Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 1898)
Tfi TFTR OAfATTA T > ATTYV -tatia ( Copyright , 1SD3 , by Louis Tracy. ) CHAl'TUIl XXI. Ilnw Wilhclm lU-oclveil ilicCMTH. . At about the tlmo when the nowa ot cno abduction of Evelyn reached Paris , It reached also the German corps at Metz. The great men laid their heads together nnd whispered and smiled. But thcro was ono man who heard nothing of U the Emperor Wllholm. When ho did hear , as undoubtedly ho must , what would ho say ? That became the question. And also this : Who should undertake to tell him ? What really happened was this : Wllhclm suddenly found himself the object of the steady persecution of all the men around him who could by any means get at his ear. ear.It It began In this way : About the Bamo hour of the evening as that when the event happened at the Inn of Vlmcs , but on the following night , Von dossier was alone with Wllhclm. It was In n apartment of the Hotel do Villa at Metz. Wllhclm curled with ono hand the upward- tending arc of his nggresslvo moustache , whllo a finger of the other pointed to n epot on the long , baize-covered table In the room. "You understand , then , " he said , "It Is here here , about thrco miles cast of Con- flans , where the hills open. What the American's plans may be " Now was von Gosslcr's chance. "Tho truth Is , sire , that , at the moment , If rumor bo correct , the American has no plans. " . Wllhclm glanced quickly up. "What do you mean ? " "I mean , Biro , that something has hap pened to him which unfits him to manage any affair which even a child might direct. " The general sought to read keenly the face of the emperor. Wllhelm's eyes were cast down nnd hidden. For ten seconds thcro was silence. "What something ? " "Ills wife , sire his wife has been kid napped. " . The emperor knew nnd felt that the eyes of the general wcro riveted upon his face , nnd felt , too , that from It every sign of color liad faded. But ho did not speak. The clock ticked sixty seconds , and sixty more , filling a perfect silence , and during that sl- lonco the devils were busy In the room. When Wllhelm raised his head ho was Btlll very pale. Ho said : "You understand , then ; It Is here here about three miles east ot Conllans , where the hills open " "Yea , sire , " returned von Gosslcr ; "that Is qulto plain. The Idea nroso la the brain " "What Idea , sir ? " "Tho Idea of kidnapping Mrs. Vanslttart , sire. It arose In the brain " "It has nothing to do with me , general. " "It socnis to mo a pleco of superb strategy , slro. The man who convolved lt " "Deserves to bo hanged , sir ! However , It was no ono In the pay of Germany. It has nothing whatever to do with me. " "But , slro , I was going to tell you , the man In whoso brain tha scheme originated Is , as a matter of fact " "Not what ho ought to be , General voa Gossler. I'ray let the subject drop. I de- slro now to discuss with you the relative Importance of these two hills here. " The two heads went together over the map In a long colloquy. After an hour Von Gosslcr arose. In the very act of his final bow , ho Bald , as a man who bursts with words and cannot bo silent : "I may whisper In your majesty's ears that ho Is sold to bo utterly prostrated. " " 'Ho ! ' Who , general ? " . "Mr. Vanslttart. " "What about ? " "Well , your majesty , about the disap pearance of his wlfo. " Now Wllhelm lost his temper. "God in heaven , general ! " ho cried , can't you let mo alone with 'this ' man and his wlfo ? Is It my fault If this man's wlfo Is stolen , or hanged , or quartered , or the dcuco knows what ? Where Is your tact , your penetration ? Why should I be compelled against my will Confound you , man ! Is U my fault ? " Wllhelm stamped hla foot. Von Gossler cowered backward nnd was silent With bowed head , he walked from the room. At last ho understood Wllhelm ; not fully , for the man'a nature was not cast In so good a mold as that of his master. Yet , dimly , he understood that hero was a noble soul In the throes of a struggle with a hugo temptation ; and It was clear that the eoul bad succumbed. At lost , on tbo second day , the situation became Intolerable and Wllhelm was com pelled to acknowledge to himself the Inner motive of his constant Interruptions. Ho was then , early In the morning , riding down the Rue des Clcrcs toward the outworks In company with a bevy of officers. The mass of horses came with a slow clatter behind ; ho himself rode some what In advance , in company with a Tollungs major. The two had been discussing for some minutes Vanslttart's device of presenting Infantry teforo artillery. "It has only ono clement to recommend it , elrc , " the major had said , "and that is Its success. " "But wo are engaged in a regular war , major , " Wllhclm answered ; "tho tricks of an upstart are ono thing and the rules of tactics are another The upstart may suc ceed oncf , twlco , thrice ; but tactics will tell in the end. " "He is said to bo very low , sire. " Hero was Wllhelrn's sore point. Ho flushed. "Who , sir ? " ho asked , with averted head. "Mr. Vnnslttart , sire. " Wllhelm did not reply. There was a ralnuto's silence. Then the Tellunga major cleared his throat. Ho said : "We need hdvo little fear , sire , of further