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S YNOPSIS. In the smoking room of the Cedric, Hadley, an amateur aviator, tells of the mysterious disappearance of the Dessaud monoplane advertised to appear at the Chicago Aviation Meet.
It seems that Phillip Dessaud, a French army officer, had made a neu) discoveiy in balancing and a silent engine, which the secret agents of other nations were after. He registered at the Congress
Hotel, was assigned to room I 54 and that was the last heard of him. JIfler Hadley ceased speaking one of the gentlemen offered his card and said: Messieurs, I am Phillip Dessaud, and smiling tclL
the story: He reached Chicago in the ajternoon, drove tlth the French Consul to the jlviation Grounds, found everything In perfect condition, went hack to the Congress Hotel, and while silling In hit
room the phone suddenly rang and a lady's voice says, "Is that you, "Phillip?" He protested he did not know Madememaiselle. She replied. "JIre you not Phillip Dessaud, suite I 54 P I'm. Then
meet me In front of the Art Building at dusk- " As darkness fell he left the hotel, eager to learn what was to befall him at the rendezvous.
CHAPTKU 111
HE At'TY IN DlsTUEHS
T was like some Parisian boulevard, Ili:tt
Michigan Avenue, with the park on the one
side, anil great, buildings Mazing with lights
upon the other, while between, glistening in
the glow of electric clusters, nn endless
ft ream of motor cars glided noiselessly along the
smooth pavement. The wide walk was thronged with
pedestrians, inter
ested in the avi
ation rnnip, or
st rolling idly
through the sum
mer mgtit, tlic
w o men r i r h 1 y
dressed, the men
in somber colors.
It was n scene of
enchantment, ever
changing, yet con
tinually brilliant
in the g 1 o w of
multi-colored
lights.
The doorman
gave me direct
ions, and I drifted
into the throng
m o v i n g n or t h
ward, so enter
tained by my
neighbors as to
almost forget for
the moment the
n a t u r e of in y
quest. Yet it was
but a short walk,
not over three
blocks I presume,
when I found my
self opposite what
must be the Art'
Huilding, a not
able edifice of
stone 8 1 a n d i n g
alone in the open.
As.s-urcd of this by
questioning a, passer-by,
I picked
my way across
through speeding
vehicles, and ap
pro a c h e d the
steps, my mind
again centered on
this special ad
venture. There
were several
women near by,
some with escorts, ' :
but a few unat- '
tended in the
strange freedom
accorded the sex
in this country.
Unable to distinguish between these I sauntered
the full length of the building, and, still in doubt,
returned toward the entrance, without having ven
tured to address anyone. Two or three of the women
were apparently waiting the appearance of some ex
pected companion, and glanced at me curiously, yet
none of these met my ideal of her who had spoken
to me through the medium of the 'phone. Nor
did they wear the violets of recognition.
In the shadow of the further lion, however, one
stood motionless, barely discernible. I must have
passed her by unseeing on my first trip, but as I
returned more slowly, my eyes searching the gloom
dimly perceived the outlines of ' her figure. Per
haps I might have passed her by the second time,
but for her own impatience. Indeed I was already
at the foot of the steps, tempted to abandon the
search, half convinced 1 was the victim of a hoax,
when she took a step forward into the light. The
Midden movement attracted my attention, and the
first hurried glance revealed the violets at her belt.
Meyond this 1 saw nothing clearly, only to realize
that the face below the wide brim of the hat was
young, and the lady petite. Her eyes were not
I
ML
mm
f I. : '
Was Conscious of a Newly Awakened Interest.
upon ine, yet there could be no mistake, and I lifted
my hat, and bowed. Hie stood still in evident sur
prise, lie,r eyes swiftly searching my face.
"You mistake " she began, but I interrupted:
"I'ardon me if that be true, yet I think not. You
wear the violets, Mademoiselle, which were to be
the sign of my recognition," and I pointed at her
belt. "Indeed I am sure now that you have spoken,
for there cannot be two such voices in the world."
"Hut but you are not Philip Houser. It was
not you to whom I spoke."
I began to see light, to understand.
"It was a mistake then; I thought as much," I
said regretfully. "Yet, Mademoiselle, what could
I do? You called me Philip, which is also my name
Philip Dessaud," and again I bowed with all respect.
"It was you who insisted."
"Yes, 1 know," she attempted to explain, her voice
trembling, her gloved hands clasped. "I I was
so sure. And you were in 1 .M, were you not?"
"Certainly; that is my suite."
"Since when?"
"It must be from three o'clock this afternoon,
Mademoiselle."
Her eyes fell,
then glanced up
again into my face.
"It is indeed a
mistake such a
curious one." she
began. "You must
listen, and believe
mo.' Ido not in
the least blame
you; as a gentle
man you could do
no less, for you
could not know
but what the mes
sage was from some
friend. It is all
my own fault, my
own carelessness.
He was there
Philip Houser in
Suite I ,11 this
morning. I read
. the name on the
' register. I I went
t here seeking him,
but lacked the
courage at that
time to speak. I
cannot explain this
now, nor will you
ask. You are a
gentleman, I am
sure, or I could
not speak even as
freely as I do.
You respect my
silence?"
"Most assured
ly; you need only
tell me to go,
Mademoiselle."
"No; that is not
my meaning. I
wish to explain,
to make clear the
nature of m y
mistake; only
there arc condi
tions I cannot
confide to a
Btranger. I lam
not specially a
friend o f Philip
Houser, merely an
acquaintance, a
business acquain
tance. We have not met for two years, yet there was
a reason why I should see him now, a reason of im
portance. Yet I was uncertain how my appeal would
be met, and hesitated. It. was not until late this
afternoon that I finally gained courage, and going
into a public booth called his room at the hotel."
"You called him Philip."
"He is of an ace to permit that;
at school together."
"Yet the voice which answered
one."
"Some voices are never natural
and his was (hanging when I last heard it. Hesides I
was so sure suspicion never once entered my mind.'
1
csides we were
was a strangi
over the wire.
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