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Show i SL-fek THE MAIDS OF tmSt paradise JBfliMlreSBr Robert W.Chambers JyBKFBBvm iiRAuln0r tf "CardigadV'The Conspirators' gRPwCwW! Wrfrff q irvt Myers CoovritMHnUyPfColliefA5on 8YNOP3I8. cnAPTKn I-Bcwlett, an American oldlar of fortune In the emptor of the French Imperial Police at the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war, la ordered to arreat John Buckhurst, a leader of the. Communist, who la suspected of having stolen the French crown Jewel. While Boarchl&ar tor Buckhurst Scarlett la ordered or-dered to arrest Countcu de'Vaaaart and her group cf socialists and escort them! to the Belgian border. CHAPTKR. II-Bcarlett finds ByWIa Blven of the Odeon dlssulsed aa a peasant peas-ant aad carries her to La Trappe, where the oemntess and her friends are aasem-!01. aasem-!01. CHATTER III All are arrested. . The counteaa eaves Bcarlett from a fatal fall from the roof of the house. Ho denounces Buckhurst as tho leader of the Hods and the countess conducts him to where Buck-hunt Buck-hunt Is secreted. CHAPTER IV German Uhlans deaceno) on the place and Buckhurst escapes during- the melee. Bcarlett la wounded. CHA&TER V He recovers consclouit ness In 'the countess' home at Morsbronn, where ho Is cared for by the countess. A fierce battle Is fought In tho streets between French and Prussian soldiers. CHAPTER VI Buckhurst professes rei Sentence and returns the crown Jewels to carlett. He declares ho will itlve himself up to the authorities. Scarlett doubts his sincerity. Buckhurst urges tho countess to go to Paradise. CHAPTKR VII Buckhurst admits that ha receives pay from the Prussians fop Information which he does not give. He secures passports to the French Unci for Bcarlett. th countess and himself. CHAPTER VIH-Scarlett reports to the secret service In Pnrls and finds Mornae, shadow of the emporor, In charge. He icposlts the crown jewels and later, wheri makins a detailed report, finds that pebbles, have been substituted for tho real atones. Speed, a comrade In the service, warns Scarlett that Mornae Is dangerous. H also Informs him thnt all the government treasure Is being transported to tho coast for shipment out of the country. Bcarlett Bcar-lett and Bpeed escnpo to Join a circus. CHAPTER IX Tho circus arrives at Pared Iso whero Scarlett secures a license from the mayor. CHAPTER X-An order Is received by .he mayor calling tho citizens to arms. CHAPTER XI Jacquellno, daughter of (he Lizard, offers to Join the circus to glvo exhibitions In the character of a mermaid. CHAPTER XII-8carlett makes friends with the lizard. CHAPTER Xin-Scnrlett cans on tne, countess at her homo In Paradise. Ha finds Sylvia Riven also there. Ho learns (he countess has withdrawn from the socialists. so-cialists. They' swear eternal friendship. man past thirty, madurae thlrty-flve, I bollevft my dossier makes it. It has taken me fifteen years to bury my youth. Let us talk of Mornae." "Yea, wo will talk of Mornae," she said, gently. So with lnflnlto pains I wont back and traced for her tho career of Buckhurst, Buck-hurst, sparing her nothing. She eat motionless, her faco like cold marble, i as I cnrctully gathcrod tho threads of ' tho plot and gently twitched that one , which galvanized tho mask of Mornae. ftiornaci" sue Riammcreu, agnasi. I showed her why Buckhurst desired to come to Pnradlso; I showed her why Mornae had Initiated hor Into tho mystorlee of my doosler, taking that Infernal precaution, although ho had ovory reason to bellovo ho had mo practically In prison, with the knys In his own pockot. Sho told mo that Buckhurst camn 'O her houso hero in Paradise early In Soptembor; that whllo In Paris, pon dorlng on what I had said, sho had determined to withdraw herself absolutely abso-lutely from all organized socialistic associations as-sociations during tho war; that sho believed sho could do tho grcateflt good by living a nntural and cheerful life, by maintaining tho position that, birth and fortuno had given her, and by using thnt portion and fortune ror tho beucflt ot thoso less fortunate. This sho liad told Buckhurst, and, the rascal