Show ATE Ly LOUIS J COPYRIGHT BY RI G f CHAPTER XV I t JL Marie Maret ls is IB- Isone one of the most pictures fes es S in the world ancient ts cluster round an amous custer before history was writ ie e sides of steep hills hilla his Inclosing ba bay suburbs Marseilles Is modern but ut the chief thoroughfare ali ail al who read road the famous and sy plunges rapidly nUl It empties itself on the tho thoua's nt i empte isel quays ua's that surround the old oldie olde the ie e newer Marseilles of the JoI Joll Jo- Jo III ll I found In wharfs and ware- ware steam cranes ranes and railway lines wn beloved belo of the Phoenicians concern i. i There Thore Is no touch of if illness in the tiny tny maritime reft ref ref- t ich Ih h is barely half hal the size of ntIne Lof Lofty old fashioned half hal ses throng close cose to Its rugged lit t t this q quarter arter of the turbulent air of intense m mystery The tian eis ts are narrow narro and tortuous and alleys aleys twist In every Dip le e direction while the bright- bright l lie ilk many man wine vine shops facing each the harbor ani only 1 iss enhance the squalid gloom that e most marked characteristic oflings of ol lings clustered behind them Talbot intent on the pursuit of I O dramatically bound up with ry affecting her brother paid no consideration save the parang para para- i ng i that the tho hurryIng hurrying figure In Inbe be kept in sight r 7 to the opinions expressed b by y nen en Beaucaire did not passing tram car To Edith's to be eagerly watching person person who might pass in one maU open carriages which in 3 take the place of tho the London Even as she rapidly walked U crowded street stroet mademoiselle each vehicle that over over- over over- and Jand I and once at a busy crossing irately stopped Edith of course g her her pace and simultaneously ne aware how incongruous was Trance france at such an hour in such aller aUer than the average French- French neaty neatly dres dressed ed in an English eg costume with wih her smart straw well wet gloved hands Miss Talbot r attracted tho the curious gaze of y it I occurred to her that some was absolutely necessary If I she shet It t court an attention fatal to prIse It I chanced that where Ifor for a moment a fruit seller seler oc- oc tiny in shop squeezed tightly be- be church hurch and a restaurant The vas vas dark enough for a couple 1 naphtha lamps were so dis- dis Ito fio cast their flickering bill bill- r r the baskets of fruits frits and ve in the window or together on the pavement man inside had a kindly and andE E face cherry ripe in cheek and from a pair pall of deep sot blue hooked looked out quizzically at the crowd with wih one fleeting glance Belle IBele still remained s s' s sand and intent at the crossing Led ed d into the shop She produced ml n not much French money she but this is worth 2 25 can n you ou let me have a large largo wi vi I do not care whether or orti ti Id or worn wor It I is necessary quid remain out for some few l longer nger and I r do not wish to s he spoke she removed her heri i and eagerly tore off of her herr r Frenchwoman French woman saw that one x English and consequent- consequent to screen her appear- appear I 1 tOO 00 inquisitive eyes sufficient for her that there spice of romance in the reh reh re- re h one hand she pocketed the with the other she dived into b beneath neath the counter and provey pro- pro very vey article Edith wanted plainly mademoiselle she Se See It I will wi cover you to the pi a another nace into the Irn i if of f the shop the shop quickly ar- ar ha shawl wI over her head and and nd hastily hasty murmuring her ush d forth into the street again ia lat and arid gloves behind in her heri i oil seller seler was far too wise a call after the other and ap- ap of the loss s st be serious this adventure df And yet the novelists say English are cold For me now h hat t women are very much alike the tle world lul this bit of Provencal Proven al l phil phil- phi phi- I II nS picked up the discarded arl ar- ar l discovered to her joy that they worth orth at least 10 francs five francs for an old shawl 1 ight's work worle she murmured mid uld dream of such fortune at Tomorrow I will wi buy a candle in tim the church of Notre Dame Dazle lre rd nU Kite hilt Edith was just in time to toe e Beaucaire caire either abandon her herr hert r t r resolve solve it in some manner for fore foroe oe e more resumed her progress progress the tle theold old harbor in whose placid x uld be seen the reflections of ofes es est lights from the tha small smal prom- prom mn nd crowned with the Fort St. St land the Chateau du Phare Ph are right nor left but has- has n ard vard with rapid strides made- made crossed the rough pavement of ofIa ae de la Ia bearing away Ir toward the left lef Ithe the Frenchwoman was a good Edith Talbot was a better beter one t she no longer feared no lie he draped the large shawl as about out her shoulders as any In Marseilles she decided to litle strategy Instead of keep- keep behind mademoiselle she It a run rn under the shadow o of ot ts By thus making up ground o cached hed the narrow street toward th Frenchwoman was wa heading I simultaneously with her quarry l nty from an opposite direction tho the thoroughfare through t wo o women sped was forbid- forbid I tl extreme The