novelties proceeding from that head. " Would the man keep on repeating the same thing In Infinite iteration , Wllhelm wondered. "I care nothing about his head , major , " laid Wllhelm. There was a pause ; thcro was embarrass ment. Then tbo major eald : "No doubt you have heard , slro " Wilhelui had heard ; Wllhelra objected ttrongly to hearing again. Ho turned sharply In his saddle like a horse pricked by a sudden spur , saying loudly : "Heard what , major ? " . "That Mrs. Vanslttart " "What about her ? " "Has been " "You He , sir ! " he shouted , all cncrlm- lomed with sudden rage , brandishing his flit. At once he stopped his horse , turned round nnd pranced Into the midst of the bevy ot oncoming horses. Then ho lifted his voice , and a torrent ot Invectives came from him. Tbo officers round hung their heads In half-bewildered awe nt this wholly unex pected outbreak. As Wllhclm once more turned his horse's head and tbo procession moved on the guilty major slunk quietly behind. Thus did Wllhelm securely seal his oars against the truth. Later In the day It bo- cam o widely known that no whisper of the facts was to bo permitted to reach the monarch. Wllhclm had crushed his nest of ants. But In doing so he had definitely ad mitted to himself that ho had a motive for this Imposition of silence , and that the mo tive was not a good ono. CHAPTim XXII. The ( lucM. M. Folllct , prefect of police , was busily eating a long-deferred meal In the imme morial old Inn at Vlmcs at 9 o'clock In the evening , when there reached him the sound of voices from the courtyard below , and presently the landlord entered backward , boning , ushering In two new guests. Folltet stared , almost starting to his feet. Thcro was Armand , and thcro , bonnetted and bcgloved , was Marie. That morning Folllet had left Armand in Paris with no apparent Intention of coming hither. But now , with a sudden remem brance , ho recollected Armand'a question whether or no he , Folllct , would bo found at Vlmcs that night ; and ho recalled the fact that Armand had asked It just after the detective's expression ot uncertainty as to whether ho would bo able to find Mrs. Van slttart. "Well , I'm very glad to see you , sir , " said Folllet , "and you , madam , " extending his hand. "This is very unexpected. Are you passing through ? " "No , not exactly that , monsieur , " an swered Armnnd. "Paris is getting In sufferably dull just now. So I thought I would glvo you a shock. To bo startling Is my vocation. I sco that the village is quite a charming bit of quaint antiquity. Are the wines drinkable ? " "So so , " said "Folllet , but about the machines ! I thought " "O , qulto so , monsieur. Those have been attended to. I had plenty of time , for that matter. I have left my Instruc tions with the firm you mentioned , and the things will , no doubt , bo ready within the specified time. But Mrs. Vanslttart ! Is there any hope , monsieur , if ono might ask ? " Now that Folllet's laugh was over at the whimsical ancaritlon of tbo pair , ho was rather vexed at the intrusion. "Well , I eupposo wo must not despair , " ho cried dryly. By this time Marie had taken off her things. The landlord's daughter entered with a roast capon , and a grimy bottle of wine. Armand began to eat , and also to drink. "Here , " he said , "Is to her speedy rescue , " and drained bis glass twlco in succession. "But if you drink much wine , " whispered Marie , "how Is M. Folllet to flnd her then ? " The relation between the amount Imbibed by Armand and Folllet's powers of dis covery , though vague , scorned qulto clear to Marie ; Folllet , had he heard , would not have been greatly flattered perhaps. "I have been reading the Paris papers , Folllet. Of course , they are full of nothing but the story of the abduction , as much of "SHE APPEAHED TO BE WALKING , SLOWLY TO AND FRO. I It as our host hero could supply to _ re porters. And I have been making a theory of the event. "It Is not bad wine , " said Folllet meekly , "ono has only to keep on drinking It , In order to nrrlvo at a stage of absolute self- satisfaction. " . t "Yes , " ho said , "it Is It Is Argonno wine. Monsieur , Mrs. Vanslttart Is at Argounc. " "What do you mean , monsieur ? " "That In wlno Is truth , monsieur some times qulto unexpected truth , as now. I presume you are able to BCD some sort ot relation between the fact that this wlno Is Argonno and the disappearance ot Mrs. Vanslttart ? " Folllct winked a little meditatively then be lifted his head and looked round the room. No , certainly , hero the chain of Inference was too long for his ken ; and he had been able to see much in bis tlmo , too. too."I "I do not sco any relation , monsieur , " ho said simply. "No , " replied Armand , "perhaps It Is unfair to expect that you should. The fact Is , I believe , that I have a far more Intimate knowledge of French wines than you , monsieur. Let me , however , tell you two facts , and then , I think , you will be able to comprehend ; first , that when I " entered this Inn , I ordered our host , with threats which ho could ECO I meant , to place before mo the very best wine In his house ; and , secondly , that , In splto of these threats , I never for a moment supposed that he would glvo mo Argonne , Inasmuch us Argonne has lately become tbo rarest , as it Is one of the most exquisite , wines on earth. " bo "And why did you not suppose that ha would glvo It you , when you asked for hU best ? " said Folllct. "Because I frit sure , monsieur , that such a wine could not possibly be found In such an Inn. " "Yet here , you see , U Is. " "Yes. here U 10 , monsieur. But I am willing to wager you a thousand francs that If you offer our host a million louts for n dozen similar bottles bo will bo unable to produce them. " Saying so , ho rose , and tugged the bell- rope. The old man came shambling Into the room. "Monsieur , " said Armand carelessly , "this Is excellent beverage you glvo me. I com pliment you , " "I am pleased you like It , sir , " said tbo old man , bowing. "So well , monsieur , that I have determined to offer you 400 francs per bottle for nix bottles tomorrow when I continue my Jour ney. " "Four hundred francs , " echoed the old man In a kind of glee , "Four hundred francs. " "But , sir , I have only four bottles left ! " "That is a pity , " said Armand. "Four will be useless to me. " He glanced at Folllct. "I am sure , sir , It Is very unfortunate , " said the old man , confused. "You have ono , the gentleman near you another thcro are but four left. " "What ! You gave monsieur a bottle , too , without his asking for It ? You are generous , landlord. " "How I should like to buy some ! Pray tell me , whom did you buy them from ? " The old man hesitated. Folllet's eyes , fixed on his foco , saw It pale a little , though , so far , the detective know not in the least whither this dialogue tended. "Ah , you are unwilling to tell mo whom you bought them from , " said Armand. "It is a trade secret , perhaps. Yet I know. Let mo tell you. You bought them from the two guesta who drove away from your Inn last night nt 8 o'clock. " The old man's eyes opened In Bomo alarm. Suspicion , ho knew , had turned upon thcso two as being connected with the two who had remained behind , and had presumably committed the outrage. The old man began to perceive clearly that thcso were none other than detectives from Paris before whom ho stood. What If he , too , were Im plicated , and his neck endangered ? Ho shuffled nnd stammered. "No , monsieur , " he said. "I swear " "Do not swear , " Interrupted Armand , "for there Is no necessity ; merely assert. You did not buy the wine , then ? These gentle men gave it to you ? " "Sir , air , neither the one nor the other , " cried the landlord , resolving now to tell the history of the six bottles of Argonne ; "yestcro'cn , near C , there arrived at the Inn- yard four gentlemen ; two of .them In a car- rosso and pair , and about ten minutes later two others on foot. The first two didn't know the second two or didn't seem to. But they all bad dinner together in the par lor ; and during the meal one of the carriage t\\o sent my daughter dovsn to the carriage In the stables , telling her to look Inside and she would see a basket with ten bottles of wlno In the squares , of which she was to bring four which she did , and all four drank of It , friendly like , though there was hardly a word spoken among them. Well , messieurs , about 8 or thereabouts , the car riage two went off In their carriage , leaving the others , and with them , of course , they took their basket of bottles. I didn't care about their wine. I didn't want their wine. But what was my surprise this morning on going to the bottom of the garden to flnd there tbo basket with the six bottles In It , right enough , and the squares half choked with mud and the rain which had fallen during the night. There's all my fault , messieurs a poor man who finds a windfall of wine , what would you have ? " "Why didn't you tell mo all that before when I was questioning you ? " asked Fol llet. llet."I "I thought It of no moment , sir a poor man who finds a windfall of wine Where's the harm ? " "No barm whatever , " said Armand , "on the contrary , to flnd a basket of Argonno at the bottom of one's garden is the eighth and greatest of the virtues. You may retire , monsieur. " The old man bowed himself out. "And am I to understand , sir , " safd Fol- llot , "that you divined , or deduced , this tale which wo have Just heard from ob servations of your own ? " "Something of that sort , " replied Armand. There is absolutely no mystery or magic about the matter. You are perhaps not so exquisitely familiar with the aspect of bottles tles that have long lain in old cellars as I , and there Is the key to ray present pene tration. The first thing , of course , a con noisseur looks at on the presentation before him of bis wine Is the grime-stains on the outside. I , looking at this bottle tonight , determined first of all that it had never , i even for a day , lain in a cellar nt all. It was grimy ; yet , with absolute certainty I know that here was not the grime ot the cellar. Wo now know that it was the i grlmo left by soil and rain water when dried , and this , as a matter of fact , I guesed. I expected , on pouring It out , to taste the wretchedest. dregs ; guess my delight at finding delicious Argonne Argonno that had never lain In a cellar Argonne begrimed with rain Argonne , above all , whoso bottle