Show 4 I 1 by MARY LYLE WARNER in the most critical situation of oe hr hir loung life alma gazed longing ly fy it the enfa gement ring upon her finger and wondered von dered it if she would ever see gee its gher again 1 hero here is lie he and what is to become of me was the constant burden of her thoughts A I 1 night errant brave and true adrian bond would hae bean speedily coming to the rescue ot of his lad ladi love in it dib tres but that grim war hid had presented its ugly menace and rude clamors shook the common balth N her father and mother were at paris pans there too v ere the bonds making the european trip knit with h their closest friends it was a strange cir comstance cum stance that had taken alma away from them it app appeared Pared that a halt half brother ot of mrs lira incite aate ihei in a little ton town n in D belgium iglus near the german order border he had ignited milted the family to pai him a v visit isit but their plans would not admit or of it then he ex pressed expressed a NN wish ish to see eee alma w N ho he had been named after his dead wife mire he was nas fervent in his appeal and halt half minded to give up his business and return to america lie he slid said the result was that alma took a quick trip from paris and found herself an honored guest in the i did but lonely home of her halt half uncle zephern dacre wis nias a diamond trier mer chant conducting his business by trav eling from country to country alma was enchanted nith the kindly way in which lie he treated her she vis mas to have remained with her relative only three daa dais a but mr dacre made up his mind to close lip his bis business accod pany her to paris and return with the family to america and take up a per manent residence there directly upon the heels of this came a declaration of war or mr dacre hastened his preparations to get out of the countr he urged alma to to re main indoors for the community sur 1 pa CZ A loud summons from the end of a musket rounding them NN as in a ald state ot of excitement the evening before the da set for thir departure mr dacre discharged dischar eed all the sen seri ants just about dusk he came hurring into the house in a greit great state ot of excitement wh bit Is the matter mattera 7 ques alond alma anxiously as she noted his colorless face and trembling frame listen my m deir dear said mr air dacre hurriedly hurn idly lou ou must leave here at once it ic a certain thing happens and it may lappen cappen quickly the var spirit Is abroad thea the are suspicious of 0 me because ot of mv business connections rith olber countries I 1 vas nas just secret 1 adisey that I 1 am listed as one of 0 the proscribed oh uncle chev will do ou on no harm aureli the nill mill hamper perhaps berh aps arrest me I 1 lias all read to leave leaie here in the coining I 1 fear they will nill not al I 1 ov me to do so BO but why not officious and in some cases cor rupt bupt per persons ons ill tra tr to present me from taking my fortune out of the country see alma and dacre dran dr w I 1 i little chamois brig big from a secret pocket the diamonds in this lepre impre sent the bull bulk of my fortune tike it secreto it if I 1 am arrested fl at once not into germans germann as ve ne proposed for that course is blocked but straight for paris but uncle quick chev are here already as I 1 feared cried mr dacre his worst apprehensions N ere con firmed there nas MIS a loud summons from the end of a musket at the street door do not lose 3 our neri nene c dear child spoke dare dacre they dare not hirm harm me and I 1 will soon join ou in paris hurr anay aay through the rear garden tike take the first tram train for the border at all protect the fortune with which I 1 hane hae entrusted sou aou then he N as gone to abbner the im merlou perlou summons at the street door almi alme lingered long enough to learn that he ha ras icalla taken in charge as a suspect then she filled her handbag secured the juneis in a site safe pocket ind and hurried an a i a through the girden garden apparently unobserved alma reached the train she tried not net to think that she he w was I 1 cowardly ardly la in ds doerting erting a relative in trouble she fit relieved when the train started then ehe stared in wonder aonder and even suspicion nt at the other occupant of the carriage there sat a person who nho un til III the day previous had been a n servant a sort of major domo dome in tho the service ice of her uncle lie ile lifted his cap with kith a senile smirk on OIX his face alma did not at all like ohp master Is in trouble tio uble he re marked 1 I han hale e heard of it I 1 too nia mav bo be proscribed and I 1 am bound tor for another countr if mademoiselle will nill illow I 1 nill do 10 what nhat I 1 can to bee hor fafel gateb aaros the border alma aimi murmured her thinks sho she did not like the man she was nas sus niclous ra lelOus of ins his read presence she fancied cled her uncle had said something about his being untrustworthy North an unprotected loung girl boN however Never s alic h C r re e fleeten fleeted that brauss li cause of hla his former era em plover howard might strive to really serve berve her there was mas no stoppage to the train during the long night alma did not sleep she felt uncomfortably conscious somehow of the constant glance board kept upon her was it pos sible that he knew of the rich treasure she cir carried ried just at da daa break the train NN as halted at a little town in the mountains A boil bode of soldiers ordered all to alight board was nas car carrying ring the little satchel belonging to alma suddenly he disappeared he did not return then alma was nas persia persuaded ded that he be had bad made awa ith it believing its contents valuable her passport pis sport was gone she was anas ordered to remain in the country what a rate file for the delicate soung girl when that eN evening ening distraught footsore affrighted she neared the light of a lonea hut but in the mountains she dared not remain in the tonn where the prejudice against an alien would bould pursue her ber she feared hems being imprisoned searched and the jewels jenels taken from her so she had wandered av ay from human habitations blindly hoping some chance might put her across the border once she believed she was as pursued and in the dl distance stance fancied she noted the lurking bocard bo ard now hungry athirst exhausted she hastened toward the light As she neared it a cr cri of acute pain cime came from the hut A wild figure of a man dashed b ba her the ci chiv from the hut aas as repeated alma entered to find a peasant woman 41 0 liang on a bed in a spasm of pain then she aroused to minister to the sufferer it was nas her keen womanly marily Bm s path that helped cpr successfully the man who had hastened tor for a neighbor and found no one at home came bad back frantic when lie he learned however of the aimel aid of alma he over overwhelmed helmed her with nith his sincere gratitude that night there v vas as a dread alarm at the joneli hut halt half a dozen armed men appeared outside and demanded that alma be handed over to them as a prisoner finhen hen alma recognized bovard as their leader she knew tart he was as after the diamonds she had learned during the evening diening that her host digs a smuggler of laces over the border of france yet in her dire extremity alma felt thit that she must trust in him she told him her story while the group outside were nere clamoring vociferously tor for admission the smugglers smuggler s eyes brightened ali ah he said sou wish to have bave our jewels jennels from that horde then I 1 can liell help lou and show shon ra platitude for or bour our kindness to mi wife nife tell me the paris pans address ot of loar boar friends the diamonds shall be there within tn two 0 daa das a and then the speaker whistled for a a keeneer keen kee need eked little dog alma had noticed about the place ile he secured the chamois bag about its neck scrawled a few lines and the screed inside of a padded coat he fitted to the dog and going to ohp window opened it dropped the intelligent animal in the dew deai grass and ana aia it sped board ard soon learned that he had been baffled three days later the amu smuggled smug glei managed to get alma across the border there nas a great re union when i hen mr dacre armed to find the gems safe and sound bound for the smugglers smuggler s og g had carried the treasure sateh 01 er the border to trusty friends of his master who had sent it on to paris pans coper cht 1314 by W G chapman |