houses Herein Here ere ere s in height of disreputable Cand and so close ose together on both I at were other conditions equal I e man might easily spring from 1 Into info another across the street I alls ails li appeared to be honeycombed I 15 and windows while an indo- indo mS of shutters balconies g poles and clothes lines created el edt y in the darkness which was d invisible visible by a solitary bracket I Edith felt fel some anxiety as l r not she would be able to toJ J house into which ipp ared should her destination fet Lk hand hand- t. t vere re of course many other p peo- peo Ostreet O- O street besides th themselves else Imposed piece of espionage aye w jf been rendered difficult if I Ible J pen n and children lounged about ways pw and kept up a constant f conversation In a mysterious h Miss Talbot though an ex- ex cholar could make nothing of of- ot of these people naturally ii J r from the direct observation ll but nevertheless dIa lt slight danger should it be her to stand still for she Jor that in such a locality i son Jon was known to the other and andring andring andring ring of a stranger could not fall fail fal passing beneath the lamp lle vanished into a doorway telve to her hr joy that at this er erp r was no group of loungers 0 r a few fow vard th street was or Keeping her eys ey's sedulously fixed inexact spot e the French ared he the reached the door and after a moments moment's hesitation stepped l lightly i ht into the interior darkness The i ne narrow entrance was at once lessened lessened les los to half Its Is width by a staircase She listened ansi and co could ld hear the other woman ascending the second flight of s stairs lr At the next landing mademoiselle m paused and knocked ed three tithes Presumably Presumably Presumably Pre Pre- tihes in reply to a question queston within she murmured something which Edith could not catch and was at once admitted The shooting of a rust rusty bolt supplied further evidence that the the door door was locked behind her Edith's next task was to identify the house She stepped out into the street again and crossed to the opposite pave pave- ment She looked up to the second story but owing to the short distance distance barelY barely fourteen feet that feet that separated her from the house she house she could discern nothing save that the tIme windows on that floor were closely close close- ly Iy shuttered cose She Rhe rapidly noted that the door was the th third ril removed from tron the lamp whilst wondering what to do next a couple of girls approached her They were young and of or course Without t an any dissimulation they stood in front of her and scrutinized her face won won- no doubt who this tall tal and graceful graceful graceful grace grace- ful newcomer could be What is your name said cald one where do you live lve Have ou come Porter here Are you staying with old Mother With difficulty Edith caught the drift of their questions But she answered smilingly No Jo i I 1 do not live lve here alid I do not riot know Mother lother Porter But I want you to tell tel me mo who lives in the tho house opposite Her Parisian French great greatly surprised surprIse the two girls who giggled at each other and one of them cried Oh heres here's lark larl But they scented an intrigue and were quite quie r ready ady to give gle all al the information in their power A lot of ot people live lve there said the theelder theelder theelder elder one tr trying with wih the he ready tact of her nation naton to accommodate her words to the understanding of the stranger It I all al depends who you want to know about about On the ground floor Is Josef the th barber and his wife with three little ones It I cannot b bo be them I am sure and andI it I cannot be Monsieur Ducrot who is their lodger for he is 70 years ears old and a sacristan in the Church of the Sacred acred Heart Heart Then on the time first floor there are three men not a woman amongst them One is a bin bill bi sticker another a fisherman and the third a waiter waler in the Cafe du clu Midi I 1 do not know ow l their proper names We call cal the bill bi sticker Paste I Pot and the fisherman Crab The waiter waler is called caled Thomas in the cafe but when whEn a letter leter comes for him It I is s in another name Then Theft on al the second floor by floor by the wa way Marie who is it i that lives on the second x floor foor Edith with wih difficulty restrained her ex ex- She felt fel that if I ony army these youngsters rattled ratted on a little longer sh sh might gain some valuable information Marie thus appealed to was evidently of a more cautious temperament than her companionI companion If I the young lady will wi tell tel us why she wants to know we may be able to hep her hershe she stipulated Certainly cried Edith instantly re resolving resolving resolving re- re solving to pursue the tactics of the penny novelette novelete I have been deserted My lover has been tale taken en a away way from me b by another woman woman woman-at at least that Is I Iam Iam Iam am Informed I do not wish to make any trouble about it There are plenty as asgood asgood asgood good men as he left lef In the world but on the other hand I must not act unjustly I have been told that he lives in this house that house that he Is living with wih her