Show F ANT A NT 0 OM M AS A S By Two Trpo Fren French h. h Fiction Masters IV Marcel All Allain a inand and Pierre e e. J SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS The Marquise de has been murdered in her home horne the chateau of ot Beaulieu Her guests at the time included The Baronne a wealthy young widow Mlle Mile Therese Au the he I marquises marquise's grand daughter and Charles Rambert aged 18 18 son of ot M M. Etienne Rambert The last name named 1 an old friend of the murdered marquise arrives at at Beaulieu the morning after the tragedy and accuses hl his son of the crime Some borne weeks later a body found in the river is Identified as that of young Ra Rambert rt The father is charged with hl his son sons son's a murder I tr tried Inspector Inspector- p and 10 acquitted cj Juve the famous famous' Paris detective detective de detective de- de holds to his his own theory that the murder of the tse was one of f many e crimes committed by y whose very existence some som profess to to doubt 1 I Meanwhile the Princess Sonia has been robbed robbed another another I transaction transaction and and the murder of Lord Bel- Bel I Bel tham may belong to the pam lIam my mysterious ca category Young Charles Rambert supposed tobe to tobe tobe be dead suddenly reappears His father still persists In believing him a criminal contrary to the belief bellet of Detective Juve who befriends the boy and advises him to remain concealed under the name of at Jerome Jerome Je Jerome Je- Je rome Juve also declares that Mme Alice Allee Rambert mother of Charles Is perfectly sane notwithstanding the fact of her seclusion in Inthe the private asylum of Dr Biron from which she is now trying tryIng trying try try- ing to escape I will not speak unless we are alone he answered dully I If you know anything of people in misfortune you know they do not like to humiliate themselves before those who cannot understand He nodded towards the majordomo and th the porter I know something of misfortune Lady replied In firm tones She looked at her two servants Leave us please The majordomo started started Leave yo alone with him l and as Lad Lady looked at him in haughty surprise he withdrew still protesting A heavy velvet curtain fell over the closing door and In the room dimly light lighted d by bya a small electric lamp Lady was was' alone with the strange Individual to whom she had accorded a private privat Interview She followed l her hr r servants to the do door r and locked it after them The she sprang towards theman the theman theman man and flung herself Into his arms arms Oh Gurn Gum my darling my darling she c cried i d looked Up nip and hand saw bl blood od on his forehead The brutes have hurt I you ou Give me yo your r eyes your your lips I km am m so so happy she murmured But Butare Butare Butare are you mad to to come here and let yourself be caught aught and tortured so Moodily G Gurn rn answered J Time has be been been n long without without you youl I This evening I was was prowling around round and s saw w a light I thought that everyone every every- every everyone one would be asleep p but you I 1 came cameto cameto to you yop like a moth to a candle that is all all' Silence fell feU upon these se tragic tragic- Covers overs as they stood recalling memories What happy hours no Q lived to together together together to- to gether out there Lady whispered Her thoughts had wandered wan Van dered to the Transvaal where first she had set eyes ejes on Gurn Guru the sergeant of artillery Gums Gum's thoughts followed hers Out there And on the ship homeward homeward home home- ward bound Our meetings every day Our long talks and longer silences We were learning to know each otherl other other l We le e were learning to love each other she said And then then London London and Paris and the fever of ot life threatening threatening threatening threat threat- ening our love But the ecstasy of or it i t all But remember what yo you did fO fOme fot r me thirteen months ago With white lips and haggard eyes she held beld Gums Gum's hands in an even tighter grip I I remember r. r Gurn Gumn said slowly Our little room In the Ru Rue Levert I Iwas Iwas Iwas was on my knees beside you The door opened and there stood L Lore r mad with rage and Jealousy His Ills eyes sought yo you and a pistol waS waS' pointed at your heart I spra sprang g and struck him down And then I strangled him Lady eyes were fixed on the mans man's hands that she still held be between between between be- be tween her own Oh Gurn Guru she sobbed sobbed limy my darling Listen said Gurn Gumn harshly after a pause of anxious sile silence ce I had to see you tonight The police are after me I I have m made de myself almost unrecognizable unrecognizable un un- recognizable but twice vice twice I have been nearly caught Do you think the poli police e have any accurate idea of what happened 7 No said Gum Gurn They think I killed him with the mallet As far asI as asI 1 I know they found no marks of my hands on on his throat They could not have been clear for his collar you cOllar you understand The man spoke without repugnance But they have identified me That detective Juve is very clever We did not have have- presence of mind Lady said despairingly We ought to have led them to suspect someone else have made them think it was say Not that said Gam Gurn nervously dont c ont talk about The main thing is that I should escape escape across across the channel channel across across the Atlantic Atlantic any any anywhere where But would But would you come too Lady did not hesitate I am yours wherever you may go Shall it be tomorrow Gurn Gumn smiled again Then that is settled he said Iam I Iam Iam am happy Goodbye Lady stayed l him Walt Wait she said Walter shall let you out I will invent some story to Justify your being allowed to go go goShe She stole to the door and unlocked it noiselessly then crossed the room and rang the bell placed near the fireplace Resuming the haughty air all and cold Indifference in indifference indifference In- In difference that were in such contrast to her real characters character she waited while Walter WaIter the porter came inTake inTake inTake in Take that man to the door and let no harm be done to him said Lady He H is free Without word sign or glance Gurn Gumn went out ut and Walter followed to obey his mistress mistress' command Once more alone Lady waited wait wait- waited ed fOcI nervously in an agony to know that he was safe Of OE a sudden noise broke on her ears again f hurrying feet and