had no label on It , and whose cork had not been sealed with resin. I think now , monsieur , that I need go no further. You draw your own conclusions. " "I do ! I do ! " cried Folllet with some ex citement. "Yet , let mo hear yours. I know quite well that they are worth hearing , M. Armand. " "Tho first conclusion at least ! " said Armand , "was nt once obvious ; namely , that the landlord had , from whatever source , only Just acquired the wine It had never i been in bis cellar. But tbo Paris papers [ assort that ho declares that for some days ho has had no visitors whatever except the four who interest us. I say the four , for Mrs. Vanslttart and the two men who carried her off must have used some con veyance , and since none was hired In the neighborhood , It can only bo that the two lia the carrosso having gone away , returned lid waited for ther confederates In the dark at tbo bottom of the garden. You have seen this garden , monsieur , and I have not ; my conjecture Is that at the end of it runs a path largo enough to admit a carrosse. Is that : so ? " "It Is , monsieur. Pray go on. " "Then In that path the carrosso waited. We have therefore to do with four and not two. And you see how it was Impossible for mo to doubt that , somehow , by means of the four , our host had obtained hla Argonne. "If you sco a company of four people goIng - Ing about with an Indefinite number ot bottles of Argonne without labels , drinking it prodigally at their ordinary meals , and casually leaving the rest of It behind at the bottom ot a garden as soon as it be comes Inconvenient to them , you may be qulto certain that at least ono of them Is n denizen of Argonno , who , having plenty of Argonne habitually In his possession , brought with him for the pleasure of the rest these odd unlabeled bottles. " Folllet's eyes were riveted on the young man's face. Ho did not speak ; ho mur mured and nodded assent. "Tho landlord tells me , " said Folllet. "that thrco of the four spoke with marked German accents , whereas the fourth spoke quite good French , but was fair-haired. Ho probably was a German , too , you sec , but spoke good French for the simple reason that be has lived a long time In France. " "And If In France , monsieur , " replied Armand , "then In Argonne. That ono of them came from there I have proved. To certain that they returned there , ono need only remember that Areonno at least- fulfills the conditions as to remoteness , a friend , a house and so on , and to remember the extreme rarity of the chances that any other place would fulfill all the conditions of necessary to the accomplishment of the de sign , Mrs. Vanslttart is at Argonne. " Marie's bead , leaning on bis shoulder , nuddenly nodded with a jerk. She was asleep. Kolllet arose. "It Is well reasoned. " he said. "Through > our acumen , monsieur , perhaps by this hour tomorrow night wo may have " "Discovered their motive for leaving their wlno behind , monsieur , " said Armand , with a rather strange laugh. CHAI'TUIl XXIII. The Italic. At about 4 the next morning Folllot knocked at Armaud's door and roused htm. "Monsieur , " said the detective , "I am about to breakfast nnd set out upon my search ; I need not say that I shall bo do- Ilghted if you will share my Investigations. " " "Certainly , monsieur , " Armand replied. "I , too , shall bo delighted. Can you lend me 100 francs ? " Folllet smiled In the half darkness. "By all means , monslour ! Hero Is a note. " Armand turned to dress. When the pro cess was completed he bent over drowsy Marie and kissed her. She put nn Instinctive arm about him , murmuring sleepy content ment. Ho said : "I nm going away. " "No ! " She sprang up at onco. "I am ! " "Armand ! what for ? " "To flnd Mrs. VansUtart. " "And you ore going to leave mo ? " "I must , darllne. " "How wretched you will bo , nnd I also ! Ah , cruel ! " "No , I can't help ; ono must bo practical and good , I don't quite know where I may have to go to , or I could take you. It won't be very long , our parting. Hero are a hundred francs which M. Folllet has given me. With these you will pay your expenses to do a thing well and swiftly ho was to now. Ho had been challenged by a child. Armand , too , as coon an ho found himself alone In the train , knit hla browa. "Come , now , " ho wild aloud , "eupposo wo teach M. Folllct , the protect of police , a les son In modesty. " At the station Armand drank n largo tumbler of genuine Argonne , for which ho paid only about 4 pence. Ho walked twenty yards down the street , stopped at an un pretentious hotel and drank another , pre paratory to dejeuner. Hero was paradise to the llght-of-hrart , and the quaffing of gob- fcts In Valhalla ! His eyes began tosparklo and his foot to tread on air. His problem was not merely to flnd Mrs. Vanslttart , but to souse himself with Argonno wlno and find Mrs. Vanslttart as well. The thing was not easy ; but with every additional glass his hopes grew rosier- hucd , "Do you know a German named I forget his name but a wlno grower about here ? " he asked the patron of Ills hotel. "A German , sir ? No. " "Just think now. " "I know none such , monsieur. But I have been only here six months ; you would be moro likely to flnd what you want by Inquiring In