Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 129, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1912 — The Grand Babylon Hotel [ARTICLE]

The Grand Babylon Hotel

(Copyright The Frank A. Munsey Go.) CHAPTER XVI. \ The Woman With The Red Hat. “There is one thing, Prince, that we have just got to settle straight off,” said Racksole. They were all three seated around a dinner table in a private room at the Hotel Wellington. Racksole, had duly arrived by the afternoon boat and had been met on the quay by the other two. They had dined early, and Racksole had heard the full story of the adventure by sea and land of Nella and the Prince. As to his own adventure of the previous night he said very little, merely explaining, with as little detail as possible, that Dimmock’s body had come to light “What is that?” asked the Prince in answer to Racksole’s remark. “We have got to settle whether we shall tell the police at once all that has occurred or whether we shall proceed on our own responsibility. There can be no doubt as to which course we Ought to pursue. Every consideration of prudence points to the advisa-' bility of taking the police into our confidence and leaving the matter entirely in their hands.” “Oh! papa!” Nella burst out in her pouting, impulsive Way. “You surely can’t think of such a thing. Why, the fun has only just begun!” “Do you call last night fun?” questioned Racksole, gazing at her solemn’y- • . ; “Yes, I do,” she said promptly/ now!” “Well, I don’t,” was the millionaire’s laconic response, but perhaps he was thinking of his own experience in the lift .'. ' , “Do you not think we might investigate a little further?” said the Prince judiciously, as he cracked a walnut, “just a little further, and then, if we fail to accomplish anything, there would still be ample opportunity to consult the police.” “How do you suggest we should begin?” asked Racksole. “Well, there is the house which Miss Racksole so intrepidly entered last evening”—he gave her the homage of an admiring glance—“you and I, Mr. Racksole, might examine that abode.” “Tonight?” “Certainly, we might do something.” “We might do too much.” “For example?” “We might shoot some one or get ourselves mistaken for burglars. If we outstepped the law it would be no. excuse for/us that we had been acting in a good cause.” “True,” salOMfirlnce. “Nevtertheless” —He stopped. ■ “Nevertheless, you have a disdaste for bringing the police into the business. You want the, hunt all to yourself. You are on fire with the ardor or the ehaser Is not that it?*“ The sea was utterly calm and blue in the morning sun. The dingey rocked itself lazily in the swell of the yacht’s departure as < the mist cleared away, the outline of the shore became more distinct and it appeared as if Ostend was scarcely a cable’s length distant. The many-hued bathing vans could be counted on the distant beach and everything seemed normal and usual. It was difficult for either Nella or her companion to realize that any thing extraordinary had happened within the last hour. Yet there was the yacht, not yet a mile off, to prove to them that something very extraordinary had in fact happened. The yacht was no vision, nor was that sinister, watching figure at its stern a vision either.

“I suppose Jules was too surprised and too feeble to inquire how I came to be oh board his yacht?” said the Prince. “Oh! How did you?” asked Nella, her face lighting up. “Really, I had almost forgotten that part of the affair.” “I must begin at the beginning, and it will take some time,” answered the Prince. “Had we not better postpone the recital till we get ashore?” “I will row and you shall talk,” said Nella. “1 want to know now.” He smiled happily at her, but gently declined to yield up the oars, h “Is it not sufficient that I am here?”

he said. “It is sufficient, yet,’" she replied, “but I want to know.” With ajong easy stroke he was pulling the dingey shoreward. She sat in the stern-sheets. “There is no rudder,” he remarked, “so you must direct me. keep the will help us. The people on shore will thihk we have only been out for a little early morning excursion.” . ** Will yCW Irin illy tn ft liQ’y jt

my life, Prince f’ she said. ' ‘ • “Save your life, Miss Racksole? I didn’t save your life; I merely knocked a man down.” ‘ “You saved my life,” she repeated. “That vallain would have stopped at nothing. I saw it in his face.” - > ’/Then you were a brave woman, for you showed no fear of death.” His gaze rested full on her. For a moment the oars ceased to move. She gave a gesture of impatience. “It happened that I saw you last night in your carriage,” he said. “The fact is, I had not had the audacity to go on to Berlin with my story. I stopped in Ostend to see whether I could not do a little detective work on my own account “It was a piece of good luck that I saw you. I followed the carriage as quickly as I could, and I just saw a glimpse of you as you entered that awful house. , “I knew that Jules had something to do with that house. I guesshd what you were doing. I was afraid for you. Fortunately I had surveyed the house pretty thoroughly. “Thera is an entrance to it at the back from a narrow lane, I got into the yard at the back, and I stood under the windo# of - the room you had the interview with Miss Spencer. I heard everything you said. “It was a courageous enterprise on your part to follow Miss Spencer from the Grand Babylon to Ostend. Well, I dared not force an entrance, lest I might precipitate matters too suddenly, and involve both of us in a difficulty. I merely kept watch. “Ah, Miss Racksole, you were magnificent with Miss Spencer; as I say, I could hear every word, for the window was slightly open. I felt that you needed no assistance from me. And then she cheated you with a trick, and the revolver came flying through the window. “I picked it up; I thought it would probably be useful. There was a dil- v ence. I did not guess at first that you had fainted. I thought you had escaped. “When I found out the truth it was too late for me to interfere. ’ There .two men, both desperate; besides Miss Spencer" “Who was the other man?” asked Nella. “I do not know. It was dark. They drove hway with you to the yacht Again I followed, I saw them carry you on board. “Before the yacht weighed anchor I managed to climb aboard unobserved into' the dingey. I lay down full length in it and no one suspected I was there. I think you know the rest” “Was the yacht al ready for sea ” “The yacht was all ready for sea. The captain fellow was on the bridge, and steam was upt’ “Then; they expected me? How could that be?” “They expected some one. I do not think they expected you.’-’ \ . “Did the second man go on board?*’ “He helped to carry you along the gapgway, hut be came back agaln to the carriage. He was the driver.? m'--. “And no one else saw the busU ness?” 1 ‘‘The quay was deserted. You see, the last steamer had arrived for the ‘night.” There was a brief sßenee, and thenNella ejaculated under her breath: “Truly it is a wonderful world! ’’ And It was a wonderful world for them, although scarcely, perhaps, in the sense which Nella Racksole had intended. They had just emerged from a high ly disconcerting experience. Among other minor inconveniences, they had bad no breakfast They were out at sea in a tiny boat Neither of them knew what the day might bring forth .The man at least bad the most serious anxieties for the safety of his royal nephew. “Accept the advice of an older man, Prince, and sleep on this affair. I have little fancy for nocturnal escapades two nights together. As for. you, Nella, off with you to bed. The Prince and I bave/a^Tarnuver such fluids as can be obtained, in this hotel.” “Papa,” she said, “you are perfectly hortid tonight”

“Perhaps I am,” he said. “Decidedly I am very cross with you for coming over here gll alone. It was monstrous. If I didn’t happen to be the most foolish of parents—there! Good night It’s 9 o’clock. The Prince, I am sure, will excuse you.” If Nella had not really been very tired, Prince Aribert might have been the witness of a good natured but stubborn conflict between the millionaire and his daughter. As it was Nella departed with surprising docility, and the two men were left alone. “Nov)’," said Racksole suddenly, changing his tone, “I fancy that after all I’m your man for a little amateur investigation tonight And if I must speak the exact truth, I think that to sleep on this affair would <e about the worst thing we could do. Rut I was anxious to keep Nella out of harm’s way—kt any rate, till tomorrow.” (To be cuntlnned