Show M A author ulmor of the ne am A a hollow hallow of her IF 09 n Y hand beverly of graustark the prince of grau B by y GEORGE EORGE G BARR mccutcheon etc etc ing ajr dodd waa anil and Compa CHAPTER continued you ton haiie tn this otio one said names barnes and I 1 will manage the other ili he wits lit in a hurry tu to net get away from tho the house there wits no telling when I 1 the ho government agents would descend upon the place harnes barnes helped peter to lift tile the trunks into the car till iid then ordered him to start at once for harts tuv ern you can return later hiter on oil for your thi things ngsI lie sald said 1 I got lein era tie tied up lip lit in it bundle in the garage sir ir darns lie suld wont take a second to get cm out lie hurried around the corner of tile the house A dry quiet chuckle fell upon barnes earb cars ile ho glit need about in ili surprise and alarm no one wits was lit in sight look up young man and the lie startled young tuan ninn obeyed ills gaze halted lit at I 1 n window on oll it aliu se t colli story almost directly over ills his licud head mr air wits looking down upon him his sharp features fixed lit in it n sardonic grin well ill ho be d 1 hurst from hanics alpa to see me pit eli if youre not lint in n hurry lit id appreciate it lift ai fur far as tile tavern old ninn inan ril ill be down in a jiffy stand aside I 1 im mi going to drop A t later tip he swung over hill nil and dropped lightly to the ground eight feet below see here sprouse ur or whatever your name 1 Il hotter billetter hear tile me out broke in ili sprouse calmly 1 I could drill it holu through you so no quickly oud never know what did it lie went on oil ills linal wits in tits ills cont pocket and 11 quick bocc revealed to barnes a singularly impressive angle lit in the cloth tile point of which seel secured lied to he be directed squarely tit nt ills his client chest hut but ini ill not going to do 10 it I 1 just want to set mt myself straight with you in it a word I 1 never pot got anywhere near tile the roon room jn which the jewels were tills rills Is ii gods goda truth barnes I 1 the only one who wits was trying to get the baubles my illy friend it wits a gamp in which alch only the best beat man mail could win 1 I know the truth now about bitoon I 1 imil vava awa fald td marnas you to do sneered sprouse Sp rousi ill bot bet you it a thousand to one you do not tile the girl was led to believe lic llou that they were a n couple of crooks and tint that they fixed tile me in that tavern down don there that what she told you well avell that story was vas cooked up till for tier her special benefit roon was the huron baron ailed lund land hedlund came up tit here it a week or so ago to keep n lookout for tits wife the baroness la Is supposed to lie deeply enamored of prince URO ugo ile he found letters which seemed to indicate that she was planning to join the prince up till lacre when lie heard of the arrival of a lady tit nt green fancy tile the other oilier afternoon lie got busy I 1 admit that I 1 am ain the gentleman who alio telephoned the warning up lip to the prince they tried led to lead head tile the baron and tits his giwoff nt cit the crossroads cross cros roads but he 41 N 57 VZ see sea hire here sprouse or whatever your fi name ls Is b ern to it IL it if there was to UP be it they filant want ant it to happen anywhere near the house I 1 believe ugo Is the one who pot got the baron tir or bitoon as you know litin him now that la Is the true story dory of the little affair to go back to my own troubles when I 1 got out into the hall night helot belot tore fore lost after leaving leading tier her r room I 1 heard voices whispering in prince bols room I 1 beat it up tile the stairway into the little attic nothing happened so I 1 jineal a ted down toli tive n peep around lilie gougos toU to gos room was open but rn fews no light on the inside IT lie CAM to t e doon dooc and looked up and dow hall than somi one else carne cam n to sneak awny away lie L leavo v I 1 YE less the sex jim 4 nicholas butted in tit at tills this unfortunate juncture lie ile made the mistake of ills his life ugo jumped buck back into ills his room in ili less ahrin a second lie wt wr nit jilt again lit ile landed squarely on oil N tits jinn buck back us as ill the fellow tinned to tin ipe ile I 1 saw the steel flash poor ioor old nick went down lit in a heap letting citing out it horrible yell ugo dragged him into the lie loom find dallied hark into I 1 his i Is own A moment titer inter lie cuine out again ii yelling for licup let there was only one thing left for me ino to do all unil that was to get out on the roof if possible and wait for things thans s to quiet down I 1 got out through a trap door und id stayed there hero for tin an hour or so ho well walli to shorten the lie story I 1 finally took it chance antl and slid down to the caves where I 1 manage to fand the lie limb of it a tree lilg enough to support me just as it if tile the lord had ordered it put lint there for my illy special benefit I 1 was wan soon on oil the ground Kro unil find that meant safety for tile me I 1 tin had licit aicard rd URO ugo tell the others that nicholas sald the man inan who stabbed vil him was yours truly can call YOU bent beat it and now comes