the villages. " Ho went presently , after breakfast , saun tering through the town , whistling foudly for the benefit of passersby , his hat thrown far back on his head. Armaud , as Mr. Arnold says of Heine , was BO essentially "dlsrespcctable. " And , Folllot all the tlmo was probably working hard , straining every nerve. Every tlmo he thought of this ho quickened his stops ; every tlmo ho heard the cry of the 100 francs In his pocket he struck up , a song and entered a drinking house. But through all the ferment ot his brain "NO , MONSIEUR , " HE SAID , "I SWEAR " at this Inn ; and from Gravolotto I shall telegraph to you , telling you where to come to me. There are some novels In the trunks which you can rend ; goodbye , sweet ah sweet ! " He undid her arms from his neck , and ran away from her half vexed , half tender tears. In half an hour he was with Fol llet on a train. Armand said : "And now , monsieur your plans. " "They are simple , " replied Folllet. "Tho distance between Vlraes , which wo are now leaving , and Argonno , to which wo are flnally going , is about eighty miles. Just about midway between the two Is a llttlo station called Rennc. I Intend to stop at Renne. j " "What for , monsieur ? " "You will Immediately agree with me when you hear , " said Folllet. "This dis tance of eighty miles It was evidently the Intention of tbo kidnappers to traverse during the hours of darkness. Morning , of course , would be extremely dangerous to them. But their horses bad already done some traveling men they arrived nt Vlmes , and the rest there was short. It is cer tain , then , that by some contrivance or other , they managed to change horses dur ing the night , and the place most advanta geous to them for the change would be somewhere not far from the middle point between Vlmcs and Argonno ; somewhere not far from Renno. Within a radius of twenty miles around Rcnuo I Intend , therefore . fore , to make personal , well-directed In quiries. " "Excellent , monsieur , " said Armand "If we only had a year to spare. " At these words the countenance of Folllet flushed to a deep nnd angry red. "Pray explain your meaning , " he said , curtly. "I suppose that Mr. Vanslttart Is anxious for the recovery of his wlfo as soon as pos sible , monsieur ? " "I suppose so , sir. That Is why I propose the very speediest means of recovering her. " Armand bowed. "I differ from you , monsieur , that Is all. I think we should go on straight to Argonno at once. " "Very well ; then wo must agree to differ , monsieur. " "Very well , monsieur. " Armand at once turned to the book ho was reading , Folller to hjs memoranda. Till the train drew up at Renno neither spoke a word. Folllet rose , collected his stick , mackin tosh , and papers , and stepped toward the door. To his surprise bo noticed when be reached It that Armand had not moved , "This Is the station , monsieur , " said Fol llet. llet."I "I know. " "Aren't you coming out ? " "No I nm going on to Argonne. " "O , very good. Good morning. " "Good morning , monslour. I shall flnd Mrs. Vanslttart before you ! " Folllet flushed. "That tlmo alone can show , sir. " "Before you , monsieur ! " Folllot had put out his foot on the step- board by this time. Ho half turned to an swer : "Happy season of youth ! " Hla foot touched the platform. i "Before you , monsieur ! " cried Armand. "Blessed Innocence of childhood ! " sneered Folllot. " 0 , but M Folllet ! " culled Armand : "will jou lend mo 100 francs ? I have no money. " Folllct put his band In his pocket , and without a word handed the other a note. As ho was about to pass througb a doorway the station , ho heard tha unrelenting voice crying after him : "Before you , monsieur ! " If ever be was on bis acme ot effort t ho 1 did not for a moment entirely lose sight of < the end In view ; and his flne faculty of , thought i ) remained pretty intact llko , a glowIng - Ing coal under heaps of fluff and ashes. Ho stopped a passerby and said : "What Is the nearest village ? " "Rouflet. " "How " far ? "Four kilometers. " "Any vineyards near It ? " "Two or three round it. " "Can ono get good Argonno wine there ? " "O , cerialnly. It possesses the best vines In the district. " "Thank you , monsieur. " Ho set off. He had already decided to seek what ho wanted in a poor rather than a rich locality , and In a village rather than the town Rouflet he found to consist of a steep street , flag-paved. Ho passed through It singing , and near the further end entered a diminutive cabaret. On each side of the door two men were leaning , talking. One was the proprietor , a burly figure with a thick black mane of lialr. thp oilipr w a tall , wore rlnj ; * anl a heavy watch chain , and had a noao with a distinct dent in the center of the ridge. The proprietor of the basserle spoke to htm with a certain deference which Armand , as ho entered , noted. He could hear that they were talking about the war , and the rumored probability of another great battle taking place on the following day. As Armand entered the landlord left the door to servo him. The other man , who seemed to bo merely lounging away a morning's hour nt the Inn door , followed , and as ho did BO said with a yawn : "Well , gossip Pierre , It Is long since I have