The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 89: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LOOSING THE TEMPEST. I got little sympathy from Dela- touche. I sat there mopingly, puffing at as good a cigar as I ever smoked, while he busied himself a moment writing. There came a knock on his door. He rose, opened it, and Gordon Morley entered. : “A secret conclave, ha!” said the rich American. “It just occurred to me that we forgot something.” “Well,” I replied, “if there is any- thing in this mess to forget, let us forget it.” “ But this is important. I would not have thought of it if it had not been for a remark made by Ordway.” ‘* Ordway does make remarks. What was it?” " “Never mind his remark; but you neglected to bring away the baby clothes of your Crusoe Donaldson.” So we had. The excitement of the finishing scenes on the island had driven from Ordway’s mind and mine all. thoughts of the necessity of trying to establish the identity of our islander. And we were hurrying toward Paris at eighteen knots an hour. “What I came to say,” continued Morley, “is that, when we get through with Sanderman’s case, my yacht is at your disposal. We will return to Ors- gov and get what belongs to the giant.” ‘““I propose some music. It all is making my head swim,’ said Dela- touche. We went on deck. Ina few minutes the cruiser’s band had assembled, and the patriotic French airs held Crusoe tense. After that we had breakfast, and Ordway, with some devilish purpose, saw to it that Crusoe escorted Miss Sanderman to the table. And yet nothing devilish resulted. The islander was the coolest person at the well-served meal. The run to the French anchorage was made without any incident worth recording. Joloff’s lips returned to their normal size, and there was little opportunity for any but a general con- versation. 75 When we left the Vigilante the E1- vira was coming to her anchorage a short distance away. Inspector Ravary managed every- thing at Havre. In an hour we board- ed a special train for Paris. We went to the Prefecture de Police. A tall, imperturbable commissioner was at a mahogany desk. Inspector Ravary hustled young Sanderman be- fore him, the rest of u’ grouping our- selves as best suited our convenience. ““M. le Commissionnaire,” began Ravary, “‘I have the honor to report the arrest of the prisoner Sanderman for the murder of M. Nicasse.”’ The commissioner bowed. “You have done very well; In- spector Ravary,” he said. ‘“ But the case of M. Nicasse has surprised us. M. Nicasse is not dead.” “Thank Heavens!” exclaimed sev- eral voices at once. Then Mrs. Sanderman fainted. CHAPTER XXXVI. = SKIRTING THIN ICE. THE scene became at once almost. volcanic. I doubt if the police head- quarters of Paris, not unaccustomed to tempestuous scenes, ever saw a tempest break loose as our own particular tem- pest did when Mrs. Sanderman fell. Crusoe knew absolutely nothing con- cerning the procedure in a place like the prefecture de police. He had been so interested looking at Alma Sander- man’s agitated face that he had not realized the true significance of the re- mark made by the commissioner. He leaped toward the desk; and that same look of rage we had learned to dread brought Ordway and me to our senses, and we sprang to him. Ordway grasped him by the left shoulder, and I, in my intense fear of police com- plications, threw my arms around his neck in what would have been, to an ordinary man, a throttling hug. Ordway was sent skating across the room on one foot, and I flopped on my CoOMmicbook CO