| Show TELEGRAM I FLOATING PERIL I I E. E P PHILLIPS By LIPS I FICTION FICTION Jr OPPENHEIM THE STORY SO FAR Louise de do a beautiful woman is rescued from the sea by Hamer She offers to buy his trim yacht and when he pe refuses to sell she warns him others will want to buy his boat and persistent persistent per per- peri refusal to sell may cost his life French foreign minister after aCter failing tailing to secure yacht the Bird of oC Paradise Paradise Para Para- dise disc plots with Baron de Bret and Chico tin to blow up the boat and destroy certain papers hidden there General orders a French gunboat gunboat- to stand guard over the yacht Tanya an anarchist cabaret dancer learns of the plot to destroy the records wants them and stabs NO NOW ow GO ON WITH THE TUE STORY I CHAPTER The dinner party a deux at Juan Juan- Juan Juan-I Pins les-Pins had been very happily ac ac- ac The rising of the moon found Hamer and Lu- Lu I ienne cienne a little weary but exceedingly exceeding exceeding- ly Iy content still seated at their ta table ta- ta I ble on the terrace of the casino ta-I ta The place was thinning out for the gambling was in full swing sving but the divine stillness of the night the queer attraction of the hanging lights the softly played music had hadl tempted many to linger When the young oung man asked not for the first time is that father of yours really coming back from I Paris I II I wish I knew she answered i I want my boat And I want you he sighed I Would it be very un maidenly of me me she whispered if I told you yot I I that you would find me quite ready Of lOOt course you are driving me crazy he complained I wonder if you have any Idea how beautiful I you look tonight in that white frock and just the pearls She shook her head I II I have no iio idea she told him Tell me please Well you ou look just the most exquisite exquisite ex ex- thing on earth he assured her I swear that your eyes have grown larger during the tho last few days das and as for those eyelashes of yours yours why why no one could describe them Shall I say a few words about your hair hair hair- What lovely nonsense she inter Inter- But I love Jove to hear it I Ilove love Jove being here with you too especially especially espe espe- daily tonight Hamer Harner Shall I tell tel I you something strange Do he begged For the first time in my life I think I know what fear is he incredulous incredulous- Fear repeated l ly y Being afraid do you mean Yen Yes But what are you afraid of ot I cant ant tell you Life It is not s so o much a personal fear I seem to tc I feel Ceel somehow th that t things are hap pening The sort of f feeling one OflE might have if it one were very re religious rc l and were told in a vision 1 that tho the world was coming to an a. 1 end That is how I feel about life lila S just now For a sane and healthy young youn woman he declared I dont don't think I I ever heard anything so o absurd Try another glass of oC champagne dear quickly She obeyed him but the look Jook oi of trouble remained in her eyes ees Of course I know that Im I'm silly she acknowledged Theres only p one thing tiling In life I 1 I. I take seriously except ex cx you and th that's ts t's France He sympathetically A grand country he agreed but what's wrong with wIth It I I thought that since Edouard Ion lon and accepted portfolios portfolIos port folios in the cabinet and they created created creat creat- ed d that wonderful new post for a a fine tine fellow that that every every everything thing was so much better and sounder On the surface she answered is splendid of course but butI I cant can't help wishing that ho he were back in Paris Even a superman must have a 8 holiday so sometimes Hamer protest protest- ed I saw in Jn one of the papers that he had not been away from irom the tho bureau since the day he accepted accepted accepted ac ac- ac- ac his office five ivo months ago Of or course I have a thoroughly stupid Idea she confessed but butth th there re it is I believe he is down here watching M Hamer stared across at ather ather h her er with without ut comprehension But listen sweetheart he said T I read the French papers a good d deal eal Its It's my job rather not to make a mistake over any of these things i It t was brilliant speech i in n the chamber which united the v votes otes of all aU the parties except the e extremists and gave his p post ost Why look at them this afternoon afternoon after after- noon n oon how friendly they were I know lenow she assented without e enthusiasm I dare say Im I'm crazy H Hamer amer but even the Temps predicted pre pre- d once that if anything happened happened hap hap- p ened In the way of oC a rising in m France F rance if someone fanned up the e embers of ot all those terrible scandals o of ot f a year ago into flames again it w would happen during this period of l long Jong ong vacation with everyone away T TI Think hink of it now The president is I in n his country house somewhere Inthe in is inthe L t the he Pyrenees where he boasts that h he e hasn't a telephone and a motor motorcar motorcar c car car ar can only reach