bought a glass of my own wine from you. I , too , will have a sip for good luck. " "Ah , that's talking , " answered Pierre ; "wo must mark It up with chalk. " Yet thp tip of the wino grower's broken nose was of so vivid a scarlet that It was certain tbo drinking of his own wlno was not such a rarity with him as Pierre implied. "Now , hero's a spark from Paris , " said the wins grower , "you can see from the very cut of his clothes and the way ho sips his wine , as If It were dangerous. Isn't that so , neighbor ? " With this playful sally bo addressed Ar mand. They were standing side by side , shoulder to shoulder. "You are right , " said Armand. "I am from Paris. " "And what are you doing our way touring ? " "No they sent me down here doctor people. Left lung. Argonno air , Argonno wine and plenty of It. " "You are quite a stranger here , then ? " "I don't know a soul. " "What do you think of the chances of a battle tomorrow ? " "I don't care a curse about the chances of a battle tomorrow. What does It matter to such as you and mo ? I are come down here to drink wine and get health. My left lung Is ba-a-d. " "Well , I wouldn't have thought that to look at you. Do you play chess ? " "Rather ! Do you ? " "Hear him , Pierre ! He asks If I can play chets ! Why , man , of course I can. " "Good ! I don't mind taking you at A game , then. But chess playing Isn't what devote myself mostly to. I have another bobby. " "And what's that ? " "Stamp collecting. " .o Armand had seen a pocketbook end stickIng - Ing from the breast of the stranger , such ! a ono as Is used for the temporary home of stamps , and standing a little out the ser rated edges of some specimen sheets. ' The man was surprised. "No ! " he eald. "Why , It's wonderful ! It's the very thing I do rojsclf ! " n " 1'vo got Ji nno example of th suppreMed Nevis 81 , " remarked Armand. "Nol Well , that's ft treasure ! Will you show It mo ? " "With pleasure. My stamp took Is li Clermont. Some day during the week , I you will pay mo a visit. " At this point the landlord presented to them the chess hoard and the box containing the pieces. They proceeded to a little roon back of the bar , and sat with the board be tween them. Armand ordered a bottle ot DO At Uio end of thrco hours they still sa there. Of five games Armand won three nnd with every game ho ordered a bottle o 90. The talk was all ot stamps. At 4 o'clock , in a llttlo village twelve miles from Ronno , Folllct , on his side , was deep In talk with a small vlgneron of thi district. Ho had been hearing a tale about a car rlago from which the horse had been taken at midnight In order to put In their places two of the vlgncron's own which had been bought from him during the day for ready money down. "How many people were there ? " asked Folllct. "Four , I fancy , monsieur , but I only eav ono of them well , " "A " German ? "No " French. "How do " you know ? "Ho spoke French qulto well. " "What sort of looking man ? " Tall , with fair hair nnd moustache. " "Go ou. " "That's about all I remember. He was i pleasant kind of man to talk to , too. O stop ! Thcro was something wrong with hi nose. It had a dent in tbo middle of th bridge. " "Why didn't you glvo Information of nl this to the police Instead of giving mo thi trouble ? " Folllct , as bo said It , glanced anxlousl ; at his watch , with an exclamation of Impa tlence. "I had no idea that there was anything wrong , " answered the man. "All wn square and above board. " "Well , hero's a louls. I may want you again. " Ho jumped Into a fly at once , nnd wen galloping through the lanes toward Renno He sent a telegram to the bureau do polio at Clermont. "Find out nt once address of man , fair , tall , broken nose , probably German , prob ably vintner , In district ot Argonno , Promptitude of supreme Importance. Wll arrive next train. Folllet , Prefect. " Then ho went to the station , and chafing with nervous Impatience , walked up and down the platform , waiting. CIIAI'TUH XXIV. To GravoloHr. Folllot did not nrrlvo at Clermont till after 7 that night. But ho arrived full of hope , and at CIcrmont-en-Argonno the address and the name of the man ho wanted were waiting for him. The detective who made Inquiries was In attendance and handed him a slip on his entry Into the bureau des rensclgnemcnts. There was a man who almost entirely answered to the description , nnd there was only ono In the district. His name was Henri Rlccheu- berg , and he was the owner of tbo vineyard called La Plblouette , about two kilometers northeast of Rouflet , which In turn was a village four kilometers north ot Clermont. With Joy he saw that there was no moon and that the sky was covered over with black crouds. Ho took a cab to Rouflet , dismissing It just outside the village. The night was then confirmed and dark. He drew the collar ot bis mackintosh high over bis ears and chin and passed quickly down the street. Then he struck northeast over the open country. He mot no one anywhere. Ho had received a description sufficiently mluuto of the place. Ho turned to the left along a footpath which ran along Che base of the rock. In his course , bo passed by a square spot of deeper blackness In the rock face. Ho tapped U ; It was wooden. It was a door the