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Show 1 ff:iw',T,pf'""1- 'tJ, far ' J CHAPTER LXXI. I Again Mt Brmr and M Taka M for an Accompuc. The ruse by which I had balked Mary Thomas seemed silly and simple, sim-ple, I thought, as the ear riu.-ed b.ick to town. Hut w hat matter, so Ion as It served o keep her from her afternoon aft-ernoon efnagernentT AnfT 1t would keep her. 1 realixed. as I glanced at the cliM-k above the Victory's porte cot here. ('ramuitttK' my own small leather lea-ther baa- Into Mary's htiK headed sf-falr, sf-falr, I hurried to my room, fearful thai I mmht hav loft the expected call on the phone. - While I waited for It, I tried to make my rotyantlf mission seem reasonable. 1 mil 1L not. When the lell finally ranc. t i as both astonished and frightened. fright-ened. a mau,'a voice asUed me to hsve tean the ItelcMn room in half an hour. "When I .ocepiej the invl- j tatlon. my voire was only a whisper, 1 and ridiculously hoarse at that! Hut, after 1 had hung up th receiver, re-ceiver, 1 relaxed. Soon this strenuous strenu-ous affair would be concluded. This aw ful re.Nonsibility would be transferred trans-ferred to broader shoulders. was too nervous to wait in my apartment, su 1 went down to (he writ- ing room. As 1 hung Mary's bag on the back of a chair. I was embarrassed to se that the thing was gorgeously con--pn uouk. I Thinking hard, biit scribbling carelessly, care-lessly, 1 was xpoilini; some of the Vic- ' lory's very elegant stationery when a hand dropped on the hack of my chair f and & voice which 1 knew onjy too well addressed me. It was Bremer s , voice. I was petrified' i Mis Thomas," he said, "'! have been I (Continued fn in page 4 ) j CONFESSIONS OF ''n"t tnued on p;ic" through thi room twice. I wondr-r htw I could have tnied you. T trut jl have nd k'-pt vou wilting" ! 1 turned, thjii, nd run- to mv fcit. j The man face met in atlff wrlnktea of amazement. But he achieved a cere monlou Imiw. "J torg your pardon," he ;i'd. "I have made mistake. Hut that ban It ha-lonjrt ha-lonjrt to Ml Thorn n. doe It not "Ve," I natd. thtnkina; like HKht-nlna;. HKht-nlna;. but proceeding with caution. "Yea. It la her ban. Hut Mia Thomaa ha been ah detained." "However, It waa arranged. If that happened, that the lady who ahould come here with her bag " Bremer alao proceeded Rlowly; in fact, ao cautiously cau-tiously that I CHiiitht my cue. "Kxactly o," 1 exclaimed, doing- my beat to Imitate a movie actrea reg later la-ter tng "faaclnation." "Tha woman who whmitct carry her bag waa to carry hr nieage, alo." At that Hremer nmlled, too. Ha aaked, calmly although hurriedly: "And tha meage la?" "Tha meaage la, 'Now I lay ma down to aleep!" " "What whalT" ha atammered. "I waa to receive a meeaaga of alx word and Mwn ayllablea," ha commented. "No aaven word tn aeven aylla-Mew." aylla-Mew." I lnlted. wonilfrinf ' ntf tfrana good luck. "1 haven't the cod I taka tha mea-aaga mea-aaga to una who haa," Hremer aaid. Ml'rmlt me to thank vou. mademol- Bille. One you tricked me. Yet 1 railed you the moat wonderful girl In the m-orld. If thia Is a eecond trick, I ahall kep my opinion of you. mademoi-elle. Hut the third tlm we meet you will compenaate me for th fraud!' - (To b continued.) Copyright 1Ii. by th Newapanr Kn-terprta Kn-terprta Association. |