him with c culty As for Monsieur n no o one knows where he is He left C Cherbourg in his own yacht which i is s quite large enough to sail around I t the he world and a a little paragraph I in n one of oC the papers this morning p pointed out that his boat has not b been een reported since she left leCt France I wish I knew the tho general well wel i enough nough e I would tell teU him that I t think hink he ought to be back in Paris I If there had been anything going goI go i ing ng on there Hamer pointed out I I I should have heard of it through 1 my paper Even the communists must rest some time you know Put all these things out of your you r mind I never did thoroughly understand un d French politics he wen went o on n. n I spent a year in Paris trying to t o study them and in the end I I t think hink I understood a little less than thai when I began All I do know I Is S t that hat the present cabinet Is considered considered consid consid- e ered red the strongest which France ha has S Sad h had ad for a long Jong time I II expect it Is all right she declared de de- d ared more cheerfully I 1 suppose I Iam I 1 am too happy happ in myself That is h S what has made me inc feel nervous late late- l ly y Home influences too I sup sup- p pose ose Your father tather is not in politics h Is Is' Is C Ce h he e Hamer ask asked d. d She shook her head He is interested of ot course coume but I o outside it all That is where I think C France Is s wrong The old aristocracy aristocracy r racy acy are looked upon coldly whenever whenever when when- ever ver e they make malc any attempt to ti s serve erve their country yet no one cares re 3 f for or France Franco more than we we do Hamer D Dearest rest Will Vill you say yes If I I ask you a P. P f favor avor I II should think it highly probable a able ble if its it's anything about this S Sance 1 d dance ance Im I'm all for tor It it They glided oC off together together-a a kind I of at o f slow blues blues the the movements o of f which were so smooth that the they f f formed ormed no hindrances to conversa conversa conversa- tion L ion This Is my favor she said Of 0 I c course ourse I have been all aU over her hei r once but J want to explore the Bird Birc I o of ot f Paradise thoroughly Why youre you're welcome to do that tha t whenever you choose he assented I promptly An Any day you like I dont don't mind confessing that after atter r certain events and certain Inexplicable Inex Inex- happenings lately I Have Havi C been going round myself with wilh a a hammer and divining rod speaking rOd speaking metaphorically lly Did you OU discover anything Not a thing I have done my ray best but I cant can't see anything about her which makes her worth even a penny more than the 1800 pounds I gave for her There is no space for hidden treasure of ot any very la l large arge amount and the people who a are re chiefly interested in her dont don't L s seem eem like people who are hungry p f for or mone money Theres There's a woman there h he e added moving his head slightly r i in n the tho direction of a couple a little a ahead head of oC th them m who could probably a ably bly give us an Idea what to look c f for or The princess the girl exclaimed 1 I dont don't think that she sho knows any any- t thing hing Why did she turn m my cabin in inside in s side Bide out then Hamer demanded Why did she put stuff in my coffee coffee cof cot fee What did she come to the boa boat t at all aU for She is an impulsive creature Lucienne declared I never mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- the drug of ot course but I Idid Ir did ask her why she turned all your you r things inside out after you had been 1 so kind and pulled her ner ou out of at th the e water She insisted upon it tha that t tall all she wanted wante was a scarf He Her r neck was cold and she wanted ti to hide the jewelry she was wearing Be careful Hamer She is is' co coming ing to speak to us That is the Marquis Marqui S Sale de ale St St. Pierre she is with Louise and her escort came ui up to the table at which the others other had just res reseated at d. d th themselves fus Hamer Ha Hamer a mer was introduced 1 There was a little family conversation conversa tion Uon then Louise turned smilingly y to the young American And my beautiful boat sh she e asked where you made me inc so com comfortable when I was stupid and overturned overturned overturned over over- turned my canoe You are taking g care of ot it I am doing my best best he assure assured 1 her I never dreamed that I wa was acquiring so popular a possession when I bought her She is coming into the famil family very soon soon Lucienne confided I Iam Iam am going to marry Mr although my people dont don't know 1 I It yet and he has promised me Ui the 0 Bird of oC Pa Paradise a ise for for- fora a weddin wedding g present Louise was a little startled I congratulate Mr i heartily she said and of o-f course course m my dear Lucienne you know that 1 wish you every happiness I regret though that he has pr promised you yot the Bird of Paradise I want to buy it I told him so that night