entrance to the cellars of Henri Rlecheuborg , Ho walked on and In three minutes came to a break in the continuity ot the cliff ; it was a narrow steep flight ot stone steps , cut out ot the rock to the upper level of the cliff. He ascended. At the top ho found hlruscrt at the en trance of an extremely long avenue ot lindens , which met overhead. Here It was very dark. He proceeded up the avenue with Intense caution , though , In reality , there was little need for It , for not a sound broke the silence of the world and the moss under foot was deep and continuous , ren dering the footfall noiseless. Presently , at the far end of the avenue , where the trees almost met In perspective remoteness , he saw the glimmer of a light. But.lt vanished almost aB once. Ho went on. "That light , " ho said , "Is a light In the house of Henri Rlechonberg. Some ono has opened and shut a door or a window hence its appearance and disap pearance. Is Mrs. Vanslttart really and truly behind those shuttered apertures ? I wonder I wonder. The mere shutting of them Is suspicious. I shall know , Henri Rlechenberg , within fifteen minutes. But he knew sooner ; bo know within five minutes. Suddenly , as ho walked through the now dense darkness on the absolutely Boundless moss , ho came Into sharp col lision with some one coming In the opposite direction down the avenue. It was a man , bigger than himself and heavier. Folllet nearly fell backward. "Pardon , m'sleur , " said a rather thick and drowsy voice. "Collisions are natural to Erebus and modern civilization alike. " The remark was qulto In the tone of the Latin quarter. Foil I ft , with a start as violent ns though ho had heard the devil speak , recognized Armand. "Ah , M. Amand you ! " ho gasped. "What , you , M. Folllet ? " is "It Is I , " admitted Folliet. Armand's hand went out and hit upon Fol- let's in the dark. Ho gave tbo detective a eh hearty grip. "M , Folliet , " he said , "allow me to con- Tatulate you. You arc a great man. " I "How ! " exclaimed Folllot "It Is you ! you were here first ! " "That Is true , monsieur. But then , I did of the right thing. You did the wrong and get hero all tbo samo. That Is what I call greatness. " "Well , If this fellow Isn't a gentleman to his marrowl" said Folllet to himself. He added aloud : "But , monsieur , this is the me mere sophistry of generosity ! Don't you sec , It Is you , thla tlmo , at least , who are for ho great man. " I "Monsieur , wo are both great men , " said see Armand with largo scntcntlousncss. "But but how long have you been hero ? " "About two hours. " "Good Lord ! not In the house ? " was "Yes In the house. I have Just left it. " "And U Mrs. Vanslttart there ? " "For the last hour and a half I have been lecplng In the room adjoining hers. " "Sleeping ! O , this Is Incredible. " "Only at first , monsieur. Not when you know the facts. The truth Is , monsieur , I In have been drunk on Argonno wine. Or , If be drunk Is too coarse a word to apply to the effects of " by Argonne , nay transflRuratcd. { "Yes you are. I believe you are soberest bo } when you ore drunk. Pray tell me how did lf rou manage ? " "There Is a man , monsieur , who , according ' my present recollection , Is called Henri , itlechenborg. This man , almost as soon as of saw him , and as soon an I beard him , I know to be ono of the four. It Is not true hat bo speaks perfect French , though bis I'rcncli Is near perfection , He has , in fact , Ivt-d half bis life in Munich. Having un derstood this , I persuaded him to get drunk my company. When I played chess with sure cure Rlcchenborg , I brat hltn only sufficient to Induce him to keep on playing. KlniUIr , aa wo are both ardent philatelists , lie took mo homo to sco his collection of stump * , and whllo ho wan showing mo wo both fell L aslocp. Rlccheubcrg , bellovo iue > rtlll lum1 bers. " | "But , Mrs. VanslttnrtI You saw hcrf \ "I saw her , monsieur. She will Uio soon If not rescued. " ' Ho said It in an awed whisper. And tn an nwed whisper , Folllct answered : "How ? dlo , you say. How do you inc n ? " "I only caught ono gllmpso ot her face. The house , I may tell you , Is n small , mean ono two stories built of whlto freestone not moro than eight rooms. But six of thcso rooms are crowded with men , armed , soldlcr-IIko people , Germans. The seventh room , on the first floor , Is IMcchcnbcrg's , who has her under his Immediate surveil lance ; the eighth is Mrs. Vanslttart's. AB 1 passed Into Rlechcnbcrg'a room I saw through a iillghtly opened door a woman. She appeared to bo slowly walking to and fro ; It was evident nt once that she was harassed to the point of lunacy. But hrr face , monsieur ! Anything as wan , nnd drawn , and plty-kludllng , you can hardly Imagine. If this lasts " Ho stopped. "Ah , but It won't last ! " cried Folllet with clenched fists. "It Is you who have found her. What do you advise ? " "I don't advise auythlug , M. Folllot , " said Armand. "A practical poltit llko that I leave to you. But I have ono warning to glvo you don't make an attack upon the house unless you arc qulto sure that your force of gendarmes very largely preponder ates over the force of armed men within It. Bring a merely equal force against tbo place , and wo lese