the maddening part of the whole hole business ile ho eald that file crown croci a jewels were gone I 1 the thief downstairs when lie he stag erad to the lie door if wo ure are to find the lie crown jewels my illy friend we me will mst first m st have to fand arinto ugo tic lie tins lias bliem 1 I dont believe a word of this yarn said mild barnes hotly flatly von foil havo the jewels anil and look liere here mr barnes im not go ing to 0 o double cross you again till nil ovir over I 1 want to get unit that scurvy dog who knifed poor old nick if you can nn give tile me a lend lead ill I 1 try to run prince ugo town down and if I 1 to do well get tile the jewels we ave you amuse me sprouse well I 1 cant to do any more that give my illy promise my luy soleine oath or something like that I 1 cant give it lionil bond you know I 1 swear to you iou that if I 1 lay hands glinnda on that exult I 1 will deliver it to you might alight jut just ns as well trust tile 1110 ni ugo get in n the sula barnes suddenly iio ho had decided to take it chance with the resourceful indefatigable ruscal rascal there was waa something convincing about sprouses Sp rouses version of the tiffi affair tir tit t green rainy karnes burnes told old him that lie he knew of prince agos light sprouse looked thoughtful for ft a long time so odowd knows know s that I 1 really was after the swag eh ile iio believes I 1 got it 1 I suppose so tho the only one vile mho thinks F im in absolutely innocent Is 14 ugo of course and 31 mrs rs van dyke good sprouse smacked ills his lips lip got a pretty fair idea where I 1 tan can flud mr air loeb lod it will take it little time a couple of days dais perhaps but sooner or later inter hell turn up lip kil in loso close initta to the beautiful bar baronea CHAPTER A trip by night and a late arrival shortly after sundown that evening thu the company tavern they were ure delayed by tile irritating ant and to mr unpardonable behavior of two officious clous gentlemen lately latch arrived aho who vho InsI insisted sled poll politely tely but on prying into the past present nil anil fu turo ture history of the several severi il in members embers of tile organization including the new nc bricker backer barnes had devised demised n very cry clever plan for getting miss Can ivron away am from the tavern without att ill undue attention she was ns to lone leave in one of tho the automobiles that IH he had engaged to convey the players to Crown crondall dale where cicro they were to show in case of detent detention lon or inquiry she was to pose ns a stage struck young woman who vile had obtained a place with tile the aoi company pi illy at the last moment through ills fils influence when tho lie hour came for the departure front from harts tavern lie he deliberate ly engaged tile two secret service b rolce me men in conversation in the taproom miss cameron left the house by the alie rear floor door and was safely ensconced in peters automobile long before lie shook hands with the rat catchers and dashed out to join tier her tommy grays crays car occupied by the four players placers was moving away front from the door us its lie sprang prang in beside her and slammed the door peters efforts to stay tom my hiis venerable but surprisingly ener betle car were lie cluse cause of many a gasp anti shudder from the couple who sat behind him in the bounding car lie had orders to keep back of tommy but never to lose sight of his all light are arc you there lie whispered whimpered yes yen it jolly running away like this it must be wonderfully exciting to lie be a criminal always dodging and slit even n limousine may have cars caral I 1 lint it if the limousine had possessed a thousand ears cars they would have been rendered useless in the stormy racket ninde made ly by peters milf fler and the thunderous roar of the exhaust as the car got under tinder way sixty miles lay between them tint and Crown dale tommy cray guaranteed that the distance could lie covered in three hours oven even over the vile rhoun anin roads ten would ind find thoin at the grand gland palace hotel none the worse for wear provided lie ul tit ways viny put it parenthetically they lived to tell the ho inlet tile the luggage aitio gone on oil of them earlier in the day soon after ton ten they hey entered the town of Crown dalo dale and drew up till before tile lie unattractive portals of tile tho grand palace hotel an a are C lamp swinging above tile the entrance shed a pitiless light upon the dreary godforsaken Iod for hostelry with tho the ironic name miss allm cameron was warmly con of tile the thrill that had come coine into lier blood when lie carried tier her tit up the stairs in his powerful arms disdaining the offer of assiR assistance tance from the suddenly infatuated tommy cray rehearsal tit lit eleven sharp fin an flounced rush cr oft letter perfect every one of you no guessing by the way er pon iny illy soul I 1 dont believe I 1 got your name naine joffs said tho the new member names barnet went down to the dingy lobby A single halfhearted half hearted electric bull bulb shed its ita feeble light on oil the desk in ili front of which stood a man regis bering under tinder the lie sleepy eye of tit tho night clerk barnes barnea was turning awny away when a familiar voice assailed him