appeared to agreo with her so thoroughly that, when Doctor Del-mont Del-mont and Professor Tavernler ar rived, thoy also applauded the choice she mado or BuckhurRt &b distributer or money, rood and clothing to tho provincial hospitals, now crowdod to, suffocation with tho wreck of battle. Then a strango thing occurred. Doctor Doc-tor Delmont and I'rofCBBor Tavernler disappeared without any explanation. Thoy had started ror St. Nazalro with a sum o( monoy twenty thousand francs, locked In tho private strongbox strong-box of tho countcs&r-to bo distributed among tho soldiers of Chanzy; and thoy had never returned. In tho light of what sho had learned from mo, sho reared that Buckhurst had won them ovor. "But," I snld, patiently, "you have not yet told, me whero ho 1b." "1 don't know," sho ald. "A weok ago a dreadful creature en mo hero to see Buckhurst; thoy went across tho moor toward tho semaphore and stood tor a long whllo looking at tho cruiser whlqh Is anchored off Grolx. Then Buckhurst came back and prepared ror a Journey. Ho-sald ho was going to Tours to conrer with tho Red Cross. I don't know whero ho went. Ho took all tho money ror tho general Bed Cross fund," "When did ho say ho would return?" "Ho said In two weeks. "That Ih good news," I Bald, gayly. "But toll mo ono thing: Do you trust Mademoiselle Klven?" "Yob, Indeed Indeed!" sho cried horrified. "Very well." said I, smiling. "Only for tho sako of caution extra, and evon perhaps useless caution say nothing of this matter to her, nor Jo any llvipg soul gavo jno." "I promloe," sho Bald, faintly. "Now that Mornao Is not ovon s pawn In tho game so, Indeed, I bogln to bellovo ho never really was, but has been rrom tho first a dupo of -Buckhurst It Is tho duty of ovcry honest man to watch Buckhurst and worn tho authorities that ho possibly has designs de-signs on tho crown Jewels of France, which that cruiser yonder Is all ready to bear away to Saigon. "How ho proposes to attempt such a robbery I can't Imagine. I don't want to denounce him to General Chanzy or Aurolles do Palladlno, because be-cause tho conspiracy Is too widely Bprcad and too dangerous to bo defeated de-feated by tho capture ot ono man, even though ho bo the head of It. "What I want Is to entrap tho entlro band; and that can only bo done by watching Buckhurst, not arresting him. Meanwhile, as long ns we stay In Pnradlso wo both aro your devoted servants, and wo beg tho privilege oj serving you." "You nek tho prlvllego ot sorvlng me," sho said. "You, could nerve mo best by giving mo your frlondBhlp." 1 was silent. "Ilavo you novcr given women yonr friendship?" sho risked. "Not in fifteen years nor naked theirs." Sho sprang up and caught both my hands In hor ungloved hands. "Won't you tnka my friendship and give me yours my rrlend?" "Ycb," I said, slowly. As in a dream I bent forwnrd; sho abandoned her hands to mo; and I touched a woman's wom-an's hands with my lips ror tho first tirao in fifteen years. "In all dovotlon and loyalty and gratitude," I Bald. "And In friendship sny It!" "In rrlendshlp." "Now you may go if you desire to-When to-When will you como ngaln?" "When may I?" "When you will." CHAPTER XIV. The Path of the Lizard. About nine o'clock tho next mornlni an Incident occurred which might have terminated my career In ono way, and did, ultimately, end It In nnothor. I had been exercising my lions and putting them through their paces, and ha,d noticed no unusual lnsubordlna tlon among them, when suddenly, Tim our Mclok, a big Algerian lion, flew a mo without tho ellshtost provocation or warning. Fortunately I had a trnlnlngchalr In my hand, on which TImour bad Just boon sitting, and I had tlmo to thrust It into his face. "Down, TImour Molek! Downl down! down!" 1 said, steadily, accompanying cncfi word with a blow of tho whip across the noBo. The bruto had only hurt hlmsell when ho struck tho chair, and now, uudor the blows raining on his sensitive sensi-tive nose, he doubtless remembered similar episodes In lrts early training, and Bhrnnk back, nenriy deafening mo with his ronrB. I followed, punishing him, and ho fled towards tho low iron grating