Mrs. Vanslttart. " "I entirely agree with you , monsieur. " "Then , let us go to htm , and consult him. " "By all means and nt onco. " "Con you rldo ? " "Is there no train ? " "Not for some time. Too > swift nnd strong horses 'th.nt'3 tftiati wo want. Twenty miles or so , the distance Is noth ing. Let us go back to Clermont. I can get two of the gendarmerie ) mounts. " They at once sot out nt a rapid walk. On the road near Rouflot they mot ) an empty cart and offered the driver n louls to take them at a gallop to Clermont. In twenty minutes they nrrlvcd In the town. I . - As they went toward the bureau do police , they passed a postofllce. Arraaud entered nnd dispatched a telegram to Marie at Vimes : "Tako the first train to Gravolotte. I shall bo there , looking out for you. " Then ho joined Folllct at the bureau over the way. In tqn minutes they wcro mounted on two stout coursers , and clattering through the town. t Twlco only they drew rein to knock at cottage doors and make themservcs certain of the route. The rest of the Journey was ono long , silent , Intense gallop. They passed through the French army , and at about midnight dashed Into Gravelotte on hors-o pan"ng and wet with spume. Vanslttart was putting up at tlio inn co'.lod Cheval d'Or. Ho bad retired to bed , but a chambermaid WAS able to glvo positive assurance that ho was not asleep. Ho could be hoard walking still In hla room , She took up a message , and re turned with the command that Folllct should wait In the salon. Armaud bad not sent up his namo. Presently Vanslttart entered , wrapped In a dressing gown of crimson slrk , with a gold-wrought coluture. "Ah , M. Folllet , " ho said , "this Is a sur prise. And do my eyes deceive me ? Surclyj hero Is M. DunreB. " He spoke qulto heartily. But his pretcnca of nonchalance was as hollow and shallow as possible , making him still moro an ob ject of pity. Ho could not bide the hag gard glare of his eye , nor the cnro which Bat on his faded cheek. "We are now nrrlvcd post haste from the neighborhood of a small town called Cler mont , In Argonne , Mr. Vnnslttart , " said Folllet. "I may tell you nt once that wo have found Mrs. Vnnstlttart ; or , rather , t ( bo exact , this gentleman hero has found her. " "M. Dupres ? " ' "Yes , sir. " "Seen her ? " His face was screwed Into an expression of gaunt , distorted Inqulsltlvencss. "Yes , I have seen her , " said Armand. "Really ? You have ? My God , you hava seen her , then ? " His knees gave , and bo sank backward upon a couch. "I merely caught a gllmpso of h6r face In passing , " said Armand. j "And she is well ? Did she seem ' well ? To think that you have seen her' " Armnnd , In pity , snld : " 0 , she Is well enough. A llttlo rale , perhaps no moro than Is natural under the circumstances. " / "A llttlo pale , poihcps , " Vanslttart re-1 peated mechanically. "Sho IB In a healthy locality , " ventured Folllet. "But where where ? " "At a house surrounded by vineyards ! In the Argonne district , " "But , M. Folllet , you have left her thcro ? " "The place Is full of nrmed men , mon slour. I did not at the moment feel mytclt In a safe position to attempt n rescue with out consulting you. An attempt which failed would make matters only worse. " "How many men ? " "I should say between thirty for forty,1' replied Armand. There nro extensive wlno cellars beno tK Uio house , a labyrinth of hiding place * , r doubtless tn direct communication by stairs with the building. During an att'ack which not also a complete surprise , your wlfa could be " "Ah , I see ! taken down Into the cellars , ? An excellent plan ! Is your object , then , to drive mo mad , monsieur ? " "No , no. It ia merely a suggestion which make. Find mo the men , and I will un dertake the rest. You must not come , You must see that you are not In tbo right framn mind for such an enterprise. And tha army hero cannot eparo you. " Vanslttart's head was bowed down to liH - knees. For some time "ho sat so. Then ha said : "Well , M. Folllet , If you will como with , I think I can put at your disposal nt once whatever force wo may think necessary ft rescue. As for myself , I nra sorry cannot accompany you ; things here , you , will probably require my presence " The three left the Inn together and pro ceeded down tbo street to a private bout * where Colonel Montsaloy , a man whoso nc- , ' tlvlty and resource Vanslttart bad observed , now lig ! asleep. They roused the house and in a few minutes the four men were deep In colloquy. Vansltturt recommended a contingent V sixty chasseurs as a suitable escort , Insls H upon the necessity of secrecy , and remlp them of tbo wine cellars beneath the ho case of need the local gendarmerie migl < H called Into requisition. j "If I have the happiness to see you her * fl 9 o'clock tomorrow morning , monsieur " T suld to Montsaloy , "you will possess my I lifelong ( gratitude " 1 They walked toward the wcwt end of he village. Within twenty mlnutcD Armand an 'J Vanslttart stood listening to the the troop lessening In tbo distance darkness. ( To Bo Continued. ) You Invite ( lUnpponitinum when you * / § pertinent , DoWltt's Llttlo Early Risers * | pleasant , easy , thorough little pills. Tbej constipation and sick headache Juat as you take them ,