whirling lie he looked into the lie face of a man who stood almost at his elbow the sharp impassive face of mr bir sprouse CHAPTER the first wayfarer has haa one treasure thrust upon luponi him and forthwith claims another what ore aio you doing here demanded bartles barney staring no ile seized tile the mans arm mid and inquired eng eagerly have you rot got the jewels jou els no but I 1 will have them before morning replied sprouse coolly would you be surprised if I 1 were to toll tell you that tits his royal nibs la Is dilding in this town well he certainly Is the baroness hedlund tins lias been here for a week neck or ten in lays she goes by the name of sirs alm I 1 popped town down liere here this afternoon and found out nut that she Is at the sanatorium sanator lurn but that she expects to leave tomorrow morning I 1 made another trip out there this evening nil and waited about eight mr strolled up lie ile ut sat on oil the veranda with tier her for half tin nn hour or so BO and then left I 1 fol loed inked him ile ho went to one of the little cottages that belong to the sanatorium tor turn I 1 get close enough to licar hear what they salt said but I 1 believe lie he expects to take tier her anway lit in till fin 11 automobile uto curly carly in the rooming morning it Is it a seventy antle ride from hero here to tile the junction where they catch the train for tho the west ini im going up now to make a call on mr Hassel is y tile tho way what Is the number of your bour room loom twenty two on the next floor door good go upstairs now and ill join you iou lit in about ten minutes I 1 will ta tap three times on oil your door why shout you C 0 1110 to my illy r room 9 wo ave cau can say nil all that Is to be said if you will look on the register you ou will discover that mr air T J 11 II prosser registered liere here about half an hour leour ngo ago ile he Is in room 80 30 ife ho left it call for five well prosser Is another name for ugo lie ile left the cottage tin nn hour ngo ago came caine lit in a jitney or I 1 could have hae got to him on oil the way over barnes regardless of consequences dashed over oer to inspect tile the register sprouse fo follow llowd d leisurely seel see cried barnes excite excitedly lly putting hla his finger ort on the name miss jones ashes in ili room 32 next nest to ills ily by gad sprouse do you sou suppose ho he knows aws that she Is lien here 7 would the log dog undertake anything you may be sure lie he cosent know ashes here or you ou either for that mutter tho the count rys full of joneses and Barne barieses Barncs ses ps go on upstairs leave everything e co tiling to ML me I 1 hannd had been in his room tor dwey minutes utes before it lie luard the tapping on ills his door lie he opened it mid sprouse slid into the ane roon the instant the door closed behind lihn liu lie threw open ills coat and coolly pro deuced a long shallow metal box hu such cl I 1 us ua ono one bindi in safety vaults with my illy compliments in ili sold said dryly thrusting the box into harms hands better have haip the countiss cheel check then them up and see it if nil gill there I 1 lint am not well enough acquainted quain ted with the collection to bo be positive barnes w was a s speechless lie ile could only stare open mouthed at this amazing man mail aty my god sprouse have you been in that roans mans room alace I 1 saw you ou town down all you ou have to tie do Is to keep keel quiet and took look innocent stay out of tile he hall vi night dont go near the door of no SO 30 act like a man with brains I 1 said I 1 would square myself with you and with him too well ive dono done both claybe you think it Is easy to give up tills this stuff there Is a half mil lion dollars worth of nice little things in that box small its as it Is 1 I cannot begin to thank you enough said barnes see here you must allow me to reward you sou in some way commensurate with your cut that out said sprouse darkly im not so virtuous that I 1 have to bo be r warded rewarded I 1 like tile the game its the breath of life to me abe time will surely come when I 1 can do you a good turn sprouse and you will not ind find me reluctant said barnes lamely different if I 1 ever need a friendly hand ill call on you its only fair that I 1 should give you it a tip Bur burtiss tips just to put you on your guard from now on oil im a free agent I 1 want t to advise you to put that stuff in III it info fe place ill give you two lays days start after that it if I 1 can get em cm away avay from you or whoever may have filipin ini im going to to do it they will bo be fair plunder from then on good night and goodby good by for tho the present stick rinse close to your room till morning and then beat it with tier her for new york I 1 give you two days start remember lie ile switched off the light suddenly there was no sound for many seconds save the deep breathing of tile the two it jolly running away like this men then with infinite caution sprouse turned the knob nil nal opened the door a half inch or so ile he left the room so abruptly that barries never quite got over the weird impression that lie he squeezed through that slender crock crack and pulled it after lihn him many minutes passed before lie he turned on the light the ley of the box was tied to the wire grip |