broken shouts and w words There Thee he Is hold hl him Look out constable This way inspector Yes Tes its it's Gurn Gumn Lady cowered down upon a sofa sota In the corridor exclamations exclamations exclamations ex ex- rose above the cries of the three girls girl's The Thedoor door was flung open Lady Latty Belt- Belt ham by bya a tremendous effort of will wil had risen to her feet and was standing by the end of the sofa Lady Alive and Therese Therese The The- rese rem and Lisbeth and amI Susannah rushed sobbing to her The rhe a agonized woman motioned them away With hard eyes e ejes S and set mouth she moved towards the window From the park outside Gurus Guru's voice rang distinctly distinctly distinctly dis dis- he wished to take a last farewell fare fare- wellI well I I 1 am caught I am caught Yes I Iam Iam Iam am Gurn Gum and I am caught I burst in and hurried to his 1 mistress ss I I thought as much he ex exclaimed excitedly I recognized the villain I from the description in n spite of his beard I informed the police A detective detective de- de I was shadowing Gurn Guru and and when he was going out of the hou house eI I gave the signal Lady stared at the majordomo majordomo majordomo major major- domo in mute horror Yes she muttered on the point of swooning I I pointed him out to the police polide and it is thanks to me your ladys ladyship ip that Gurn Gum the murderer has been arrested at lastor last For Tor Just another moment Lady Belt- Belt ham stared at the man who gave her these appalling tidings seemed to strive to utter something then fell prone to the flo floor r unconscious The majordomo and the girls sprang to her side to lavish attentions upon her At that moment the door open opened d and the figure of Juve appeared May I come in said he o CHAPTER The Sc Scrap of P Paper per i It was 3 o'clock wh when n Juve ai arrived rived at the Rue Lev Levert rt and found the concierge concierge concierge con con- of No finishing her coffee She gave him an admiring Good afternoon inspector and going to a board wh where re keys were hanging took I one down So theres there's something fresh today she said Ive just seen in the paper that 1 M M. Guru Gurn has been arrested It turns my blood cold to think of ot him Juve took the k key y and cut short her I remarks by walking to the door He went up the five floors to the flat formerly formerly formerly for for- merly occupied by Gurn Guru reflecting somewhat moodily It w was s satisfactory to have the under lock and nd key hey but Juve had 1 learned arned nothing new newin newin newin in consequence of the arrest He did no not know why Gurn Guru had killed Lord and did not even even know exactly exactly exactly ex- ex who Gurn Guru himself was All he Continued on on page 7 7 F ANTOMAS Continued from page 6 6 was was that the murder had been planned and carried out with marvelous audacity and skill Juve let himself Into the flat and closed the door The detective did not know precisely why he ho had come He had searched the place a dozen times and had found nothing to assist In the elucidation of the mystery He lie would very much to be able to identify identity Gum Gurn with that one most mysterious mysterious mysterious mys mys- criminal whose deeds had shocked the world The way in which this murder was was committed the very verj audacity of it It led him to think to sense sense Juve once more went around the flat The kitchen Stove SUne Cupboards The saucepans The anteroom NothIng Nothing Noth Noth- Ing TV was as there He lIe went back to the dining room In one corner was a a. 1 heap of old newspapers and thrown down in disorder Juve kicked them aside Ive I looked through all 1111 that even read the agony columns He went into the bedroom bedroom bedroom bed bed- room and contemplated the bed hod the chairs set one on top of another the wardrobe that stood empty Against the wall near the fireplace was a little little lit lit- tle e escritoire with a cupboard above it it containing a afew few books My men have been through that that Juve muttered but I had better see He lie began to sort the papers putting one ne after atter another aside with a grimace T or f t disappointment Almost the last document he picked up was a sheet of ot parchment an official notice of Gurns Gurn's promotion to the rank of ot sergeant sergeant ser ser- geant when fighting under Lord Bel- Bel tham in the South African war Juve laid it down with a gesture of discouragement discouragement discouragement dis dis- It It is extraordinary he muttered That Is authentic and proves this Cell fellow ow was a brave bra soldier that is a fine record of service He drummed his fingers on the desk and spoke aloud Is Gurn Gumn really Gurn Gum then and have I been mistaken from start to finish in the the little romance I have been weaving around him He went on to the bookcase took the vol volumes mes out holding each by its two covers shook it to make sure that no papers were hidden among among the tho the leaves All AlI in vain He did the same with a large railway timetable and several shipping calendars I The odd thing Is is he thought these timetables go to prove pro e Gurn Gumn really was the commercial traveler he to professed be beIn In the bookcase was a box containIng containing containing contain contain- ing a collection of ordnance maps maps-Juve took then jut and one by one unfolded unfold unfold- ed every map A sharp exclamation burst from his lips Ups Good Lord Its It's the center district Cahors and Brives and Saint and and Beaulieu And the missing piece It it Is the missing piece that would give that precise district Juve stared at the map A Apiece Apiece Apiece piece had been cut exit out of or it neatly and carefully and that piece must have shown the district where the chateau stood which had been occupied by the tho Marquise de If If I could only prove that the piece from this map belonging to Gurn Gum Is the piece I found near V Ve Ver- Ver rieres station after the murder of ifie Te Marquise de what what consequences consequences conse conse conse- this discovery might have Juve made a n. note of the number of the map folded it up again and was prepared to leave th the flat when a sharp ring at the bell ell made him Jump The deuce he exclaimed s 's softly and felt in his pocket to make sure that his revolver was there Then he smiled It It is Mme wondering wondering wondering won won- dering why I am here so long longHe He strode to the door J I You he exclaimed Charles Chatles Rambert Or I should say Jerome t To be continued tomorrow |