here at this moment In fri fact If I can male make sure of it i I will wi go away and never s set t eyes on him a again ain unless by hy chance and then yoU I may be sure I will I take no notice of him I am not one of those silly sHiv girls who break their hearts over a faithless sweet sweet- heart Marie was reassured I r should think not she said with ith a sympathetic and defiant defant sniff I had bad the very same experience last Sunday when the PhIllIppe-the the the grocers grocer's boy at the corner you know walked know walked along the Cor- Cor niche road with a chit of a girl out of a She thinks Herself better beter than weare we weare weare are because she stands behind a counter and I am sure she made eyes at Phillippe Phillippe Phil Phil- Phi Phi- lippe one day when his master sent him there on an errand Phillipe must have bad taste broke brolie in Eith Edith But I am sorry I must hasten away If I you girls will wf tell tel me quickly all al the other people that live lve in that house I will wl give gIve you yOU two francs each That Thatis is all al the money I have got got She produced the coins which she easily fly ily distinguished from the gold in her ib pocket by their size She knew that to appear too well wel supplied with wih money In that neighborhood was to court danger if i not disaster to her undertaking Both girls eagerly seized the 40 sous pi pieces rOh fOh on the second floor said Marie I am afraid you will wi find your young youn man They are a funny couple that live lve there They only camo came here on Oil When did your our young man leave you I I saw him on Saturday Where This was a poser but Miss Talbot answered answered answered an an- desperately At At Lyon What Is he like Another haphazard shot He is tall tal and d dark rk and oh h. h so o good looking with a beautifully white skin td tda nd a pink complexion That Is he cried both girls t together gether The scoundrel But tell ten me went wenton on Edith whose excitement was readily construed as the pangs of jealousy jealous who is the creature that lives with wih him Vo Wo think she is a a music hall hail hal artiste replied Marie At least that is the people sa say I have not heard yet what hall hal she appears In They say she is very pretty Are y you U going to throw vitriol over her Not I I. I said Edith with a fine scorn Do they live lve there alone Yes quite alone They rent the place from Pere DIdon He owns most of tho the houses In this street you know and Is a are regular re ular skinflint He wont won't let any anyone one get behind with wih their rent for an hour He le is old so old that you would n not t think that ho ha could live lve another another- week yet vet he is that tha t keen after his francs von vou I I I I I i would Imagine he was a young YO man Tan man anxious s to get money for a gay life You ought to have heard the row here last Saturday when he turned the people out from their rooms where your lover now lives with his mistress It I was terrible There was a poor woman with wih two sick sid children How much further the revelations as asto asto asto to Pere Didon's iniquity might have gone Miss Talbot could not say but at that moment there came an interruption From the opposite doorway appeared the figure of Mile Beaucaire carrying a asmal small smal hag bOag She was was followed by a man tall tal slight arid and closely cosely muffled up who shouldered a larger portmanteau Edith Eith grabbed both the girls and pulled them close lose to her against the closed cosed door be behind behind behind be- be hind themI them It I is he she sho whispered tragically Silence Let us IS watch them The man darted a suspicious glance glanco up and down the street There was no one whom even the clever Henri Hen 11 Dubois Dubol could construe as an enem enemy enemy no no no one save some chattering 1 Marseillais loitering around their doorsteps and three girls huddled together in close cose conclave directly direct direct- ly opposite Thus reassured d. d he strode after La LaBelle LaBelle Belle Bele who cried out impatiently impatiently Come quick Henri what are arl you waiting for I Is his name Henri whispered the thea a awe we stricken cn Marie Yes Isn't he a villain I wonder where they are going now Let us follow them and see suggested suggest suggest- ed Marie Yes let us follow t them 1 lem and see ee chimed chimed in the other one who delighted In this nocturnal romance It I was a n veritable veritable ver ver- page pane out of o one e of Paul do Kocks Kock's mi novels noves ovel 5 The program suited Miss Mies Talbot exceedinglY exceedingly ex ex- well veIl They strolled pl off down the the street nestling together Edith in the center and keeping the shrouded couple in in- front well In si sight ht This time when Mademoiselle Made Made- moiselle Vel and her companion 0 Wl I. I reached the tho point w where ere the street emerged onto the harbor they hey did not flOt cross over towards the brad broad an arid brilliantly brilliantly bri- bri bril bril- lanty lighted on through the d darkness kness in the direction of ofa ofal a al cluster of of fishing ng smacks smacks that laya lay a alongside the Qua de do Rive NoUe Neuvo My faith cried l Eugenic Eugenie Marie they the must be going on oi board one of or the yes ves sels seli What hat a lark |