. ... I never thought that tho noxt day was to bo Sunday. . . . Tho book storou o. Paris aro not open on Sunday but tho war office Is." "I began to put on my coat. "And tho sketches wore nBkod for?" I suggested ''and you naturally told what had becomo of them?" "1 rofusod to namo hor." "So thoy cent you to a fortress?" I asked. "To Now Caledonia, . . . rour years. ... I was only twenty. Scarlett, . . . and ruined. . . I Joined Dyram In Antwerp and risked tho tour through franco." , "You never saw hor ngaln?" "I, was under arrest on Sunday. I do hot know. ... I like to bolleve that sho went to tho book store on Monday, . . . that sho mado an Innocent In-nocent mistake, . . . but I novor know, Scarlett, ... I never know." "Supposo you ask her?" I Bald. His firm hand tightened on mlno. thon ho walked away, steadily, head high. And I went out to saddlo my (horso ror a canter ncroso tho moor to Point Paradise. Eo, by strango wayH nnd eccontrlo olrclcs, llko tho aerial paths of homing hom-ing sea-birds, I camo at last to the spot 1 had set out for, conoclously; yet It surprised mo to Hud 1 had como thcro. A boy took my horso; a servant In full nreton costume admitted mo; tho velvet humming of Slvla Elven'ti spin-nlng-wheel filled the silence, like tho whirring or a great, eoU moth imprisoned impris-oned in a room. v Tho door swung open noiselessly; the whir or tho whol and tho sound or tho Bong filled tho room for nn In-Btant, In-Btant, thon wna chut out as tho Countess Coun-tess do Vassart closed tho door and came forward to greet mo. "Aro you troubled?" 'alio asked, then colored at hor own question, as though deeming tho Impulse to spcuk unwarranted. unwar-ranted. "No. not troubled. Happiness Is of ton edged with u shadow. I am content con-tent to be hero." Her faco grew graver. "You must rorget tho past," cho said; "you must rorget all that was cruel and raise nnd unhappy, . . . v.ni you not?" "Yes, madnmo." "I, too," nho Bald, "havo much to ror-get ror-get and much to hopo ror; and you taught mo how to rorgot nnd how to hope." "I, mndamo?" "Yes, . . .. nt La Trappo, at Morsbronn, and here. Look at mo. Havo I not changed?" "Yes," I said, rnsclnatod. I picked up my gloves and riding-cropj riding-cropj as I nwo bho stood up in tho dusk, looklug straight at me. "Will you como again?" she asked. I stammered a umnlHo and mado my way blindly to tho door which a servant threw open, flung mysoir astride my horso, nnd galloped out in-to in-to the waste or mooiland, beclng nothing, noth-ing, hearing nothing savo tho low roar or tho bob, llko the growl of restless lions. CHAPTER XVI. A Restless Man. When I camo into camp, lato that artornoon, I round Uyrnni nnd Speed groping about among a mass or novvs-pnpor- ami Intters, tho first mall wo clrcua ptoplo had received ror nearly two months Thnro wore letters for all who wore accustomed to look for lettorB from famlileB, relatives, or frloudu at homo. I never received lettersI had ie-celvod ie-celvod hoik, or tlmt kind In nearly a scoro or years. "nut thero woro newup,iporH enough und tonpaie-Kieiiih. K..gllHh, Amorl-can; Amorl-can; and I sat down by my lion's cago and attempted to form eoiiio opinion or tho stato or affalra In Franco. When, on tho 3rd of. September, the humiliating news arrived that tho emperor em-peror was a prisoner and his army annihilated, an-nihilated, tho government, ror tho first tlino In lto existence, acted with promptness and decision in a matter of Importance Secret orders wero cent by couriers to tho Bank of France, to tho Iouvro, and to tho Invalldcs; and, that'samo night, train after train rushed out ot Paris loaded with the battlo flags from tho Invalldes, the most Important pictures and antique sculptures from tho Louvre, the greater great-er part or Iho'gold nnd silver from tho Hank or Franco, and, last but by no means least, tho crown and jewels of France. Theso trains wero dispatched to Urcst, and at tho samo tlmo a telegram was directed to tho admiral commanding command-ing tho French ironclad fleet In the