You wo wouldn't rather have a pearl pear necklace cc would would- you dear dear dearVe We Ve might make an exchange You dont don't s suppose tha that one could ba barter ter the wedding present of oC a bridegroom to his bride Lu Lu- cienne protested When it becomes mine it itis is mine tor forever ver I lam am not nol sure that I shall shaH keep her where she is You a ai ae c e all aU so jealous I think I shall shah take her round into our private harbor on the other side i Tell TeU me about dear Armand Louise begged I r avent haven't t s seen en him for a whole da day I dont don't think he looks in the least rested r We met him on the Algle Aigle Noir this aft afternoon remarked He seemed all aU right Lonely life lie for tor him up there I should think No distractions and nd nothing but messengers going back bael and forth all aU the thc time tune the worst of ot French Frenc politics politics politics pol pol- especially if it a man is In the cabinet Louise sighed A minister minister minister minis minis- ter Is never left alone even on on his vacation Busy little secretaries with their portfolios lios follow the theta them about wherever they arc That's hats why so many of oC them go o into inti hiding Armand too is so conscientious us That reminds me me-I me I have invited myself to lunch there tomorrow I 1 Ishall Ishall shall try and make him take me out somewhere Is this a joke of yours Lucienne or are you and Mr Wild Wild- burn really engaged We are waiting for tor the family sanction the girl replied I telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone father every day and warn him aim that terrible things are going on here but it doesn't seem seen's to hurr hur- hur r him up Since he developed this intense interest in politics and fi finance Ii- Ii nance Paris seems to draw him like a magnet n You will permit me the marquis intervened to offer you my heartfelt heartfelt heartfelt heart heart- felt wishes for tor your happiness Lucienne and to congratulate you sir he added turning to If It the hour of the the- night permitted permit permit- ted I would suggest that we drink your health As it is is glancing toward to to- to ward Louise I am afraid that we i must be leaving I r am at your d disposition St SL StPierre Pierre she told him Your mention of t your our father reminds re reminds re re- minds me that I saw him In Paris Path t three days ago the marquis re remarked re- re remarked re- re marked as he shook hands with Lu Lu- cienne Enjoying himself she asked Very much the reverse I should I say the marquis replied He was with two very well-known well men mer I l lunching at Henrys Henry's and discussing some apparently weighty matter with great vigor I thought you never left Jet your property here now marquis Lucienne Lucienne Lucienne Lu Lu- cienne observed shaking her finger at himI him I I leave very seldom he admit admit- ted On this occasion I found Paris unbelievably triste Everyone seems to o be moving m about as though they were bowed ved down with woe woi I and expecting a thunderstorm a at atan t tany an any moment Of or gaiety there is i 3 very little My heart was light fo for forthe forthe the first time when I returned ti timy to tomy tomy my chate chateau u here What is it it all aU about anyway p asked I have an office I i in Paris and I l hear ear very very much the thi same reports but no one seems ti to know why France Franc Jias at least succeeded suc sue c ce d in n g getting together r a strong M reputable abinet cabinet She is the th C only nation which seems to understand under stand finance finance bleeding bleeding us poor for or- or eigners to death as a matter o of L fact I should think that everyone C ought to be walking on tiptoe How can one tell where whore one gets get S I these feelings from the marquis marqui sighed So far as I am concerned r rit it is perhaps because I am growing old The wines which I used t to 0 find so wonderful in my favorite favorit e restaurants seem to have lost Jost their r flavor The girls dance with heavy feet Th Their i ey eyes s gall call all no longer Th The little chansons which once amuse amused us so are toneless Perhaps it I IsParis is isParis 5 Paris that is growing old Au revoir Lo Louise ise exclaimed I 1 must take my old friend away or I Ishall Ishall Ishall shall have th the migraine A nice cheerful old bird that Hamer observed dolefully doleful doleful- ly Jy a moment or two later The tro trouble with St St. Pierre Lucienne Lucienne Lu- Lu I cienne murmured as she ghe rose to her feet is that he has too much courage to admit defeat He Is really 75 15 years eats old and he thinks that he heis heis heis is 65 He has has' hasan an income of perhaps a million francs and he believes that it is three which three which I believe it I was not long ago He was was was' too devoted t to his his' wife to to eyer ever marry again anc and he has too good taste to care ab about aboul ut uta a housekeeper Pretty good summing up for tor an ani i n g c e n ii u c o Hamer acknowledged as he paid the bill To be continued Copyright 1935 1 for Th The TeJ Telegram |
