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Show i Sl THE MAIDS OF TM PARADISE UhSHiP Robert W.Chambers gM W Author oflCardigairieConspirafors' j-yrv fW .O.IrwiN Myers Cci,i"'t 'M tvPFCollir45on (Continued from Last Wcok.) oho met my eyes with composure, leaned a little toward me, and waited. And so, sitting thero In the tinted glnro, I told her of tho death of Del-mont Del-mont nnd or TavornIorr and or Buck-hurut's Buck-hurut's share In tho miserable work. ( "Madamo, I am paining you," I Bald; "but I am going to cause you even greater unhapplness." "Tell mo what Is necessary," aha said, rormlng tho words with tightened Up3. '""hen 1 must toll you that It la nee- y for Mndemolsollo Elven to leavo Trecnurt tonight." "Why?" "'It Is bettor that I do not tell you. madamo." "Toll mo. It Is my right to know." "Not now; later, ir you Instat," "This Is droadrul," she muttered. . "If I did not know you, . . if I did not trust you so perfectly) . . . trust you with all my heart! ... Oh, nro you cortaln she must got It rrlghtons mo; It Is bo strange! I have grown tond or her. . . . And now you say that eho must go. I cannot can-not understand I cannot." "No, you annot understand," I repented, re-pented, gently,' "but sho can. It is a sorlous mwter ror Mademoiselle Elven;, El-ven;, It could not easily bo moro serl-ous. serl-ous. It Is even perhaps a question of Iiro or death, mndame." "In heaven's nnmo, help hor, thont" flho said, scarcely controlling the alarm thnt brought a pitiful break to her voice. I am trying to." I said. "And now I must consult Mndemolsollo Elven Will you help mo?" "What can I do?" sho asked, plto-ously. plto-ously. "Stand by that window. Look madamo, ma-damo, can you bco the lights on the semaphore?" : "Yes." "Count them aloud." . Sho counted tho white lights for me. then tho red ones. "Now" I said. "ir thoso lights change n number or color or position, cotno instantly to me. I shall bo with Mademoiselle Elvon In tho llttlo tea- room. I left her In tho shadow of tho curtains cur-tains and passed thVough tho room to Sjlvla a sldo. 8ho looked up quietly from her embroidery frame, then, dropping the tinted silks and needles on tho cloth, roeo and walked bosldo me. When wo entered the llttlo tearoom tea-room she passed on to tho lounge and seated herseir on tho padded arm. "What Is It?" sho asked. "1 am sorry to tell you." 1 8ad--norry rrom my heart. You are not It'hnr Wy l m' "nd U,nt 2 Uharder ror mo to say what I have to "What do YOU mnnn .i.n ...... Buardeuty.d0 mDnn?" Bho Mkcd I -l.ra"'AnhdnyorknConwnwt?y asked."ho'.y.OXP,a,n th'8 ,n8,lltr 8he J!'0' , You nro a Ocrnian spy," 1 Mil land hero tonlBht.or tomorrow-" I e.,t on calmly. You will Tow "gerous your situation Is certain to become when Huckhurst is taken and when It Is understood what hm you have made of tho .emophore." i.?iWl?,,',hc" "tightened nnd bent her steady gnzo on me. Hor co"r. ago was admirable F "I thank you for tolling U10l ,no said, simply. "Have I a chance tr reach the Spanish frontier?" " I think you havo," I replied. "Kellv o7 No, no, ho must notl Does bo know what I am? Did he offer to go?' she asked. lnpr,ii...i.. hui sno asked, Incredulously. Mademoiselle, ho Insists." U'tl'out turning hor head she said: diShi" v that u mny raean S- i'.- fUiKa,:0"8 ror your rar.?a?iinta8hL'dOUt-COnfrcUn "Vou must know that," I Bd ru5n! nL;are f "c"-Tlson-uUer ,i" ' Do '" dre deny you have uoon Ignornnt of this?" For a space Bho stood thero strong speechless; then. "Call 2' , crlot rt'ii 1 , ' . " '"ml" rhl "led. Call him, I tell ynul rtrin.. him hero-I want hlni hfhUon ES foro us both!" re noro ho- "0 was silent. His -taco was answer enough a terrlblo answer. "Monsieur Eyre, speak to mo! Ia-lt true? Did they did you not know that I mailo an error that I did go on Monday Mon-day nt the samo hour? They told mo at tho uslno that you had gone away I thought you had forgotten that you did not caro " "Carol" ho groaned, and bowed his head, crushing hor hands over his face. Then sho broko down, breathless with terror and grief. "I was not a spy then truly I was not, Kelly. Thero was no harm In me I onl.7 only nsked for the sketches because because I cared ror you. I navo tuem now; no soul save myself has ever seen them." She raised hor head and rumbled In hor corsago with shaking fingers, and drew rrom hor bosom a packet of pa-pors. pa-pors. "Hero nro tho Bkotchcs," she sobbed; "they havo cost you donr! Now leave mo hnto mo! Let thorn como and tako me I do not wont to live any more. Oh, what punishment on earth!" Her suffering was unendurable to tho nan who had suffered through her; ho turnod on mo, qulvorlng in every limb. "We must Btart." he said, hoarsely. QIvo mo your revolver." I drew It rrom my hip pocket and passed It to him. "Scarlett," he began, "if we don't reach" A quick rapping at tho door silenced, him; tho young countess stood In the) hallway. brlcht.nvoH hu .' ..auu, origni-oyea, hut composed, asking for me. "Tho red and whlto lights are gon sho said. "Thero am four