Baltic to send nn armored cruiser to Urcst with all hasto possible, there to await turthor ordors, but to bo fully preparod in any event to take on board certain goods designated In cipher. This wo know In a general way, though Speed understood that Lorlent wnB to bo tho port of departure. depar-ture. Tho plan, thon, was slmplo; but,for nn equally simple reason, It miscarried miscar-ried In tho following manner: On the 4 th or September tho treasure-laden trnlns had loft Paris for Breat. On tho Bth tho Hlrondello steamed out towards to-wards tho fleet with tho news from Sedan Se-dan and tho ordors for tho detachment or a cruiser to receive the crown Jovvcls. On tho Gth the nows and the orders wero signaled to the' flagship; but tho God of battles unchained a tempest which countermanded the or dcr and hurled tho Ironclads. into outer .darkness. So, ror days nnd daystho treasure-laden treasure-laden trains must havo stood helpless fn tho station at Brost, awaiting the cruiser thnt did not como. Speed and I already knew the secret orders sent. Tho treasures, Including tho crown diamonds, wore to bo stored In tho citadel, nnd nn armored cruiser was to llo off tho aieenal with banked fires, ready to receive tho treasures at tho first signal and steam to tho -French fortified port of Saigon In Cochin Co-chin Chlnn, by n courso already doter-mined, doter-mined, Why on earth thoso orders had been changed so that tho cruiser was to llo off Grolx I could not imagine, unless-Bomo unless-Bomo plot had been discovered in Lorlent Lo-rlent which hod mado It advisable to Bhlft tho location or tho treasures ror tho third time. Pondering theio at tho tont door, amid my hoap or musty newspapers, I looked out Into tho lato, gray afternoon after-noon and saw tho maids and men or Paradlso passing and repassing acroes the bridge. A row moment- later drums began to rol rrom tho square Speed, passing, pass-ing, called out to mo that tho conscripts con-scripts woro loavlng for Lorlent; so 1 walked down to tho hfldgo, whoro tho crowd had gathered and whoro a tall gendarmo stood, his bluo-and-whlto unirorm distinct In tho early evonlng light. "Attontlon!" cried tho officer, a llm, hectic lieutenant rrom Lorlont. The mayor handed him tho rolls, and tho lieutenant, lacing tho shuffling-Blnglo shuffling-Blnglo rank, began to call off: "Roux or nn'nnalcc?" "Hero, monsieur " "Don't say, 'Heie. monBlourl' Bar. Tre-ent!' Now, Ruux?" "Present, monsieur" "Idiot! Kodrec?" "Present I" ,. "Garenno!" Thero vvns silence, v "Roboit Caroline!" repeated the officer, offi-cer, sharply. "Monsieur tho mayor has Informed mu that you aro liable for military duty, ir yoU aro prosent-answer prosent-answer to your namo or tako consoi quonces!" The poicher, who had been lounging i on the hrldso, fcloucood slowly forward ' nnd touched his cap. "I am organizing u franc corps," ha , said. "Yon can explain that at Lorlont," replied tho Ileutennict. "Fall In thero!" "But J" "Fall In!" repeated tho lieutenant. Tho pouohur'H vlsugn becamo In-,' flnmed. Ho hnltaldd, looking around J ror nn nvonuo of escape Then hoi caught my dlBRiistod eyo. "For tho lust time," Bnld tho llouton-ant, llouton-ant, coolly drawing hla rovolvor. "I order you to fall In!" Tho ponchor backed Into tho straJ , filing rnnk, glaring. f "Now," said tho lluutenant, - ' 'ii may go to your house 'and get your packet. If we, have left when you return, re-turn, follow and report at the arsenal In Lorlont. Fall oUt MarchJ" The poacher backed out to the rear ot the rank, turned on his heel, and strode away towards the coast, clinched fists swinging by his sldo. There were notjmany nameo on the roll, and the call was quickly finished, And now the Infantry drummers raised their sticks high In the air, there was a sharp click, a crash, and the squaro ecfioed. "March!" cried the officer. The crowd pressed on into the dusk. Far up the darkening road the white coir-res coir-res ofithe women glimmered; the drum-roll softened to a distant humming. hum-ming. (Contlued next week ) |