which soparatcd tho training-cage training-cage from the night quarters. I was not In pcrrect trim that morning. morn-ing. Not that l roll nervous In the least, nor had I any luck of self-confidence, but I was not myself. Tho lions bad been awaro of It as soon as 1 'sot foot In their cage; and I knew It. As I emerged from tho cago Speed asked me whethor I wnB hurt, and I gasped out that I wiib not. "What went wrong?" ho porslstod. "Speed, It waB ono of those seconds that como to us, when the faintest ehadow of Indecision settles matters. Unglnccni are subject to It at tho throttlo, pilots at tho helm, captalnt In battlo " "Mon In love," added Speed. I looked him ovor In astonishment "What's the matter with you?" ho asked, amused. "What's tho matter with you?" I do-mnndtd. do-mnndtd. "If you mean to Intlmatq thnt I have fallen In lovo you are cor-talnly cor-talnly an astonishing nasi" "Don't talk, that way," ho said, good-humorcdly. good-humorcdly. "l didn't dream of such a thing, or of offending you, Scarlott." I had nn appointment to moat Robert Rob-ert tho Lizard at noon, and I was rather curious to find out how much his promises wcro worth when tho novolty ot his new gun had grown Btale. Tho poachor was Bunnlng himself on his doorslll when I camo Into view over tho blnck bncalt rocks. To my surprise, he touched his cap as I approached, ap-proached, and roflo civilly, replying to my greeting with a brief, "Salute, m'sloul" "You aro prompt to tho minute," I said, pleasantly, "Como to tho point, m'slou," ho said, dryly. "Wo hnvo struck palms." "Lizard," 1 said, "glvo mo your con-Tldonco con-Tldonco no 1 glvo you mlno. Yceten day, on a visit to Point Parudiso, I saw u mon lying bolly down In tho bracken; but I didn't lot him know I baw him. I hnvo served In tho police; I think I recognlro that man. Ho Is known In Hollovlllo or Trlc-Trac. Ho camo here, I bellev, to eeo u man called Buckhurst. nan you Und this Trlc-Trac ror mo? Do you, perhaps, know him?" ".Yes." gaid tho Lizard. "I know Uim In prison." "How long has bo been here In Paradise?" Para-dise?" . "For two months." "He 1b a fllou a town rat. He came horo to moot a man named Buckhurst" "I have seen that man Buckhurst, too. .What Is ho doing here?" asked tho Lizard. "That Is what I want you to find out and help mo to And out!" I said. "Vol-la! "Vol-la! Now you know what I want of you. Think out a plan which will permit per-mit me to observe this Monsieur Trlc-Trac Trlc-Trac at my lelsuro, without I myself being observed." "That Is easy," ho said. "I take hltn food today." Tho vlllago square In Paradise was nearly desortod. Tho chlldron had raced away to follow tho newly arrived cendnrmcB as closely as they dared, and tho women wore ln-doore hanging about their men, whom tho government govern-ment summoned to Lorlont. Far away towards Salnto-Ysolo wo saw tho bluo woods which woro our goal. However, wo had no tntontlon ot going thero as tho bee files, partly bo-couso bo-couso Trlc-Trao might soo us, partly becauso tho Lizard wlshod any prowling prowl-ing passerby to observe that ho was occupied with his Illegitimate profession. profes-sion. All the while wo had been twisting twist-ing and doubling and edging nenror and nearer to tho Salnto-Yeole woods, until wo wcro already within tholr cal shadow, and I heard tho tlnklo or a stream among lonfy depths. Tho Lizard's poarhur's eyes began to glisten and Hhlmmer In the forest dusk llko tho eyes of wild things that hunt nt night. Presently ho beckoned mo" stopped Into tho moss, and crawled without a sound straight through the holly thicket. s "Watch here," he whlspored. "Count a hundred when I disappear, thon creep on your stomach to tho edgo at thnt Unnk. Boforo I had counted fifty I heard tho Lizard cry out, "Bonjour, Trie Trno!" but I counted on, obnylng tho Lizard's orders ns J should wish mlno to bo .obeyed. I counted ono hundred nnd crept forwnrd to tho mossy ede;n of tho bank, under tho yellow beach loavoB. Bolow mo stood I ho Lizard, Intently wntchlng n figure crouched on hnmls and kneeB before a small, Iron-bound box. The neraon nddrcsRed oh Trlc-Trno (Coiitlued uoxt week ) |