green lights on the towor and four blue lights on the halyards." I turned to Eyre. "This is Interest- ug.' I raid, grimly, "I set signals for the Porde-Lanco to land In force. Somebody has chnnged them. You had better get ready to go." Sylvia had shrunk nway from Eyre Tho countess looked at her blankly, then at mo. "Mndame." I said, "thero Is llttlo Mm"E l! "PP'M" la the world-so little that when It comes It should bo welcomed, oven hv iiinon .i. -.. ueicomea, oven by thoso who may not sharo In It." And I bent nearer and whispered tho truth. "Sylvia!" murmured tho younK countessIncredulously. "A spy! And she brings thls-thln shamo on mo!" Sylvia turned, standing unsteadily. Par a long tlmo they looked at each other In silence, their oyes wet with FL, Th.e,11 ':r0 "N0'1 Sylvla'a hl"iJ and kissed It. nnd led her nway, clos-Ing clos-Ing tho d. . behind. The countess still stood In tho ce ZL T' tran8""d, rigid, star. Ing through her tears at tho elm.- iinn- w Vi . " "l "10 closed .r' Vllh, 1 cep drawn breath she straightened her shoulders; her head drooped; sho covered her face with clasped hands. "What havo I done?" sho cried. brokenly-"what hnvo I done thnt "hla shamo should como upon mo?" "n'.',m,lhnV d0" no,l,lK." I aald, neither ror good nor ovll In this sCpry8,B,ThaUtUtfi Sy'V,a, hn8: Mi ml', , . ,nnn "Uom Kv UP his "fa for a mend Is good; that a woman sSJr? fr,h0r country ' "offe" still burning, pmy it may snare "or and spnro hlni." J Pare JyTh"I VSn l,00,ed 0t mo BC0rnful-'J. BC0rnful-'J. I think that wo aro not fitted to undorstand onch other." "It remains," I said, "ror mo to thank you ror your klndnrn to us nil and ror cursnnoro8U onJ.nndror f to Jreamoarrir1068 shall never fo, 1, "' ' '. 1 m never rofKot It. . . r .. ShVH,,'"': my n,lloux' mndame" She tlushed to her temples, but did not utiBwer. u ' As I Blood l-nklng at hor. a vivid K,0'"8"' " through lhawta lo bohlnd me, crimsoning tho walls, ornal radiance. At tho samo Instant 10 gat outside crashed open, a hub- bub or voices swelled Into a roar; then l.o outer doors were ,.ng back 'and a I L. 1, "I?!1 "'""" ,n, tfo hallway, ''h'.redtorch.llghtdanc- lK on rlfie hnrrols and bayonets. And before them, revolver swinging In his slender hand, strode FJuckhurst red sash tied across 1,1s broaat. hlJ colorless oyes llko diamonds. Spee.1 and Jacqueline camo liurrylnt! 'through tho hall to where I atooift niickhnrsfs smllo was awful nJ u oyes flBBn, ,f,om 8pep( (o m;j "l Ilehlnd him, clone to his hmiM tho,orchd.Khtfo,,nMrrit.;Sm,0 ,; face, stren-,,,1 now ,nt0 f clous grimace, be lurid him crowded . tfhe Bordlors "of th"o comrnuno, flfles slung, craning their unshaven facoa' 1 to catch a glimpse of us. "Buckhurst," I said, "what the devil do you mean by this foolery?" and t started for him, shouldering my way among his grotesque escort For an Instant I looked Into his deadly dead-ly eyes; then ho silently motioned mo back; a dozen bayonetB were leveled, forcing me to retire, inch by Inch. The Countess do Vassart was already al-ready In tho hall, facing Buckhurst with perfect composure. He turned and addressed us, suave, ly, bowing with a horrid, toiock defer ence to the countess: "In the name of tho commune! The cl-devant CountesB do Vassart Is accused ac-cused of sheltering tho individual Scar lett, lato inspector of Imperial police; the Individual Speed, ox-Inspector ol Imperial gendarmes; tho individual Eyre, under general suspicion; the woman called Sylvia Elven, a German spy. As war delegate of the commune, com-mune, I am here to accuse! "I accuso tho woman Sylvia Elven of communication with Prussian agents; of attemptod corruption of soldiers under my command. I accuse tho cltoyenne Ellne Treopurt, lately late-ly known as the Countess de Vassart, of aiding, encouraging and abetting: theso onemles of France!" ' He waited until the short, fierce yell of approval had died away. Thon: "Call tho soldier Rolland!" he said. My heart began to hammer In my throat "I believe It's going hard with us," I muttered to Speed. "Listen," he motioned. I llstoned to the wretched- croaturo Rolland while hj told what had hap. pened at the semaphore, "You Bay he bribed your' asked Buckhurst, gontly. "Yes; I've said It twenty times, haven't I?" "And you took the brine T" The wretch laughed outright "And you believe that you .deserve well of the commune?" smiled Buckhurst Buck-hurst The soldier grinned and opened hie mouth to answer, and Buckhurst shot him through the face; and, as he fell, shot him again, standing wreathed In the smoke of his own weapons. "I think," said Buckhurst, In a pleasantly pleas-antly perBuaslve voice, "that there will be no more bribery In this battalion." He deliberately opened tho smoking weapon;, the epent shells dropped one by ono from the cylinder, clinking on the stone floor. "No no moro bribery," he mused, touching the dead man with the carefully care-fully pollBhed toe or his shoe. "Because," "Be-cause," ho added, reloading his revolver, re-volver, "I do not llko It" (Contlueii t.xt week ) |